Olly Combat Cravings is generally safe for most healthy adults. It contains four ingredients: chromium picolinate, green tea extract, goji berry, and ginger extract. None of these carry serious safety concerns at typical supplement doses, and the product contains no caffeine despite including green tea. That said, there are a few specific situations where this supplement deserves caution.
What’s in the Formula
The four active ingredients each play a different role. Chromium picolinate is the star of the formula, described by Olly as a “clinically studied dose,” though the company doesn’t disclose the exact milligram amount on its product page. Chromium works by enhancing how your body uses insulin, the hormone that moves sugar out of your blood and into cells. It also influences serotonin and dopamine activity in the brain, both of which help regulate appetite and food-seeking behavior. The idea is that by stabilizing blood sugar and supporting those brain signals, you experience fewer intense cravings, especially for carbohydrates.
Green tea extract is included in a decaffeinated form, so it won’t give you jitters or interfere with sleep. Goji berry contains compounds that support healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and ginger extract is a common digestive aid. None of these secondary ingredients are stimulants.
Side Effects to Expect
Most people tolerate this supplement without issues. Chromium picolinate has been used in studies and supplements for decades, and the National Institutes of Health notes that no adverse effects have been conclusively linked to high chromium intakes from food or supplements. The NIH hasn’t even established a tolerable upper limit for chromium because the evidence for harm is so thin.
That said, some users of chromium-containing supplements report mild digestive discomfort, including nausea or an upset stomach, particularly when taken without food. Ginger extract can occasionally cause heartburn in sensitive individuals. These effects tend to be mild and often resolve after a few days of consistent use or by taking the capsules with a meal.
Who Should Be Careful
The most important safety concern applies to anyone taking diabetes medication. Chromium enhances insulin activity, which means combining it with insulin injections or oral blood sugar medications like metformin could push your blood sugar too low. Symptoms of low blood sugar include shakiness, dizziness, confusion, and sweating. If you take any medication for diabetes, this supplement requires a conversation with your prescriber before you start.
Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals should also use caution, as the safety of several ingredients in this formula hasn’t been well studied in those populations. The same goes for anyone under 18.
Does It Actually Reduce Cravings?
The evidence is mixed. Some studies in overweight women who craved carbohydrates found that chromium supplementation reduced food intake, hunger, and fat cravings. A pilot trial for binge eating disorder also explored chromium’s effects on eating behavior through its influence on insulin and brain chemistry. But a large meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that chromium supplementation did not significantly reduce body weight, BMI, waist circumference, or body fat percentage. A subgroup of adults over 55 did see modest fat reduction when chromium picolinate specifically was used, but the overall picture is underwhelming for weight loss.
Goji berry compounds have shown favorable effects on blood sugar and cholesterol in research, including reducing fasting blood sugar and improving HDL (“good”) cholesterol. But those same studies found no significant effect on body weight. So while the ingredients may support metabolic health in small ways, expecting dramatic craving elimination or noticeable weight loss from this supplement alone isn’t realistic.
Quality and Testing
Olly states that all its supplements are third-party tested in the United States, and many of its products carry NSF International certification, which verifies that what’s on the label matches what’s in the bottle. However, it’s worth noting that the specific products confirmed as NSF-certified by independent reviewers include Olly’s multivitamins, sleep, stress, and probiotic lines. Whether Combat Cravings specifically holds that certification isn’t clear from available information. All Olly products do go through some form of independent lab testing, which puts them ahead of many supplement brands that skip this step entirely.
The Bottom Line on Safety
For a healthy adult who isn’t on blood sugar medication, Olly Combat Cravings poses minimal risk. The ingredients are well-known, the formula is caffeine-free, and chromium has a long safety track record with no established upper intake limit. The realistic expectation is a possible modest reduction in carb cravings, not a dramatic change in appetite or weight. If you’re taking insulin, metformin, or any other medication that lowers blood sugar, this is one supplement to clear with your doctor first.