What ingredients should I avoid in non-prescription pills?

[KittyKatt]

I know that ephedra can be dangerous and that there are some ingredients out there that many people say are all hype and no results, but are there any that should be avoided that are legal? For example, I see chromium a lot. Is that good, or should I look to pills that don't have that? What dubious ingredients should I know about?

[Whirlybird]

I don't think chromium does any harm, but according to the mayo clinic website, it hasn't been proven to have any weight loss benefit, either. If chromium is one of the top ingredients, I wouldn't get my hopes up about a product.

[suzieQ]

I heard that bitter orange isn't great. It can apparently cause siezures and can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. That being said, I couldn't tell you if that risk is higher in certain individuals who take certain meds or have certain health conditions (which I imagine it is), but that's what I heard.