Supplements: The Skinny on Raspberry Ketones

Since February, when Dr. Oz featured raspberry ketones on his show, calling them "a miracle fat burner in a bottle with no side effects" these pills have been all the rave for fat busters everywhere.  I've finally finished my research on raspberry ketones, ketones, fat loss, hormones, toxins....okay, I read a lot and now I'm here to tell you all about it.

I'll start with and answer to What are Ketones?

Ketones are a by-product resulting in the breakdown of fat or fatty acids.  They're used by the liver and kidneys for energy.

Ketosis is elevated levels of ketone in the body and bloodstream.

The original ketogenic diet was Atkins.  It was all the rave about 10 years ago or so.  It was high in fat, people loved it, cardiologists made lots of money off of it.  A ketogenic diet allows the body to utilize fat better as an energy source. When you increase the available ketones in the body and bloos stream, it establishes a metabolic state of ketosis and breaks down excess fatty acids, regulates adiponectin and boosts metabolism.

Okay, if some of that was above your head, no worries, you'll get it by the end of this.  Read it twice if you have to.  Hell, it'd probably take me three times.

Does it work?  Yes.  Ketones are found in raspberries, coconut oil and coconut milk...well, coconuts I guess.

Raspberry ketones in the form of pills are the equivalent of 90 pounds of raspberries.  These ketones alter lipid metabolism and boost fatty acid oxidation and burn more fat in a shorter amount of time.  It supports the breakdown of fat.  It will help you break through a weight loss plateau, but there are other alternatives for that too.

You eat, your body's bloodstream is supplied with with more glucose.  That satisfies hunger.  Your cells are either metabolizing glucose or storing glucose, as fat.  If fed regularly, every 2-3 hours, your body doesn't store glucose efficiently, it just metabolizes most of it.  If you're NOT eating regularly, your body starts storing the glucose as a defense against starvation.  Then the fat storage continues until your body gets fed regularly.

Now, your brain controls it all.  By taking 100 mg of raspberry ketones, you increase the available ketones in the body and bloodstream.  This establishes a metabolic state of ketosis and breaks down excess fatty acids.    Since your liver and kidneys are metabolizing your extra glucose (fat), your brain starts feeding on ketones while your body feeds on fat.  This is flushing out all the toxins your body stores in the fat cells.  Heavy metals are a key toxin stored in fat cells.  Heavy metals effect the body in a negative way; inducing chronic stress, inflamation, malnutrition and hormone imbalances.  Now, hormone imbalances can cause all kinds of problems with body function.  Everything from depression, sleep apnea, diabetes, obesity, mood swings, infertility and most forms of cancer.  See why obesity is often a key factor in some of these disorders?

We're chemical beings in nature.  We have sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen, noradrenaline that makes us walk upright, insulin and glucagon that regulate blood sugar.  Some hormones come in pairs to balance, some don't.  But they're all specific in what they do.

What do raspberry ketones have to do with hormone imbalance.  They can help flush the fat that contains the toxins that are stored in fat that cause the hormone imbalances that cause problems and symptoms that many people experience.

Ok, now, Dr. oz said "without side effects".  Well, raspberry ketones don't come without risk.  And, when I first heard raspberry ketones, this is exactly what came to my mind.  If ketones populate the bloodstream and spill into the urine, it can make you sick.  So, if you're taking raspberry ketones, keep the H2O flowing into your body.  It'll help flush fat and toxins out too!

Raspberry ketones without proper diet and exercise aren't going to magically flush all the fat out of your body.  In general avoid processed food-like products and eat the real stuff.  Drink plenty of water; not soda, not energy drinks, not coffee....good ol' H2O and stay hydrated.  It's key in not overeating, staying hydrated, flushing out the bad stuff and keeping your body working smoothly.  I can't stress enough the importance of water in your diet.