Insulin Health / Insulin Resistance
Essentiality of Chromium
Absorption
How It Works
Efficacy
Type 2 Diabetes
Cardiovascular Health
Weight Management
Pre-Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes
Kidney Function
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Safety

What is insulin resistance?

Insulin resistance is a silent condition that increases the chances of developing diabetes and heart disease. Insulin is known as the "master metabolic hormone.” Normal insulin functions helps the cells use glucose, our body's energy source. However, in some cases the body is unable to use the insulin it produces. When this happens glucose levels rise above normal, which can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Therefore, healthy insulin function is important for everyone, not just those with diabetes.

Insulin resistance has been associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, atypical depression and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in both young and old.

Are there symptoms of insulin resistance?

There are no visible symptoms of insulin resistance, although sufferers often feel fatigued, irritable, moody and may suffer from carbohydrate cravings. However, key indicators that your insulin may not be functioning properly include:

•  Family history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes

•  Age (over 40 years)

•  Excess weight

•  Physical inactivity

•  High cholesterol and high blood pressure

•  High levels of triglycerides

•  Poor diet

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What is chromium?

Chromium is an essential mineral required to metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Without adequate levels of chromium in your body, insulin cannot effectively do its job.

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What foods contain chromium?

Nutritional chromium is found in small amounts in many foods including spinach, whole grains and beets; however, most foods contain less than 1 to 2 mcg per serving. Even a “perfect diet” based on the current recommended dietary guidelines may not provide the 200-1000 mcg of chromium needed to obtain beneficial effects on insulin function.

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How much chromium do I need?

The amount of chromium one should take daily depends on each individual's needs. While the recommended daily dose of chromium can vary, clinical research suggests 200-1000 mcg of chromium as chromium picoliante daily can help people improve insulin function.

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Should I supplement my diet with chromium picolinate?

Just as calcium is important for strong bones, chromium is essential to help your body's insulin work better. Supplementing with chromium picolinate – the most studied form of chromium – will help balance insulin levels. Balancing insulin levels can help manage one's risk for type 2 diabetes and promote good cardiovascular heath.

A number of clinical studies conducted at academic institutions, such as Pennington Biomedical Research Center have shown that daily supplementation with chromium picolinate can enhance insulin function and improve blood sugar metabolism. Researchers at the University of Vermont found that daily supplementation with chromium picolinate significantly improved insulin sensitivity in people with a family history of type 2 diabetes.

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Are there different forms of nutritional chromium available? Is one form better than the another?

Nutritional chromium is commercially available in several forms including chromium picolinate, chromium chloride and chromium nicotinate. Clinical research indicates that chromium picolinate, the most studied form of trivalent chromium, has enhanced absorption and efficacy. In clinical studies of commercially available chromium supplements, Chromax chromium picolinate was the best absorbed form of chromium.

Chromium picolinate is a combination of the mineral chromium and picolinic acid, a natural substance also found in breast milk. When picolinic acid is added to chromium, it produces a form of chromium that is more easily absorbed and used by the body.

Absorption is important because for a mineral to be beneficial it has to be able to survive the trip through the digestive tract and make it into the bloodstream. Otherwise, minerals pass through the body, leaving it void of necessary nutrients.

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If I take a multivitamin, do I still need to take a chromium picolinate supplement?

Most multivitamins contain chromium chloride, a form of chromium that is not absorbed well in the body. Your body absorbs chromium picolinate seven times more efficiently than it does chromium chloride.

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How does chromium help with insulin?

Many people are aware of the importance of calcium; however, most are unaware of the health benefits associated with chromium. Just as calcium is important for strong bones, chromium is essential to help your body's insulin work better. While the body makes insulin naturally, chromium enables insulin to work at its best. Without adequate levels of chromium in the body, insulin cannot effectively do its job.

Researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC) found that chromium picolinate supplementation may help restore the function of muscle cells that are impaired by diabetes or insulin resistance. Chromium picolinate helps blood glucose get into muscle cells where it can be metabolized, as opposed to having sugar levels build up in the blood.

Additional PBRC research reported that chromium prompts muscles to use more blood sugar. The researchers found that daily use of chromium picolinate enhanced muscle sensitivity to insulin in obese, insulin-resistant rats. Specifically, chromium improved the ability of insulin to attach to muscle cells in order to deliver a chemical signal to start using blood sugar for energy.

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What are the benefits of chromium picolinate supplementation?

Supplementation is especially important for people with a family history of heart disease and/or type 2 diabetes, as numerous studies support the role of chromium picolinate in helping to improve overall insulin health by improving blood sugar management, promoting cardiovascular health and fighting weight gain.

