Chromium Picolinate
Update
Chester J. Zelasko, Ph.D. |
September 28, 2004
Chromium picolinate
has been in the news recently with research establishing the safety of this
dietary supplement, in contrast to the negative reports from several years
ago. (For a review, see The Newsletter of December 19, 2000: Chromium and
the Cancer Issue). This Newsletter will focus on the safety of chromium
picolinate as well as a couple of new studies that were recently published.
In September 2004, Ronald Slesinski, the president-elect of the Regulatory &
Safety Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology, reported the results
of a safety review of chromium picolinate at a conference at the U. S.
Centers for Disease Control. The conclusion was that based on a review of
the literature, chromium picolinate was safe for human consumption with no
carcinogenic effects observed. This confirms the recent the review of the
literature done by the U. S. National Academy of Sciences to establish the
Dietary Reference Intake levels (1). In that document, no upper limit was
established for chromium because no negative effects were reported at any
dose.
Does this mean that chromium picolinate is safe beyond all doubt? No. That
claim could never be made. What it does mean is that in the doses that have
been studied in humans, there is no cause for concern when using this
supplement. In fact, there may be good reason to use chromium picolinate.
Chromium seems to help modulate blood sugar; for people who are insulin
resistant, this is important. People who are insulin resistant make enough
insulin to remove glucose from the blood stream, but their insulin receptors
won’t accept the insulin, thus limiting the removal of sugar from the blood.
Chromium appears to activate the insulin receptors, thereby keeping blood
sugar levels closer to normal in response to carbohydrate intake. It doesn’t
replace weight loss and exercise, but it can help.
In a recent study, researchers tested the blood sugar response of a group of
normal-weight men who ate a high-glycemic meal after taking either a
placebo, 400 mcg of chromium picolinate, or 800 mcg of chromium picolinate
(2). The group taking chromium had a better response overall in reducing
blood sugar than did the control group, although some men responded to the
chromium and others did not. While not reported in the study, those who
responded may have had more visceral adiposity (fat in the abdominal cavity)
than those who didn’t respond, even though all men were in the normal-weight
range. That might mean insulin resistance begins with a very slight increase
in visceral adiposity--levels lower than currently thought.
Chromium may also be helpful in treating depression (3). In a recent study,
subjects with clinical depression were given 600 mcg of chromium picolinate
per day for eight weeks. Again, when broken into responders and
nonresponders, there were measurable improvements in depression symptoms in
those who took the chromium. It may be that insulin resistance has a role to
play in depression, and modulating blood sugar helps, together with
traditional treatment. Further research is warranted.
Where does this leave you? First, chromium picolinate appears to be safe--if
that was an issue that prevented you from taking chromium picolinate, it
shouldn’t be. Second, and more importantly, this recent research has
provided possibilities for those who are insulin resistant and suffer from
depression and erratic levels of blood sugar.
But remember to discuss chromium picolinate with your physician
before you start self treating. If you’re insulin resistant, you’re
pre-diabetic. That’s a metabolic disorder that should be monitored by your
physician, and so should depression. You have to do your part by reducing
body weight and getting fit through exercise. But chromium supplements may
help your body make the transition from where you are to where you want to
be. It’s worth discussing with your healthcare provider.
References:
- Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron,
Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon,
Vanadium, and Zinc. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine of
the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. 2000.
- Frauchiger MT, et al. Effects of acute chromium supplementation on
postprandial metabolism in healthy young men. J Am Coll Nutr.
2004;23(4):351-7.
- Davidson JR, et al. Effectiveness of chromium in atypical
depression: a placebo-controlled trial. Biol Psychiatry. 2003.
53(3):261-4.
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