Raspberry ketone is a natural compound found in raspberries which is thought to increase your metabolism. No human studies have been carried out to date. Source: Supplied

Cara Reynolds had bought a pack of Forza raspberry ketone ‘natural’ supplements from Amazon for approximately $38 to help her lose weight, even though she was a size ten, her family said yesterday.

After splitting up with her fiance, Miss Reynolds, 24, swallowed a large number of the tablets, containing as much caffeine as 225 cans of Red Bull energy drink. Medics tried to restart her heart more than 40 times, but were unable to save her.

A new report submitted to the British Medical Journal said the tragedy highlighted the dangers of untested over-the-counter supplements, and stated that the high dosage of caffeine sent her heart into cardiac arrest.

“This case report highlights the dangers of increasingly popular over-the-counter slimming pills,” the report reads.

“Many slimming products have concentrations of up to 250mg of caffeine per tablet which is equivalent to more than four cans of Red Bull or seven cans of Coca Cola.

“Raspberry ketones are the naturally occurring chemical compounds that give raspberries their scent. They are promoted as ‘fat burners’, although there is little evidence for this.

“In Cara’s case, the cause of death was caffeine toxicity with a blood level of caffeine per litre which is within the fatal range.”

The pills. Source: Supplied

Her family has now launched a campaign to make stores like UK-based Boots and Holland and Barrett take the pills off their shelves, and to introduce age restrictions.

“If the ketones had not been so readily available, Cara might still be here today,” her father Michael, 55, said. “These pills need to be taken off the shelves.”

Miss Reynolds, who worked with mental health patients in Edinburgh, bought a bottle of Forza raspberry ketone pills from Amazon in February last year, her father said. But after taking just two pills, she went to her father complaining of heart palpitations, he claimed.

“She’d only taken the recommended amount of pills but was scared because her heart was going ten to the dozen,” he said.

“She said she wasn’t going to take them for weight loss any more, it had really worried her.” But a month later, after Miss Reynolds broke up with her fiance, her parents found her suffering a seizure in her bedroom. She was rushed to hospital, but died from a cardiovascular collapse caused by a massive caffeine overdose.

Mr Reynolds, a security officer, said: “I held my only daughter in my arms and she kept telling me she had made a mistake and that she didn’t want to die. In a moment of madness, she’d taken an overdose because she had the ketones to hand. It was the most heartbreaking moment of my life, and one I will never forget.”

The Food Standards Agency classifies raspberry ketones as a “novel food” which has not been tested in Europe and therefore should not be sold, except for use in flavourings or extracts prepared with water.

Each pill has the same amount of caffeine as four cans of Red Bull. Source: Supplied

A spokesman for Holland and Barrett declined to comment as it hadn’t supplied the pills Miss Reynolds took. They advertise a pack of raspberry ketone capsules for $18, although it makes no health or weight loss claims.

It is more difficult to regulate sales online. Amazon sells pots of ‘maximum strength’ Forza raspberry ketone capsules for $12.50, while eBay sells a tub of 90 for $35.52. Both sites ship to Australia.

A representative for Forza said: “This is a tragic and understandably upsetting situation for her family and friends, but it could have been effected through the misuse of any supplement.

“Forza products meet vigorous health and safety standards and have clear labelling and directions for safe usage. The facts surrounding this incident are not yet wholly clear, but our client entirely rejects any implication that an inherent safety issue with its products is responsible.”

WHAT ARE FORZA RASPBERRY KETONE CAPSULES?

They are marketed as:
— A premium blend of raspberry ketone, caffeine and resveratrol
— Raspberry ketone is a natural thermogenic compound
— It is able to increase weight loss and aid fat reduction
— Caffeine is used to provide a highly stimulating energy boost
— Unique formula also contains the anti-ageing miracle Resveratrol