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A new dietary supplement containing an extract from red raspberries is currently the hottest diet product in the U.S. — but not without controversy.
Critics say the compound — called raspberry ketone — causes such a significant amount of weight loss that it runs the risk of being abused by non-dieters. Proponents argue that research shows the nutrient to be both safe and effective and that banning the natural compound would be akin to banning vitamins.
One thing people on both sides can agree on is the controversial new supplement works.
Several recent studies from Japan show that raspberry ketones — which are chemically similar to capsaicin, the heat compound from chile peppers — significantly increases fat oxidation (burning), especially the fat that builds up in the liver.
In 2010, Korean researchers reported that raspberry ketone increased fat cells' secretion of a hormone called adiponectin that regulates the processing of sugars and fats in the blood. The reported benefits are impressive: Increased total weight loss, including a significant reduction of abdominal fat — with zero side effects.
In fact, not only were there not any side effects, but a 2012 study from China found that raspberry ketones had several health benefits — including improved cholesterol levels, insulin sensitivity, and reduced fat in the liver.
And if all that weren't reason enough to have desperate slimmers stocking up, one of America's leading medical doctors is a fan, recently calling raspberry ketones a "miracle weight loss supplement" on his Emmy-winning daytime TV show. Click here to watch the episode.
Results in Five Days?
Raspberry ketones are the compounds within raspberries that give the fruit its characteristic aroma. More important to dieters, however, is the recent research showing these compounds can also melt away the pounds.
According to Lisa Lynn, a leading weight-loss expert and television health contributor, many of her clients have been supplementing with raspberry ketones and experiencing stunning fat-loss results in as few as five days.
Lynn described the compounds as "very healthy" with "no side effects" and says the pills enable the body to "burn fat easier" by stimulating the production of adiponectin, a hormone found in fatty tissue that improves our ability to metabolize fat.
Studies show that thin people have higher levels of adiponectin than overweight individuals. What's more, researchers agree that the hormone improves insulin sensitivity and helps regulate weight.
"Too Much" Weight Loss?
Word-of-mouth marketing has led to raspberry ketones overtaking Alli as the most popular diet product in America today. However, according to Kathy Hodges, M.S., CPT, a dietician from Kent State University, raspberry ketones may, in fact, cause too much of a weight reduction to be offered over-the-counter and therefore should be regulated like Xenical and other prescription diet aids.
"My issue isn't necessarily that the supplement causes weight loss, but rather how much it causes," says Hodges. "Research shows the nutrient increases the fat-burning hormone adiponectin, resulting in a signficant amount of weight loss within a period of only one week — that's more than most prescription diet pills."
Hodges says she fears the new super slimmer may be abused by people who have no business taking it.
"With the way the media glamorizes extreme thinness, I'm concerned that people with a very low or normal BMI (body mass index) and already-high adiponectin levels will be able to use it without restrictions. This can become a huge issue, leading to an unhealthy degree of leanness and body-image issues."
Social Media Sensation
Whether or not raspberry ketone causes "too much" weight loss doesn't concern the tens of thousands of dieters rushing to use it.
Erin Bates, a 36-year-old mother of two from Denver, Colorado, says she lost just over Raspberry Ketones20 pounds in
4 weeks as a result of using 2 capsules of raspberry ketone three times daily with meals.
Bates says she began to lose weight almost immediately. "After the first week, I had lost 11 pounds — I thought something was wrong with my scale," says Bates with a laugh. "The pounds were falling off so fast that I actually got excited to step on the scale each morning to see how much more I'd lost."
According to Bates, raspberry ketone is the most effective weight-loss product she's ever used. "I've tried other things like Alli, but I didn't really notice a difference. The change I'm seeing with raspberry ketone is shocking. It's like liposuction in a bottle," says Bates with a laugh.
David Jefferies, a 37-year-old journalist from Columbia, Missouri, says he's experienced similar weight-loss success with raspberry ketone.
"After just two weeks of using raspberry ketone, I lost 18 pounds of fat, including a lot of fat off my gut," says Jefferies. "I'm amazed at how fast the weight is falling off me. Already my jean size has dropped from 36 to 34."
