Chromium pill
chromium picolinate research chromium benefits chromium dosage chromium for diabetes

By 1948, chromium was recognized as a consistent component of plants and animals. In 1954, chromium was found to enhance the synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids from acetate. In 1959, trivalent chromium was identified as the active component of the "glucose tolerance factor," which alleviated the impaired glucose tolerance in rats fed diets inadequate in chromium. In the 1960s, reports indicated that chromium could help diabetics improve their blood sugar control.

Nature's Way - Chromium Picolinate, 200 mcg
Chromium is an essential part of the GTF (glucose tolerance factor) molecule. GTF is an important cofactor for insulin in the regulation of blood sugar which is necessary for proper metabolism.
Nature's Way Chromium Picolinate is 100% natural, patented Chromium Picolinate. It contains no artificial ingredients or preservatives.

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Chromium Function
Chromium is generally accepted as an essential mineral that enhances insulin action and thus influences carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism.

Chromium Benefits
Chromium supplements may help some individuals who have diabetes. A National Institutes of Health study indicates that chromium picolinate supplements significantly enhanced insulin sensitivity.

Availability of Chromium
Chromium is available in a variety of dosages and forms, most commonly in 100 or 200 mcg. A dosage of 100 to 200 mcg of chromium could be taken by healthy individuals a couple of times a week, while those with diabetes may benefit from taking chromium 3 to 5 times a week. 

Combination of chromium and biotin
Combination of Chromium Picolinate and Biotin may Improve Blood Sugar in People with Type 2 Diabetes
January 8, 2007 -- Nutrition 21, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXXI) today announced the results of a recent placebo controlled, double-blind, randomized, single center study that demonstrated that Diachrome, a patented combination of chromium picolinate and biotin, safely improves blood glucose levels and cholesterol metabolism in people with type 2 diabetes. The study supports the role of chromium picolinate plus biotin as a safe and effective nutritional adjunct therapy in diabetes care.


Chromium Caution?? What you may may have read in the popular press
Chromium picolinate may damage DNA in flruit flies, a new study shows. The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a trade association of the dietary supplement industry, issued an announcement in response to the publication of the study. "The University of Alabama study, in which fruit flies were given high concentrations of chromium picolinate, provides no meaningful conclusions that change the weight of the strong scientific evidence for safety in humans," said Dr. John Hathcock, CRN's vice president, scientific and international affairs, in the statement. In Hathcock's review of relevant studies, he found no adverse effects in people taking up to 1,000 micrograms of chromium picolinate per day. Comments: high doses of a single mineral given to fruit flies gives us little clue of what may occur in the human body. Nevertheless, there is no need to take more than 200 mcg of chromium a few times a week, and it's often a good idea to take breaks from use of most supplements.
   Study Update: review of more than 60 human, animal, and cellular studies conducted over the past 30 years confirms that chromium picolinate is safe for use as a nutrient supplement in food. The largest expert review of the complete body of research on the safety of chromium picolinate is published in the June 2004 issue of Food and Chemical Toxicology. The review was conducted by senior toxicologists and food science experts at the ENVIRON Health Sciences Institute and describes how chromium picolinate was determined to be a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)** ingredient in nutritional bars and beverages. The authors cite the significant body of evidence conducted by scientists at leading academic institutions, as well as USDA and the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Toxicology Program (NTP).  “The collective research indicates that chromium picolinate is a safe nutritional supplement,” said study co-author Ronald S. Slesinski, PhD, DABT, president-elect of the Regulatory & Safety Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology and senior science manager at ENVIRON.  “The accepted safety trials, including Ames Tests and chromosome studies conducted by NTP and at independent testing laboratories, show no evidence of genetic toxicity.”

