Raspberry ketones are a popular natural weight-loss supplement (like garcinia cambogia and forskolin) because they can help burn fat and increase your metabolism easily and painlessly.
Though there’s conflicting research on whether they live up to these claims, they’re incredibly popular supplements – and a lot of people swear by them.
To find the raspberry ketones supplement that’s best for you, our team put together our top picks below.
Research
Rankings
1. VitaBalance Raspberry Ketone Plus
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What if you could rev up your metabolism and lose weight without having to change much else in your healthy lifestyle?
Look no further than VitaBalance Raspberry Ketone Plus, which leverages adiponectin, the ingredient in raspberry ketones that activates a healthy metabolic rate and your own natural ability to metabolize fat.
In Raspberry Ketone Plus, you not only get high levels of adiponectin, you also get African mango, apple cider vinegar, and green tea. This powerful combination supports natural weight loss, a healthy gut, antioxidant protection, and high energy levels throughout the day—all of which is needed to lose weight and keep it off.
Don’t be fooled by other products with similar ingredients. VitaBalance is dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements that get real results. And their customers are raving…
… “Already dropped a couple of pounds and it’s been 3 and a half weeks. Looking forward to more results.”
… “These pills are legit. Use them in my smoothie every single morning.”
No GMO. No gluten. Manufactured in an FDA-registered facility that follows GMP guidelines.
The all-around raspberry ketone winner of 2021.
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2. aSquared Nutrition Raspberry Ketones
aSquared delivers a powerful punch of raspberry ketones. With 1,000 mg per two-capsule serving, and a bottle with 180 capsules, aSquared Nutrition’s raspberry ketone supplement can support a high intake of ketones for a long time.
It’s highly pure, too; the only extra ingredients are the capsule and a binder to keep the capsule and the powder together.
If you want a high dose of raspberry ketone without any added active supplements, aSquared is a great choice.
3. NatureWise Raspberry Ketones Plus+
NatureWise’s raspberry ketone formulation is a chart-topping weight loss supplement that takes its own spin on the raspberry ketone craze.
NatureWise combines 400 mg of raspberry ketones per capsule with a proprietary blend of several other weight loss supplements and antioxidants. These include African mango, resveratrol, acai fruit, green tea extract, and cayenne pepper. These range from highly effective and proven (green tea extract) to more dubious in their efficacy (African mango).
Whether you want to go with NatureWise hinges entirely on whether or not you want these extras in your weight loss supplement. If so, go for it; otherwise, choose something that supplies only raspberry ketones.
4. Hamilton Healthcare Raspberry Ketones Ultra
Hamilton Healthcare is one of many raspberry ketone supplements that combine the ketones with other weight loss supplements, but critically, it is one of the few that actually discloses how much of each ingredient is in the supplement.
The bottle features a breakdown of all the active ingredients, which include raspberry ketones alongside African mango, acai berry, green tea extract, kelp, and apple cider vinegar. On top of that, there aren’t much in the way of extraneous ingredients, which is great to see.
5. BulkSupplements Pure Raspberry Ketone Powder
If you are familiar with the BulkSupplements brand, you know what to expect. It’s a highly pure, dirt-cheap product sold only in bulk. This means no additives, no fillers, and no middleman, but also no professional measuring out doses for you.
With a highly active metabolism booster like raspberry ketone, whose effective dose is in the hundreds of milligrams, you will absolutely need a milligram-accurate scale. That’s literally the only drawback to BulkSupplements’ raspberry ketone supplement.
6. Fresh Healthcare Pure Raspberry Ketones
Fresh Healthcare’s raspberry ketone is pretty simple, and people like it because of that. Each capsule contains 500 mg of raspberry ketones, and a bottle comes with 180 capsules.
If you aren’t looking for any fancy blend of weight loss supplements, Fresh Healthcare is a very solid choice.
7. Kerala Herbs Raspberry Ketone Complex
Kerala Herbs takes a similar tack as some of its other competitors who mix in other weight loss and antioxidant supplements into the mix. The supplement delivers 450 mg of raspberry ketones, along with green tea extract, green coffee bean extract, African mango, and resveratrol.
A drawback of this shotgun-style approach to weight loss is that even if the supplement works, you may not actually know which one did the trick.
