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Lemme Curb is designed to help curb cravings, with its key ingredient being chromium picolinate, which the company claims is “clinically studied.” While the supplement contains a significant amount of chromium, the real question is: Can higher doses of chromium actually help with reducing cravings and supporting weight loss?
What Is Chromium and How Does It Work?
Chromium is an essential mineral your body needs to function properly, but only in small amounts. Its main role is in helping your body process glucose (sugar). When you eat carbs, they’re broken down into glucose, which enters your bloodstream. To manage your blood sugar levels, your body releases insulin—a hormone that allows glucose to enter your cells and be used for energy.
However, if you consume too much sugar or high-carb foods regularly, your body may become less responsive to insulin. This condition, known as insulin resistance, can lead to higher blood sugar levels and increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes over time.
Chromium helps by improving how effectively your body uses insulin, though it doesn’t boost insulin production itself. Taking chromium supplements may enhance your cells’ ability to absorb glucose, leading to lower blood sugar levels. This better blood sugar control can potentially help with weight management by reducing fat storage and stabilizing blood sugar, which may reduce cravings.
It’s important to point out that the recommended daily dose of chromium is 200 µg. Lemme Curb contains 600 µg, which is much higher than necessary, even for individuals with diabetes. This amount is close to the upper safe limit, so it may be more than your body needs.
Is it effective for weight loss?
Does chromium actually help with weight loss? Studies on people with diabetes suggest that taking chromium may slightly lower HbA1C levels by around 0.6%. It could also result in modest weight loss, roughly 0.5 to 1 kilogram, over 12 to 16 weeks. However, this effect seems to be more noticeable in people with poorly controlled diabetes. In other words, if you have diabetes or conditions like PCOS, you might see a small benefit from chromium. But for most people without insulin resistance, these effects are minimal at best.
For healthy, overweight, or obese individuals, the research shows that chromium doesn’t lead to significant weight loss. While it may help with cravings or weight loss for those with diabetes or PCOS, it’s unlikely to make a noticeable difference for the average person.
Is it effective for cravings?
Now, let’s talk about cravings. Can chromium help reduce them? The truth is, there aren’t any clinical studies in humans that specifically look at whether chromium helps with cravings. The closest research we have involves people with binge eating disorder—a condition marked by intense cravings and overeating. Unfortunately, the study showed that chromium didn’t reduce the frequency of binge eating, nor did it impact body weight or mood.
So, while Lemme Curb claims that chromium is “clinically studied” for cravings, that’s not entirely accurate. There’s no evidence to support chromium’s role in curbing cravings for healthy individuals, and even for those with binge eating disorder, it doesn’t seem to have much effect.
Other Ingredients of Lemme Curb
Now, let’s take a closer look at the other ingredients in Lemme Curb. Each capsule contains a blend of additional nutrients, and you’re advised to take two a day. We’ll break down what each ingredient does, whether it’s included in an effective dose, and how it might (or might not) contribute to weight loss.
Potassium and Greens mix
Potassium and the nutrients found in greens powders can provide some general health benefits, but there’s no solid evidence linking them to weight loss or reducing cravings. Even then, the amounts in Lemme Curb are so small that they wouldn’t make much of a difference.
For example, the daily dose of potassium in this supplement is about the same as you’d get from eating a quarter of a banana. The amount of greens powder is roughly equivalent to the weight of just 2-3 peas. With such tiny quantities, these ingredients are unlikely to have any real impact on your overall health, much less on your cravings or weight loss efforts.
Bitter melon extract
Bitter melon extract has been studied for its potential to help manage blood sugar levels, particularly in people with diabetes. In theory, better blood sugar control could reduce cravings for those with diabetes. However, the research behind this claim is inconsistent.
While some studies suggest a small impact on blood sugar, others show no effect at all. Importantly, there’s no evidence that bitter melon affects blood sugar levels in people who don’t have diabetes.
When it comes to weight loss, the outlook isn’t any better. A small clinical study involving obese patients found that taking 1 gram of bitter melon twice a day for 12 weeks did not result in any changes in body weight, BMI, or body fat percentage compared to their baseline measurements.
Cinnamon
Ceylon cinnamon, also known as Cinnamon verum, has been studied for its potential effects on blood sugar control and obesity. However, the research shows that it isn’t effective for either purpose.
In one study, diabetic patients who took 3 grams of Ceylon cinnamon daily didn’t see any significant weight loss compared to those taking a placebo. Another study, where participants took 1 gram of Ceylon cinnamon daily, found no improvements in blood glucose levels, insulin sensitivity, or cholesterol levels.
When it comes to weight loss, the results are equally disappointing. Research on diabetes patients showed that drinking black tea mixed with 3 grams of Ceylon cinnamon powder three times a day had no impact on body weight, waist circumference, or blood pressure compared to drinking black tea alone. Similarly, studies on healthy, non-diabetic adults found no effect on weight or BMI from cinnamon.
It’s also important to mention that these studies used much higher doses—several grams per day—while Lemme Curb contains only 150 mg. This amount is far too low to have any impact, even if cinnamon had proven weight loss benefits, which it hasn’t.
Is Lemme Curb effective?
In short, Lemme Curb is unlikely to have a noticeable impact on your cravings, blood sugar, or weight—especially if you don’t have insulin resistance. For those with conditions like diabetes or PCOS, it might offer a slight improvement in blood sugar levels, which could, in theory, help with reducing cravings. However, this idea hasn’t been thoroughly “clinically studied,” and most research shows that chromium doesn’t significantly curb cravings.
