Just last week a tragic story made news headlines worldwide. A young woman from Scotland, Cara Reynolds, died after taking a raspberry ketone supplement produced by Forza containing large amounts of caffeine. Cara’s grief-stricken family is now pushing for this product to be taken off the shelves. According to news reports, Ms. Reynolds noticed heart palpitations after taking just two pills, and decided to stop using the supplement, but ended up taking more after a bad breakup. One bottle of Forza’s raspberry ketones contained as much caffeine as 225 cans of Red Bull, which is a fatal dose.
Dangers of Added Caffeine
This heart-breaking story highlights an important safety issue when choosing a brand of raspberry ketones or any weight loss supplement. Many, many weight loss supplements contain caffeine, as much as 250mg per tablet, and this may not always be clearly marked on the label. Two hundred and fifty milligrams is equivalent to more than two and a half cups of coffee. Up to 400mg of caffeine per day is considered to be a safe dosage, but anything more than that and side effects are likely to occur. Common side effects include rapid heartbeat, anxiety, irritability, shakiness, tremors, spikes or drops in blood sugar, trouble sleeping, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. With increased caffeine consumption comes increased risk of serious side effects such as seizures, cardiac arrest, and even death.
What does this mean for you?
Most importantly, buy your supplements from a reputable source, and be aware of caffeine content in whichever product you select. While small amounts of caffeine in coffee and tea can sometimes improve energy and alertness and promote weight loss, the large amounts of added caffeine in weight loss products and other supplements may bring your caffeine consumption to dangerously high levels. In the case of Cara Reynolds’ death, it was the caffeine that killed her, not the raspberry ketones.
RK Pure 250 Raspberry Ketones
RK Pure 250 Raspberry Ketone Capsules do not contain caffeine. As with all of our products, we searched high and low for a quality manufacturer of raspberry ketones to ensure our customers receive only the purest and safest products. RK Pure 250 Raspberry Ketones are made from 100% all natural raspberries with no synthetic ingredients or artificial flavors and fillers. Raspberry ketones have been used as a food flavoring and cosmetic fragrance for many years and have been categorized as “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) as a food additive by the FDA since 1965. Like most natural supplements, extensive scientific research is lacking, but so far no safety issues have been found. Of course, do not take more than the recommended dose, and if you do happen to experience any unexpected side effects, stop using this supplement and see your doctor immediately.
Tips for Choosing Safe Supplements
- Choose only pure products with no additives, artificial or synthetic ingredients, or added ingredients such as caffeine.
- Do your research and consider reports and data from third-party sources. Don’t just grab any bottle off the pharmacy shelf, as supplements are not regulated.
- Be aware of the supplement’s potential effect on any health conditions you may have. What is safe for others may not be safe for you, as some supplements affect blood sugar, heart rate, blood clotting, hormone levels, and other factors at play in chronic health issues.
- Check for interactions with other supplements, prescriptions, and over-the-counter medications.
- Start only one new supplement at a time, so you can be sure to identify the cause of any benefits or adverse effects.
- Never take more than the recommended dose unless your doctor has advised you to do so.