Hexavalent chromium toxicity
A type of chromium highlighted in the film " Erin Brockovich " causes cancer in lab animals when they drink it in water and it could be harmful to people. Hexavalent chromium, also called chromium 6, already has been shown to cause lung cancer when inhaled and is controlled by the Environmental Protection Agency as well as by states. It is best known as the contaminant exposed by campaigner Erin Brockovich, whose battle against a polluter was dramatized in the May 2000 movie of the same name. High doses of chromium hexavalent given to rats and mice in drinking water caused malignant tumors, the two-year study by the NIH's National Toxicology Program or NTP found. The animals were given much higher doses of chromium than people would ever encounter in drinking water, which is the usual practice in testing chemicals for cancer-causing potential. Hexavalent chromium compounds are often used in electroplating, leather tanning and textile manufacturing and have been found in some drinking water sources. year. But she said there were potentially dozens more toxic sites around the country. The lowest doses given to rats and mice in the study were 10 times higher than what humans could consume from the most highly contaminated water sources identified at Hinkley.

Chromium study
Effectiveness of chromium in atypical depression: a placebo-controlled trial.
Davidson JR,. Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
Biol Psychiatry. 2003 Feb 1;53(3):261-4.
Chromium picolinate (CP) has been reported to benefit patients with symptoms of atypical depression. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, pilot study of CP was conducted in 15 patients with DSM-IV major depressive disorder, atypical type. Patients received 600 micro g of CP or matching placebo (PBO) for 8 weeks. RESULTS: Seven (70%) CP and zero (0%) PBO patients met responder criteria (p =.02). Other outcomes were consistent with greater effect of CP. Three patients on CP failed to show any improvement. Chromium picolinate was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Chromium picolinate shows promising antidepressant effects in atypical depression. Its mechanism of action may relate to 5HT2A downregulation, increased insulin sensitivity, or to other effects.

Beneficial effects of chromium in people with type 2 diabetes, and urinary chromium response to glucose load as a possible indicator of status.
Bahijri SM, Mufti AM. King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2002 Feb;85(2):97-109.
No reliable method for the estimation of chromium (Cr) status is available yet. The aim of this study is to investigate the possibility of using urinary Cr response to glucose load as an indicator of Cr status. Seventy-eight non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients, were divided randomly into two groups and given Cr supplements as brewer's yeast and CrCl3 sequentially with placebo in between, in a double-blind, crossover design of four stages, each lasting 8 wk. At the beginning and end of each stage, subjects were weighed, their dietary data and drug dosage recorded, and blood and urine samples collected for analysis of glucose and urinary chromium (fasting and 2 h post-75-g glucose load) and fructosamine. The mean urinary Cr after the glucose load was significantly higher than the fasting mean at zero time (p<0.01). However, only 52 of the patients showed an obvious increase; the others showed a slight decrease or no change. Both supplements caused a significant increase in the means of urinary Cr and a significant decrease in the means of glucose and fructosamine. Only those subjects responding to Cr supplement by improved glucose control showed an increase in post-glucose-load urinary Cr over fasting level, after the supplement but not at zero time. Therefore, it was concluded that urinary Cr response to glucose load could be used as an indicator of Cr status.

To investigate chromium status of the adult population in the western region of Saudi Arabia and the possibility of using serum chromium status measurement as indicator of this status. The effect of chromium supplement on glucose tolerance and lipid profile was studied in 44 normal, free living adults. 200mg chromium/day as CrCL3 or a placebo was given in a double blind cross-over study, with 8 weeks experimental periods. Improved glucose control, and lipid profile following chromium supplement suggests the presence of low chromium status in the studied population. However, serum chromium could not be recommended for use as an indicator of chromium status as subjects with widely varying levels responded favorably to the chromium supplement.

Dr. Richard Anderson, USDA researcher from the Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, MD comments, "Based on decades of extensive scientific research, I believe that consumers can continue to use chromium picolinate with confidence. In fact, many of those with insulin resistance are likely to benefit from chromium supplementation in the picolinate form."

Another mineral for sale is Boron.

Chromium questions
Q. Is chromium helpful in treating hyperinsulinism.
   A. We are not sure of the exact influence of chromium on insulin levels, but it appears that some studies show chromium supplement to be helpful in supporting healthy blood sugar levels.

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