8. NutriSuppz Raspberry Ketone Complex
Despite the label promising “100% pure” raspberry ketones, NutriSuppz’s formula seems to use that to refer to just the raspberry ketone part of the supplement.
Because the proportions of this blend are secret, it’s impossible to know how much caffeine there is in each serving. This could be a problem if you are caffeine sensitive, and indeed, some reviewers complain about classic signs of too much caffeine: nausea, jitteriness, and nervousness.
9. MaritzMayer Raspberry Ketone Lean 1200
MaritzMayer’s raspberry ketone supplement is cheap and popular, so why is it so poorly reviewed? Well, tricky labeling doesn’t help.
The label, and indeed even the product name, implies that there is 1200 mg of raspberry ketone per serving, but in fact, it’s 1200 mg of the proprietary blend of nine different ingredients.
10. Lean Nutraceuticals Raspberry Ketones
Lean Nutraceuticals makes their raspberry ketone supplement in liquid form and provides it in a small amber glass vial. One dropper of the supplement contains 160 mg of active ingredients, but raspberry ketone is only one among nine different ingredients.
Category winners
Best raspberry ketones overall: VitaBalance Raspberry Ketone Plus
VitaBalance is our top pick overall thanks to its innovative pairing of raspberry ketones with green tea extract (a widely-used and powerful weight loss supplement) and African mango. If you want to use raspberry ketones to augment your weight loss, it’s our recommendation.
Best raspberry ketones for burning fat: VitaBalance Raspberry Ketone Plus
VitaBalance targets both mechanisms for weight loss: thermogenesis and appetite control. With its multipurpose ingredients, you cover all your bases when it comes to dropping excess body fat.
Best raspberry ketones without additives: aSquared Nutrition Raspberry Ketones
Want a supplement that’s 100% raspberry ketones, with no additional active ingredients? aSquared Nutrition is the way to go. It’s pure, simple, and has a solid 500 mg dosage.
Best raspberry ketones with cayenne pepper: NatureWise Raspberry Ketones Plus+
NatureWise Raspberry Ketones Plus+ uses a powerful combo of raspberry ketones, African mango, and cayenne pepper to jump-start thermogenesis by leveraging the synergy of all three of these ingredients. It’s our pick for a supplement that uses cayenne pepper to amplify weight loss.
Best raspberry ketones for women: VitaBalance Raspberry Ketone Plus
Women often struggle with keeping their metabolism high. To target this problem, VitaBalance includes green tea extract alongside raspberry ketones to burn off excess calories.
Best raspberry ketones for losing weight fast: NatureWise Raspberry Ketones Plus+
Dropping weight in a hurry? NatureWise Raspberry Ketones Plus+ might help. With ingredients for both appetite control and fat oxidation, it aims to accelerate your weight loss on two fronts.
Who should buy raspberry ketones?
Raspberry ketones are safe for most people that want to lose weight and improve their metabolism. Due to the lack of studies, raspberry ketones should not be consumed by special populations, including pregnant women, children, and diabetics.
How we ranked
Raspberry ketone supplements come in a variety of forms, but due to the lack of science, we preferred ones that provided lower doses to be on the safe side. The recommended dose is between 500mg-1000mg or more. As such, we preferred products like Nature Wise that provided closer to the lower end because it allowed for safety but also allowed you to tailor your dose based on your individual’s needs.
Next, we looked at how the supplement was delivered. In general, there are three forms of raspberry ketone delivery: capsules, powders, and liquids. Of the three types, capsules offer the most benefits and quality and are why we ranked products like aSquared Nutrition highly. We did also included a liquid form of raspberry ketone, by Lean Nutraceuticals, because it was of high quality. However, it was ranked near the bottom due to its proprietary formula and low dosage. Bulk Supplements powdered raspberry ketone powder made the top 5 for its commitment to purity and simplicity.
Due to the lack of studies surrounding raspberry ketones, we rewarded companies that went the extra mile and included proven supporting ingredients to complement the effects of raspberry ketones. VitaBalance landed in the top spot for including weight loss products like apple cider vinegar, and green tea. Furthermore, their raspberry ketone products are of the highest quality, being manufactured in an FDA-registered facility that follows GMP guidelines.
Benefits
Raspberry ketones aim to increase fat oxidation. Reducing appetite and enhancing the body’s ability to burn fat are the two most popular selling points for weight-loss supplements.