Even if it does provide some benefit for blood sugar control in people with insulin resistance, it’s important to manage your expectations. It’s unlikely to result in any meaningful weight loss.
Overall Rating
Rating Lemme Curb by effectiveness for weight loss, I’m giving it a D. It’ll be functionally no better than chromium, which, although beneficial in diabetes, is not very effective for weight or fat loss.
Rating it by cost, I’m giving it a D. You can replicate what Lemme Curb is providing you for many times less.
Rating it for safety, I’m giving it a C. Chromium at such high doses is unnecessary and puts people at risk of overdose.
Overall rating, I’m giving an F. I recommend you stay away from it.
Top alternatives to Lemme Curb
- Bitter melon – 2 to 4 caps / day
- Chromium nicotinate (GTF) – 1 to 5 caps / day
- Chromium picolinate – 1 to 5 caps / day
Learn more about
- Chromium For Weight Loss
- Doctor Reviews: Lemme Burn
- Best Supplements for Diabetes
- Supplement reviews
Citations
Albarracin CA, Fuqua BC, Evans JL, Goldfine ID. Chromium picolinate and biotin combination improves glucose metabolism in treated, uncontrolled overweight to obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2008;24(1):41-51. doi:10.1002/dmrr.755
Asbaghi O, Naeini F, Ashtary-Larky D, et al. Effects of chromium supplementation on blood pressure, body mass index, liver function enzymes and malondialdehyde in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complement Ther Med. 2021;60:102755. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102755
Azimi P, Ghiasvand R, Feizi A, et al. Effect of cinnamon, cardamom, saffron and ginger consumption on blood pressure and a marker of endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Blood Press. 2016;25(3):133-140. doi:10.3109/08037051.2015.1111020
Brownley KA, Von Holle A, Hamer RM, La Via M, Bulik CM. A double-blind, randomized pilot trial of chromium picolinate for binge eating disorder: results of the Binge Eating and Chromium (BEACh) study. J Psychosom Res. 2013;75(1):36-42. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2013.03.092
Chattopadhyay K, Wang H, Kaur J, et al. Effectiveness and Safety of Ayurvedic Medicines in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:821810. Published 2022 Jun 8. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.821810
Cortez-Navarrete M, Méndez-Del Villar M, Martínez-Abundis E, et al. Effect of Momordica charantia Administration on Anthropometric Measures and Metabolic Profile in Patients with Obesity: A Pilot Clinical Trial. J Med Food. 2022;25(6):645-651. doi:10.1089/jmf.2021.0164
Kleefstra N, Houweling ST, Jansman FG, et al. Chromium treatment has no effect in patients with poorly controlled, insulin-treated type 2 diabetes in an obese Western population: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Diabetes Care. 2006;29(3):521-525. doi:10.2337/diacare.29.03.06.dc05-1453
Mirfeizi M, Mehdizadeh Tourzani Z, Mirfeizi SZ, Asghari Jafarabadi M, Rezvani HR, Afzali M. Controlling type 2 diabetes mellitus with herbal medicines: A triple-blind randomized clinical trial of efficacy and safety. J Diabetes. 2016;8(5):647-656. doi:10.1111/1753-0407.12342
Peter EL, Kasali FM, Deyno S, et al. Momordica charantia L. lowers elevated glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2019;231:311-324. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2018.10.033
Ranasinghe P, Jayawardena R, Pigera S, et al. Evaluation of pharmacodynamic properties and safety of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon) in healthy adults: a phase I clinical trial. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017;17(1):550. Published 2017 Dec 28. doi:10.1186/s12906-017-2067-7
Suksomboon N, Poolsup N, Yuwanakorn A. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of chromium supplementation in diabetes. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2014;39(3):292-306. doi:10.1111/jcpt.12147
Tian H, Guo X, Wang X, et al. Chromium picolinate supplementation for overweight or obese adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;2013(11):CD010063. Published 2013 Nov 29. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010063.pub2
Trent LK, Thieding-Cancel D. Effects of chromium picolinate on body composition. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 1995;35(4):273-280.
Vafa M, Mohammadi F, Shidfar F, Sormaghi MS, Heidari I, Golestan B, Amiri F. Effects of cinnamon consumption on glycemic status, lipid profile and body composition in type 2 diabetic patients. Int J Prev Med. 2012 Aug;3(8):531-6. PMID: 22973482; PMCID: PMC3429799.
Volpe SL, Huang HW, Larpadisorn K, Lesser II. Effect of chromium supplementation and exercise on body composition, resting metabolic rate and selected biochemical parameters in moderately obese women following an exercise program. J Am Coll Nutr. 2001;20(4):293-306. doi:10.1080/07315724.2001.10719050
Yin RV, Lee NC, Hirpara H, Phung OJ. The effect of bitter melon (Mormordica charantia) in patients with diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Diabetes. 2014;4(12):e145. Published 2014 Dec 15. doi:10.1038/nutd.2014.42
See also
- Doctor Reviews: BiomaBioma and other generic probiotics may support general gut health but lack specific, research-backed benefits for weight loss.
- Doctor Reviews: LipozemLipozem and similar keto BHB supplements have shown little to no effectiveness in supporting keto, weight loss, or athletic performance.
- Doctor Reviews: Youthful BrainYouthful Brain is unlikely to improve cognitive performance in healthy individuals, as research shows limited benefits for their ingredients.
- Doctor Reviews: Lemme CurbLemme Curb is basically just a high-dose chromium supplement, which hasn’t been proven to help with weight loss or cravings in healthy people.
- Doctor Reviews: Nello SupercalmNello Supercalm is a drink mix with ingredients that may help manage stress and anxiety, though it might not work for everyone.