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Type 2 Diabetes
What are the benefits of chromium picolinate for type 2 diabetes?

The greatest number of clinical studies showing chromium picolinate's benefits is in the area of diabetes, where 9 of 10 studies showed improvement in glucose control. Chromium picolinate has consistently shown an ability to help lower or normalize blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. The National Institutes of Health are currently funding multiple studies to further evaluate these benefits

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Vermont found that daily supplementation with chromium picolinate significantly improved insulin health in patients with a family history of type 2 diabetes.

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Cardiovascular Health
Are low chromium levels a risk factor for heart disease?

A study conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that low toenail concentrations of chromium increase the risk for non-fatal heart attacks in men. Additionally, a study conducted by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health showed that men with diabetes and cardiovascular disease had 46 percent less chromium in their toenails than men who did not have these conditions.

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Weight Management
Can chromium picolinate help me lose weight?

Clinical evidence suggests that daily supplementation with chromium picolinate, along with a healthy diet and exercise, is associated with moderate weight loss. According to a meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders in April 2003, chromium picolinate has a small but significant beneficial effect on body weight and composition.

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How much weight could you expect to lose by taking chromium picolinate?

Average weight loss over time with chromium supplementation is likely to be about 2.5 pounds in eight weeks.

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Carbohydrate Cravings
How does chromium picolinate impact carbohydrate cravings?

Research suggests chromium picolinate may help reduce severe carbohydrate cravings and improve the symptoms of depression. A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice assessing chromium picolinate supplementation in 113 people with atypical depression found that patients who reported the highest levels of carbohydrate cravings experienced significantly greater reductions than the placebo group on four items on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale: carbohydrate craving, appetite increase, increased eating, and diurnal variation of feeling (mood variation throughout the day).

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Pre-Diabetes
Is there any research on the impact of chromium picolinate supplementation in individuals suffering from pre-diabetes?

There are several NIH-funded clinical trials currently underway examining the effects of chromium picolinate on pre-diabetes. More information of these trials can be viewed at http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/crisp/crisp lib.query .

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Type 1 Diabetes
Does chromium offer any benefits for type 1 diabetes?

The Children's Hospital Los Angeles is conducting the first double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to study the effects of chromium picolinate supplementation in overweight pediatric patients with poorly-controlled type 1 diabetes.  Francine R. Kaufman, MD, director of the Hospital's Comprehensive Childhood Diabetes Center, is the principal investigator in the seven-month study to determine if adding 600 mcg of chromium as chromium picolinate to the daily diet of patients 12 to 18 years of age will improve blood glucose and body weight.

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Kidney Function
How does chromium picolinate impact renal function?

Numerous preclinical studies show that chromium picolinate may have a beneficial impact on liver and kidney function. Most recently, a study published in the summer 2005 issue of Biological Trace Element Research and conducted by Sugiyama Jogakuen University found that chromium picolinate improved kidney function in obese, diabetic mice. Additionally, a study conducted at L.M. College of Pharmacy and published in the September 2004 issue of the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine found that chromium picolinate improved kidney and liver function in diabetic rats compared to the placebo group.

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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
How does chromium picolinate impact polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)?

There is preliminary research pointing to the potential benefits of chromium for PCOS. A small study of six women with PCOS and insulin resistance showed encouraging results with chromium supplementation. These women took 1,000 mcg of chromium picolinate for two months, at which time their insulin sensitivity improved by an average of 35 percent and baseline insulin levels fell by 22 percent.

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Is chromium picolinate safe?

A significant body of peer-reviewed data from studies conducted over a 15 year period confirms chromium picolinate is a safe nutritional supplement. In fact, in August 2005 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first qualified health claim for chromium picolinate, confirming that it is a safe nutritional supplement.

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Does chromium picolinate have any side effects?

There have been approximately 10 billion doses of chromium picolinate consumed. Out of those 10 billion doses, there have been no substantiated side effects specifically due to chromium picolinate.

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Is it safe to take chromium picolinate with other medications?

In clinical studies, chromium picolinate shows a strong safety profile even when taken with medication. However, as with any mineral supplement, it's a good idea to talk to your healthcare practitioner before adding chromium picolinate to your medication regimen, even though there are no known drug interactions.

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What is the difference between trivalent (nutritional) chromium and hexavalent chromium?

Trivalent, or nutritional chromium, is found naturally in foods or available in dietary supplements. Hexavalent chromium is widely used as an ingredient or catalyst in the chemical industry. It is primarily a byproduct of certain industrial processes, including those used to make stainless and hard-alloy steels and certain pigments, and is considered a heavy metal.