Trimspa offers "weight loss products" that are big on hype but offer nothing when it comes to scientific proof of efficacy.

By the way, "proof of efficacy" is a great phrase to use when discussing nutritional supplements - I highly recommend interjecting this idiom whenever appropriate.

You'd be hard pressed to find another line of weight loss supplements that contain as many suspect ingredients as are contained in the Trimspa product offering. For the sake of relative brevity, this article will just break down Trimspa X32. Next week I'll provide you with a look at Trimspa's other main products, Lipospa and Carbspa.

Here's a quick rundown of the ingredients list for Trimspa X32:

First we have Chromium. Chromium is old school. Chromium also does nothing, as in NOTHING. As a matter of fact, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has gone on record and stated that claims that chromium can aid in athletic performance, building muscle or weight loss are unsubstantiated and deceptive. From a scientific study standpoint, only those diabetics who have a chromium deficiency may benefit from chromium supplementation. And this isn't nearly a "for sure." If anything, the science that exists indicates that chromium is of no value to anyone.

Next in Anna Nicole Smith's favorite weight loss concoction is one of these "blended ingredients." Trimspa calls their secret ingredient "X32 Proprietary Blend." X32 is a combination of Hoodia, Glucosamine, Green Tea Extract, Cocoa Extract, Citrus Naringin, Chromium Chelavite (goody, more chromium!), Vanadium, and Glucomannan.

Remember how the FTC feels about chromium while reading this passage from the Trimspa web site that describes what Trimspa's chromium can do:

Chromium Chelavite is an important nutrient that aids in controlling glucose (blood sugar) and carbohydrate cravings; it also offers many other benefits. It helps the body's insulin metabolize fat, convert protein into muscle, and turn sugar into energy, supporting weight loss and the development of lean body mass. A lack of chromium in the diet can result in weight gain, sluggishness, and can trigger a craving for sugar and other carbohydrates.

Plain and simple, there is no data that supports this assertion.

Let's take a peak at Hoodia, the favorite herbal appetite suppressant of the Bushmen of South Africa. The best "evidence" that I can find that attests to the efficacy (there's that word again) of Hoodia as an appetite suppressant are silly anecdotal tales that revolve around assertions that the Bushmen have been eating Hoodia for thousands of years to ward off hunger during long hunting trips. I don't know about you, but I'd rather see some science to back up this claim.