Raspberry ketones claim the latter effect. When you think about the exhilarating smell of fresh raspberries, to say nothing of the way they taste, it’s easy to understand how the substance responsible for those qualities would tempt researchers to figure out a way to isolate it, which they did.
A little of that powerful stuff goes a long way, which is a good thing, since raspberry ketones occur in minute quantities naturally at somewhere between 0.0001% and 0.0004% by weight. It would take 90 pounds of raspberries to make a single dose of the real stuff, which would obviously make it pricey.
The evolution of chemistry gets the credit for synthetically created raspberry ketones, which make the compound an affordable option for anyone who wants to try it as a weight-loss aid. If you’re interested in the details of how it’s accomplished in the lab, you can check out these cited sources. (4, 5, 6)
Raspberry ketones are similar in structure to capsaicin, which may help with weight loss. The molecular structure of natural raspberry ketones originally caught the attention of chemists because of its similarity to capsaicin (found in chili peppers) and synephrine, which is a stimulant. Both of these possess proven effects in ramping up metabolic processes. (7, 8)
Isolated fat cells from rats placed in test tubes with raspberry ketones produced two encouraging results:
1) Fat breakdown, referred to as lipolysis, took place more quickly through a heightened sensitivity of the cells to norepinephrine, which is a fat-burning hormone.
2) Fat cells released larger amounts of adiponectin, a hormone that may help regulate both metabolism and blood sugar levels.
Since overweight people have lower levels of adiponectin that rise when they drop fat (9, 10), researchers concluded raspberry ketones could help herd that particular hormone balance in the right direction.
But there’s no guarantee this can happen with human use.
However, drinking coffee can increase adiponectin levels, and another notable discovery on stimulating the production of this hormone included a 268% increase over a week’s time by engaging in exercise. (11, 12)
Some lab studies support the effects of raspberry ketones in animals. More rodent studies indicated animals dosed with insanely high amounts of raspberry ketones didn’t gain as much weight on a fattening diet as the ones without it. (13)
But again, this may not hold true for humans.
Besides, it would take a hundred times the recommended dosage of raspberry ketones to match what the rats ate during the study.
Spanning 8 weeks, the study divided participants into two groups, with one taking a placebo. They were asked to exercise and reduce caloric intake.
Those using the six-ingredient supplement released nearly 8% of total body fat, while the control group managed to let go of barely more than 2%. (14)
It’s not possible to calculate individual effects of the six ingredients, so there’s no way to tell if the raspberry ketones had anything to do with the respectable trial results.
Synergistic interactions can also boost the effectiveness of substances used together. If you’re feeling adventurous, you may want to try this combo.
Reviews and online forums suggest raspberry ketones have similar success and failure rates to other weight-loss products; some people swear by them and others call them a bust (15).
With so many variables and no human studies, it’s difficult to say whether raspberry ketones can help people lose weight, or if other factors may have influenced success stories.
Future research may provide answers to these questions.
Side effects
Without human studies, side effects of raspberry ketones, if there are any, can’t be pinpointed.
Unverified reports mention elevated heartbeats and blood pressure, along with feeling jittery, but the lab mice didn’t seem to experience any ill effects on massive doses, for what it’s worth.
Keep in mind that the molecular structure of raspberry ketones used in weight-loss supplements is a product of modern chemistry, not a natural derivative of raspberries.
Dosage recommendations on package labels usually fall between 100 and 400 milligrams, taken either once or twice daily. This doesn’t even come close to the amount that kept rats from gaining as much weight on a fattening diet as the control group.
FAQ
Do raspberry ketones help you lose weight? While not studied extensively by medical professionals yet, anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that raspberry ketones may assist with weight loss.
Studies conducted thus far demonstrate that raspberry ketones may promote greater fat metabolism, which could then directly lead to weight loss or reduction in body fat. While raspberry ketones are often advertised as a weight loss solution, these claims are not 100% backed up by science, and using the products for those reasons is not recommended.
It is anticipated that scientists will begin to study the effects of raspberry ketone supplements on weight as the hype surrounding these products continue to grow (16, 17).
What are the side effects of raspberry ketones? The side effects of raspberry ketones are minimal but may include a decrease in blood sugar levels, heart palpitations, jitteriness, increased blood pressure, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping.
