Effect of Raspberry Ketone Bathing on the Skin Blood Flow and Endocrine System

• Published in: The Journal of The Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology and Physical Medicine Vol. 67; no. 4; pp. 215 - 224
• Main Authors: SAITO, Masato, MAEDA, Masaharu, IKEMOTO, Takeshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology and Physical Medicine 01.08.2004
• Subjects: bath product; bathing; Raspberry ketone
• ISSN: 0029-0343; 1884-3697
• DOI: 10.11390/onki1962.67.215

To investigate the scientific grounds for the effect of raspberry ketone bathing that is claimed to increase energy consumption by stimulating metabolism, a bathing experiment was conducted in 10 normal healthy adults. As a result, no appreciable difference was detected among tap water, CO2-enriched water and raspberry water in respect to blood pressure, pulse rate and depth thermometer readings, which suggested that bathing in warm raspberry water was safe, producing no marked load on the cardiovascular system. Changes in the skin surface temperature indicated slow elevation of body temperature, from which bathing in warm raspberry water was considered to produce no marked load on the body even if bathing lasted relatively long as compared with bathing in warm tap water or CO2-enriched warm water. From the skin tissue blood flow data, it seemed likely that the increase in blood flow caused by bathing in warm raspberry water was produced, not by vasodilatation as in CO2-enriched warm water bathing, but by such mechanisms as acceleration of metabolism. Data on insulin suggested that bathing in warm raspberry water affected the carbohydrate metabolism as compared with that in warm tap water or CO2-enriched warm water. Since there was no difference among warm water groups in changes in the adrenocortical hormone “cortisol”, raspberry ketone bathing was considered not to have specific activity. Data on NK cell activity showed that bathing in warm raspberry water produced no appreciable effect on the immune system. It was suggested that measurement of β-endorphin should be performed after adjustment of psychological environments. The results of expiration air analysis also indicated that, while bathing in CO2-enriched warm water was related to changes in the cardiovascular system, bathing in warm raspberry ketone water produced no appreciable load on the cardiovascular system but consumed energy through acceleration of metabolic activities.