Chromium

Chromium: What is it?

• Chromium is a trivalent trace element and essential nutrient that is commonly found in many foods and used as a nutritional supplement in humans and animals.

How does it work in the body?

• In the body, 95% of chromium is bound to proteins such as transferrin, the remainder is unbound and can accumulate in the liver, bone, soft tissue, and spleen.

• Chromium may enhance insulin activity, leading to increased metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.

• The exact mechanism is still unclear, but studies suggest that this may occur through chromium binding to chromodulin, a substance that can directly bind to insulin receptors and enhance its activity.

• Chromium is excreted in the urine.

What is it used for?

• Studies have shown that chromium deficiency can cause a diabetic-like state with features such as elevated blood sugars, impaired growth, elevated serum lipids, decreased fertility, and nerve damage.

• Chromium supplementation is used to treat and prevent chromium deficiency which is usually only seen in severely malnourished individuals or patients undergoing total parenteral nutrition without added chromium.

• Supplementation with chromium is also used for prevention and control of diabetes and hyperlipidemia as studies suggest improved glycemic and lipid profiles with its use.

• There have been claims that chromium supplementation can also aid in weight loss, cognitive function, and bone health but there is insufficient evidence to support these claims at this time.

Evidence for and against:

• Chromium has been shown to improve blood glucose and related variables in diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2, gestational diabetes, and corticosteroid-induced diabetes.

• A 2014 meta-analysis showed that chromium mono and combined supplementation significantly reduced HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels. It also showed that chromium mono-supplementation elevated HDL-c levels and lowered triglycerides.

• These effects were most notably enhanced with the combination of chromium-picolinate.

• A 2016 meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials showed that chromium significantly reduced FPG levels by an average of -29.26 mg/dL and significantly lowered total cholesterol at an average of -6.7 mg/dL.

• A 2015 meta-analysis with 875 participants showed that chromium yeast and chromium-picolinate did not show significant effects on HbA1c or FPG.

Dosage:

• Dietary reference intake suggests an adequate intake of 35 and 25 mcg, respectively, in men and women aged 19–50 (30 and 20 mcg, respectively, in men and women aged 51 or older).

• A 2014 systematic review suggests that >200 mcg of chromium mono-supplementation may improve glycemic control. Doses typically should not exceed 1000 mcg daily.

Precautions/side effects:

• Chromium supplementation is typically safe with mild adverse effects reported in the form of headaches, sleep disturbances, and irritability.

Interactions:

Chromium may interact with insulin, metformin, or other blood-glucose-lowering antidiabetic medications to cause hypoglycemia so simultaneous use should be discussed with a health care provider. Chromium may also reduce levothyroxine absorption.

Key Web Sources

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  of an essential trace element and widely used human and animal nutritional supplement. Crit

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• https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Chromium-HealthProfessional/#ref.

• Wallach S. Clinical and biochemical aspects of chromium deficiency. J Am Coll Nutr.

  1985;4(1):107–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.1985.10720070.

  100. Anderson RA. Chromium in the prevention and control of diabetes. Diabetes Metab.

  2000;26(1):22–7.

• Suksomboon N, Poolsup N, Yuwanakorn A. Systematic review and meta-analysis of

  the efficacy and safety of chromium supplementation in diabetes. J Clin Pharm Ther.

  2014;39(3):292–306. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpt.12147. Epub 2014 Mar 17.

• San Mauro-Martin I, Ruiz-León AM, Camina-Martín MA, Garicano-Vilar E, Collado-Yurrita

  L, de Mateo-Silleras B, De Paz Redondo Del Río M. [Chromium supplementation in patients

  with type 2 diabetes and high risk of type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized con-

  trolled trials]. Nutr Hosp. 2016;33(1):27. Spanish. https://doi.org/10.20960/nh.v33i1.27.

• Yin RV, Phung OJ. Effect of chromium supplementation on glycated hemoglobin and

  fasting plasma glucose in patients with diabetes mellitus. Nutr J. 2015;14:14. https://doi.

  org/10.1186/1475-2891-14-14.