Before you take those exogenous ketone supplements, think about this: It doesn’t matter if you need to lose weight; if you die trying.

For people with diabetes, weight loss is a tricky business. While many people worldwide are slimming down with ketogenic diets, people with diabetes have to tread carefully to avoid diabetic ketoacidosis (1). Exogenous ketones like raspberry ketone and diabetes 2 might not mix well.

How do you know?

It’s all here. Read on for information on four types of ketones that might impact your blood sugar as well as your possibility for weight loss.

Endogenous Ketones

There are three main ketones your body produces naturally during ketosis. They include:

• Acetoacetate (AcAc)
• Beta-hydroxybutyric Acid (BHB)
• Acetone (2)

While acetone is mostly eliminated through the breath, the molecules AcAc and BHB are used primarily in the energy production cycle.

They’re also the compounds that can create diabetic ketoacidosis when your blood becomes acidic due to too many ketones in your blood. Raspberry ketone and diabetes 2 is actually a very different scenario.

Read on to find out why.

Exogenous Ketones

Exogenous ketones are ketones made outside the body. They’ve been studied for their effects on health and weight loss. In many cases, the verdict is still out for supplements like MCT oil powders, ketone salts, or raspberry ketone and diabetes 2.

Here’s more information.

1. Raspberry Ketones

Does something smell good?

In raspberries, ketones are the compounds that give the berries their fragrance. They’re also found in kiwifruit, other berries, peaches, grapes, apples, and rhubarb. (3)

Raspberry ketones are used primarily in manufactured foods as a flavoring agent. They’re frequently used in cosmetics and perfumes, too.

Natural raspberry ketones are expensive to produce, so most of the raspberry ketone products on the market are synthetic. (4) One kilogram of raspberries only produces 1-4 mg of raspberry ketones. (5) That equates to about 90 pounds of raspberries for one dose of raspberry ketones.

Chemically, raspberry ketones are more similar to capsaicin (found in hot peppers) and the stimulant Synephrine than the ketones produced in your body during ketosis. (6)

Raspberry ketones and weight loss

It’s only been since about 2012 that raspberry ketones have started trending as a miracle weight loss product similar to exogenous ketone bases. Raspberry ketones are reported to impact fat metabolism by elevating the levels of norepinephrine and adiponectin.

Sounds good, right?

However, the studies that show the most promise were performed years ago on mice. Another study showed that women who took both raspberry ketones and Vitamin C lost weight and reduced their body fat percentage.

The study didn’t use good scientific methods, though, and the conclusions weren’t clear. The raspberry ketones might have made a difference, but the weight loss might also be attributed to the combination with Vitamin C—or vitamin c alone. (7)

What’s up with that?

Many experts say there isn’t enough evidence to say that raspberry ketones can help people lose weight. We don’t yet know if it lives up to its other rumored benefits, either, including preventing hair loss.

Raspberry ketones side effects

Raspberry ketones have several side effects, including:

• A feeling of jitteriness, possibly because of its chemical similarity to Synephrine
• Insomnia
• Racing heart (palpitations)
• Elevated blood pressure
• Elevated body temperature
• People with diabetes who intend to take raspberry ketones should consult their doctors because raspberry ketones might impact their blood sugar levels.

There is some indication that raspberry ketone and diabetes 2 might work together well if the person with diabetes is trying to lower blood sugar levels—but is it true?  Experts say it’s too soon to tell whether raspberry ketone and diabetes 2 are a good fit. (8)

2. Ketone Salts

Ketone salts are made by attaching a salt such as sodium, potassium, or calcium to the ketone BHB to make it more readily absorbed. This makes it more available for energy. (9)

Unfortunately, it makes the risk for diabetic ketoacidosis go up, too. Diabetes is the most common factor in ketoacidosis.

Blood ketones can rise as high as ten times normal when ketoacidosis occurs. Adding more ketones to the blood through ketone salts might not be your best move if you have diabetes. (10)

3. Ketone Esters

Ketone esters are also synthetic, and they also aim to help your body easily process the ketones it produces naturally during ketosis. Instead of salt, the ketone BHB is bonded to an ester.

In February 2018, a press release announced that a drink had been developed to allow people to ingest ketone esters. (11) It didn’t taste great.

Drinks that include ketone salts and ketone esters do increase blood ketones. The addition of the ketone salts keeps the blood ketones at a higher level for longer than the ketone esters alone. The study also verified that exogenous ketones lower blood glucose and lipids but don’t impede insulin production. (12)

Unlike raspberry ketone and diabetes 2, ketone esters hold some promise for helping people with diabetes. One study showed that ingesting ketone esters could help lower blood sugar, so if your blood sugar is unmanageable, this might be a tactic to try. (13)

However, if you have diabetes, this also increases your risk of developing diabetic ketoacidosis. Make sure you check with your doctor before you take any keto-based supplements.

Conclusion

If you have diabetes and needing to lose weight, raspberry ketone and diabetes 2 might help your blood sugar levels, but it might mess with them, too. We need more research to make that call.

Likewise, a ketogenic diet might not be your smartest choice. Talk to your doctor about safe ways to shed those pounds, or at least ask your doctor to monitor you while you work on your fat loss.

If you don’t have diabetes and you’re trying to boost your ketone levels for weight loss, a supplement like a good keto base might make all the difference for you.