Chromium, also called Chromium Picolinate, is a weight-loss supplement. Chromium is a naturally occurring mineral found in meat, poultry, fish and whole grains, and when combined with picolinic acid, has anecdotally been believed to help weight loss by helping in reducing body fat and increasing lean muscle. Chromium picolinate has also been linked to having positive effect on how the body processes glucose and been rumored to manage type 2 diabetes.

But while it's mostly agreed that chromium picolinate weight-loss supplements aren't generally harmful, they're not thought to carry much benefit either -- i.e. they probably won't help you lose any pounds.

According to Health Service at Columbia University, there is no evidence to prove that chromium affects weight loss.

Hank Lukaski, Research Leader at the US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center insists, "Chromium picolinate has no effect on building muscle, reducing body fat, changing body composition, decreasing weight or increasing strength."

Officials at Harvard Medical School advocate natural chromium consumption through a healthy diet rich in whole grains, nuts, broccoli and green beans, which contain the mineral, but do not recommend chromium supplements without a doctor's consent.

What's more, Science Daily reports that there may be an increased cancer risk to those who regularly took the chromium.

Chromium picolinate supplements are taken on a daily basis before working out. Alternatively, pure chromium supplements can be ingested. Chromium and chromium picolinate supplements are available through various online dealers for approximately $10 for 250 tablets.

Trying to lose weight? AOL Health reviewed these natural weight loss aids and their claims -- to see which work and how effective they really are.

Ephedrine is an alkaloid, or chemical compound, found in the plant ephedra and is traditionally used in Chinese medicine and some over-the-counter and prescription medications. More recently, it has been marketed as a diet pill.

Ephedra-containing products stimulate the central nervous system and often include additional stimulants, such as caffeine, to promote weight loss. According to the Food and Drug Administration, ephedra has been found in weight-loss supplements and products to increase energy levels and athletic performance. Some variations of ephedra have even been sold as alternatives to illegal drugs.

The use of ephedrine has been controversial because of side effects such as high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, nerve damage, muscle injury, psychosis and memory loss. More serious results have also been reported, including heart attack, stroke, seizure and death. Because ephedrine and supplements containing it have been linked to unreasonable risk of illness or injury, according to the Mayo Clinic, ephedrine is currently banned in the U.S.

To learn about other potentially dangerous weight-loss drugs, take a look at our list of dangerous diet pills.

You've seen the infomercials and you've gotten the spam... miracle weight loss in a pill. When it comes to weight loss (actually, when it comes to almost anything in life) if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

FitSugar gives us the skinny on some of those weight loss supplements. Some of the components in the pills can actually be detrimental to your health. The list of red flag components includes ma huang, bitter orange, guarana, synephrine HCI, caffeine anhydrous, and more.

For long-lasting, healthy weight loss your best bet is eating well and working out. Check out AOL Body's America Takes It Off for tips. The proof is in the low-fat pudding, people. So far, ATIO participants have lost 155 pounds and counting.

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Laid up with a bout of flu, I spent a couple of days channel surfing recently, something I rarely ever do. I can across a bright, flashy ad for a Cortisol-reducing supplement, which explained to me in an energetic TV voice that by reducing cortisol, it would reduce my belly fat. So I decided to figure out just what this cortisol stuff is anyway?

Turn out, Cortisol is a hormone that, in response to stress, increases appetite and in turn, belly fat. So weight-loss companies have drawn the conclusion that by reducing cortisol, appetite and therefore belly fat can also be reduced. It seems like an obvious conclusion but there doesn't seem to be any conclusive evidence that Cortisol-reducing products help with weight loss. A better way to reduce cortisol would be to reduce your stress.

Have you seen any results from using Cortisol-reducing products?

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Have you found yourself paying attention -- every year -- to the barrage of marketing and advertising on "weight loss supplements" that will magically allow you to lose weight and burn fat by taking pills and supplements? Most of these items are bogus from the research I have performed, although there are certain starch blockers and other products that can cause a loss of appetite -- leading to weight loss naturally.

What about the hype that surrounds most weight loss supplements, though? In a recent study, American adults thought that weight-loss supplements were safer and more effective than they actually are, and more than 60 percent of the 1,444 telephone respondents -- all of whom had made significant efforts to lose weight -- mistakenly said that such supplements have been tested and are proven to be safe (65 percent) and effective (63 percent).

Since the weight-loss supplement industry is not controlled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration like the prescription drug or over-the-counter drug industry, weight loss claims are sometimes blatantly false and misleading -- but never underestimate the untruthful power of marketing to fool millions .

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