The general consensus is that raspberry ketones don’t play much of a role in health, and therefore the side effects and benefits associated are limited if they exist at all.
What is the proper dose of raspberry ketones? The suggested daily upper limit of raspberry ketones is around 1400 milligrams per day.
However, some studies show that even relatively low levels, like 100 milligrams per day, can be potentially harmful when consumed. One study discovered that as levels increase higher than 100 milligrams, the chances of toxicity greatly increases. However, this study involved laboratory animals, and it is unclear the levels of raspberry ketones in humans that would prove toxic (18).
When should you take raspberry ketones? You can take raspberry ketones at any point during your day, but some suggest taking the supplement on an empty stomach allows for maximum effectiveness.
That being said, there is the possibility that taking raspberry ketones on an empty stomach may cause gastrointestinal upset. If you have experienced these effects when consuming raspberry ketones on an empty stomach, you should take raspberry ketones with food or after a meal.
Some supplements suggest taking a healthy dose of the, and if that is the case, it is recommended that you spread out the doses evenly throughout the day, instead of all at once.
Should special populations take raspberry ketone supplements? You should consult your doctor before taking raspberry ketone supplements if you are nursing, pregnant, or taking medication that may be affected by raspberry ketones.
Children should not consume raspberry ketones in the form of supplements.
Do raspberry ketone supplements work? While some people (and even a few medical professionals) swear by the effectiveness of raspberry ketones, there are very few, if any, studies that support the idea of raspberry ketones providing health benefits to humans.
There have been studies conducted on rats and mice in a laboratory setting, but the effects of raspberry ketones have not yet been tested on humans. Therefore, claims such as reduced body fat and lower body weight are conclusions scientists and medical professionals reached after testing the products on rats and mice.
How do you take raspberry ketones? Raspberry ketones are most often available as supplements in the form of capsules. Several retail and health supplement stores stock raspberry ketones in several serving sizes ranging from 100 milligrams, which is the recommended minimum dosage, up to 500 milligrams.
Depending on the manufacturer and serving size, the bottle may recommend taking one or more servings of capsules per day. There are few studies on humans that have tested the toxic or potentially harmful amounts of raspberry ketones on the body, and therefore it is recommended to begin with the lowest dosage available. If you experience any negative effects, stop taking the supplement immediately.
How often should you take raspberry ketone? The number of doses of raspberry ketones per day depends on the manufacturer and serving size per capsule.
For lower doses of raspberry ketones, such as 100-400 milligrams, it is suggested to take one capsule, one to two times per day. You should always follow the directions on the supplement bottle to prevent adverse health reactions from consuming the product too often or in too large of quantities.
What are raspberry ketones used for? Any medical claims about the usage of raspberry ketones for the treatment of health conditions or improvement in health are just that, claims.
Many companies selling raspberry ketone supplements advertise their product as boosting metabolism and promoting weight loss, but there is very little to back their claims up.
The potential uses of raspberry ketones may vary greatly in the future if scientists begin conducting the same studies on humans that they have already tested on mice and rats.
Some studies on rats and mice suggest that using raspberry ketone supplements may promote hair growth, anti-aging effects on the skin, weight loss, and affected blood glucose levels.
While it is entirely possible to use raspberry ketone supplements for these purposes now, there is no scientific evidence that these effects would occur in humans as well as rats and mice (19).
Can you take raspberry ketones if you are diabetic? If you are diabetic and interested in taking raspberry ketone supplements, you should first consult your doctor to determine if raspberry ketone supplements are a good fit for you.
While the effects of raspberry ketone supplements are severely under-studied when it comes to effects on humans, some have noted that raspberry ketone supplements can cause a decrease in blood sugar levels, which is a major area of concern for those with diabetes. With that said, there may be negative health consequences of using raspberry ketone supplements if you have diabetes, and you should proceed with extreme caution.
Do fresh raspberries contain raspberry ketones? Fresh raspberries naturally contain raspberry ketones but in extremely small amounts. Each kilogram of fresh raspberries contains about 1 to 4 milligrams of raspberry ketones.
You would have to eat about 2.2 pounds of raspberries, making the number of raspberry ketones in raspberries is insignificant, which is why raspberry ketone supplements are so popular.
