Chromium Picolinate is, besides chromium polynicotinate, a nutritional supplement designed to avoid or treat chromium deficiency. Insulin requires some modest levels of chromium in order to utilize glucose in healthy individuals. There is no record of chromium deficiency occurrences in regular population, only prolonged dieters in clinically observed and controlled obesity reduction treatments have registered any. Clinical trials have suggested that chromium picolinate may have antidepressant qualities, when applied to patients with atypical depression. Further observation signaled a reduction in carbohydrate cravings and seemed to regulate appetite. These results led to the incorporation of chromium picolinate into supplements for athletes who are working on body development and are looking to lose weight. It has been also observed that chromium picolinate is able to boost the blood levels of insulin for a limited time.

Fucoxanthin is an organic pigment common to photosynthetic organisms. Carotenoids, to which fucoxanthins belong, are deemed precursors to Vitamin A and can act as antioxidants as well. In Japan, at the Hokkaido University, a study was conducted on mice that has shown fucoxanthin to promote fat burning within fat cells. Brown algae is known as the best supplier of fucoxanthin, a fixture in the Asian cuisine. The fat burning ability of fucoxanthin has not been verified in clinical trials on humans, but many weight loss products nowadays have it as a major ingredient. It is very popular in body building circles, where it is deemed not only to help burn excess stored fat, but increase energy levels as well. There are no side effects of fucoxanthin known to exist.

Garcinia Cambogia is a small fruit that looks just like a small size pumpkin. An extract from its fruit and rind has been used to prepare various products mainly for weight loss. This herb, which is mainly found in India and some parts of Asia, is believed to suppress appetite and enhance fat-burning due to the presence of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) in the extract. This is how it works - HCA inhibits an enzyme called citrate lyase that plays an important part in converting excess carbohydrates into fat, but when it is inhibited, the body burns the extra carbs. While animal studies have suggested reduced food intake and decrease in body fat, human trials have not been so conclusive.

Gymnema Sylvestre is an herb stemming from southern and central India where it has been used for nearly 2000 years as a naturopathic treatment for diabetes.

Hoodia Gordonii- Mainly grown in the regions of South Africa, Hoodia Gordoni similar to a cactus plant with no leaves is used for medical purposes. It has been more popularly used for weight loss purposes. In spite of it resembling a cactus plant, Hoodia Gordoni is actually a juicy Plant. It’s most famous for its unique ingredient named as “steroidal glycoside”, which is supposedly to be found only in Hoodia Gordoni. You could easily find one at a health store or may be in some famous diet pill such as “Trimspa”. A common misconception is that Hoodia Gordoni has no side effects, however it has been suggested that people with diabetes should be careful, while taking Hoodia Gordoni. It has the capacity to not only repress your appetite, but also your thirst. This can be dangerous as our body would feel dehydrated.

Resveratrol is a polyphenolic compound that is found in peanuts, the skin of red grapes, red wine, purple grape juice and some varieties of berry. It is classified as polyphenol because of its chemical structure. When taken orally, resveratrol is well absorbed by humans but its low bioavailability makes it rapidly metabolized and then eliminated so that it does not remain in the body for very long. Most of the testing that has been done on resveratrol has not been done on humans so relatively little is known about its effects on the human body. It is claimed that one of the plants resveratrol comes from is called polygonnum cuspidatum and it is used in traditional Asian medicines that treat heart and liver conditions. It has been shown to protect against diabetes-induced damage to blood vessels and also inhibits the growth of tumors and angiogenesis.