What do raspberry ketones taste like? Since you’ll most likely get your daily serving of raspberry ketones through a capsule, there is no actual taste associated with raspberry ketones directly.
However, if you are consuming raspberry ketones in their natural state through raspberries or raspberry-based products, you can expect the taste of those products to be exactly as advertised.
How can you dissolve raspberry ketones at home? Some people have tried to dissolve the raspberry ketones in ethanol or boiling water, but the results were unimpressive, and the product often did not entirely dissolve.
There is no actual need to dissolve raspberry ketones, and you should only be using the supplements as directed, through a capsule.
What are the health benefits of raspberry ketones? As of now, there are no confirmed health benefits of raspberry ketones in humans. Scientists
Based on the data received from laboratory testing on lab rats and mice, there may be a connection between raspberry ketones and weight loss, increased metabolism, skin elasticity, and even hair growth. However, these claims are still unconfirmed in humans and should be taken with a grain of salt.
How many raw raspberries does it take to make 100mg of raspberry ketones? One kilogram (2.2 pounds) of raspberries contains less than 4 mg of raspberry ketones. If there are 1-4 milligrams of raspberry ketones per kilogram, that would mean it takes 55 to 220 pounds of raspberries to make about 100 milligrams of raspberry ketones.
Though these numbers are high, it is extremely unlikely that the raspberry ketone supplements you find in stores are made from actual raspberries. Instead, most supplements are created using synthetic raspberry ketones as a manner of cutting costs for the consumer and manufacturer.
Are raspberry ketones keto-friendly? Despite its name, raspberry ketones are not related to the ketogenic diet or the desired effects of participating in such a diet.
Consuming any amount of raspberry ketones will not result in ketosis, and therefore there are no marked benefits between raspberry ketones and succeeding with a ketogenic diet. Furthermore, since there are negligible sugar and carbs, raspberry ketones are considered keto-diet friendly.
What is the raspberry ketone diet plan? The raspberry ketone diet plan is a diet plan developed by raspberry ketone supplement manufacturers to sell more of their products.
However, because raspberry ketones are not effectively linked to any positive health benefits, this particular diet plan likely does not produce any significant results. If you’re interested in pursuing a ketogenic diet (or even just consuming higher levels of ketones), you should look past raspberry ketones as an effective dieting and weight loss tool.
Do raspberry ketones cause ketosis? Though raspberry ketones are described as “ketones,” they do not cause ketosis in any way. The major reason that raspberry ketones do not cause ketosis is because this type of ketone is not naturally found in the human body.
Are raspberry ketones natural? If the raspberry ketones come directly from raspberries where they can be naturally found, then they would be considered natural. However, given the number of raspberries it would take to produce even one capsule, the price to produce an entire bottle of these capsules would be exorbitant.
Because many are interested in the benefits of raspberry ketones, manufacturers have learned to develop synthetic raspberry ketones to use in their supplements. In doing so, they can provide people with the benefits associated with raspberry ketones without the price associated with raspberries.
Why can’t you take ketones if you are under 18? The major reason you may be limited when it comes to supplements like raspberry ketones is that, while under the age of 18, your body is still developing.
While in puberty, there is a greater risk associated with taking supplements. Some concerns may include delayed or impacted development, which is relatively serious and are likely the reason most (if not all) supplement manufacturers recommend that only those over the age of 18 use their supplements.
What are exogenous ketones? Exogenous ketones are ketones that are found outside of the body, as compared to those produced in the body. The major types of exogenous ketones are ketone salts and ketone esters, which, when consumed, supposedly burn fat and increase metabolism, along with other effects. There is currently minimal science that proves that exogenous ketones can improve health.
Where can I find ketones? Ketones are not actually found in food, but the consumption of certain foods encourages your body to create more. With that said, there are many food options that promote this response within the body, making them ideal for a ketogenic diet and its positive effects on the body.
If you are looking to increase the number of ketones in your body, your best bet is to consume foods like cheese, eggs, yogurt, seafood, and vegetables.
Related articles
Recap
Compared to other supplements for weight loss, there’s less evidence to support using raspberry ketones. However, because of some initially promising research in animals, they’ve gotten a huge amount of hype.
For Body Nutrition’s #1 Raspberry Ketone recommendation, click here.
