Diabetes: Chromium supplements drop blood sugar in 80 to 90 percent of patients.

Written by Kevin Flatt

In 1957, a compound in brewers’ yeast was found to prevent an age-related decline in the ability of rats to maintain normal levels of sugar (glucose) in their blood. Chromium was identified as the active ingredient in this so-called “glucose tolerance factor” (GTF) in 1959. In the 1960s, chromium was found to correct glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in deficient animals, two indicators that the body is failing to properly control blood-sugar levels and which are precursors of type 2 diabetes. (National Institutes of Health).

New research suggests that rather than being a part of the GTF, chromium is at the centre of a very small protein molecule that helps activate insulin receptors in our body’s cells. If this is true, then it means that chromium may help insulin work more effectively in the cells of our bodies.

Studies show that people with type 2 diabetes have lower blood levels of chromium than those without the disease. Chromium picolinate, specifically, has been shown to reduce insulin resistance and to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Chromium in the diet is affected by many factors such as source, processing, and method of preparation. Thus, data on food composition are unlikely to provide a valid measure of the chromium status. (Diabetes Care. 2004 Sep;27(9):2211-6).

Not all chromium supplements are equal.

Science News Online reported in April 2005 that Robert DiSilvestro and Emily Dy of Ohio State University showed data at the Experimental Biology 2005 meeting in San Diego indicating that only the picolinate form of chromium is absorbed well by the body. The report stated that according to Robert DiSilvestro about 40 percent of chromium picolinate was absorbed by people taking chromium supplements in one experiment. DiSilvestro added that absorption of other forms of the mineral in supplements ran as low as 1 percent and only about 10 percent of any form of chromium in foods is typically absorbed. (Science News Online 16/4/2005; Vol. 167, No. 16).

Additionally, an animal study conducted at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that chromium picolinate was better absorbed by the tissues (e.g., liver and muscle) than chromium nicotinate and chromium chloride. Absorption into the tissue is important because for a mineral to be beneficial, it must survive the digestive tract and reach the bloodstream. Otherwise, minerals pass through the body, leaving it void of necessary nutrients. (Medical News Today 7/2/2007).

It is always preferable to use a chromium picolinate supplement rather than just any chromium supplement.

Three hospitalized patients who were fed intravenously showed signs of diabetes (including weight loss, neuropathy, and impaired glucose tolerance) until chromium was added to their feeding solution. The chromium, added at doses of 150 to 250 mcg/day for up to two weeks, corrected their diabetes symptoms. Chromium is now routinely added to intravenous solutions. (NIH, Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Chromium).

A 1999 British study published in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology supported these findings. The researchers found that blood levels of chromium are lower in diabetic subjects, with average levels of blood plasma chromium 33% lower in 93 type 2 diabetic participants compared with healthy participants. The researchers suggested that large losses of chromium over many years may worsen an already compromised chromium status in people with diabetes type 2 and might contribute to the developing insulin resistance seen in these patients. (Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology 13:57–61, 1999). This was again supported by a 2001 Austrian study published in the journal Biological Trace Element Research which reported significantly lower chromium levels in the blood of type 2 diabetic individuals compared with non diabetic healthy people. (Biological Trace Element Research 79:205–219, 2001).

In 1979 Richard A. Anderson, PhD, a U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition research scientist together with his colleagues conducted a large human trial with 180 participants (men and women) with type 2 diabetes. All participants continued to take their normal medications and were instructed to continue with their normal eating and living habits. They were divided into three groups, one of which took 1000 micrograms of chromium daily in two divided doses for four months. The second group took 200 micrograms of chromium daily in divided doses while the other group was given a placebo.

A significant improvement in HbA1c levels was observed after only 2 months in the group taking 1000 micrograms of chromium and in both groups taking chromium after 4 months. (Hemoglobin A1C is tested to monitor the long-term control of diabetes and is increased in the red blood cells of persons with poorly controlled diabetes. From this test clinicians can estimate the average blood glucose level during the preceding two to four months. The target for most people is below 7).

Fasting glucose was also lower after 2 months in the group taking the higher dose of chromium and in both groups taking chromium after 4 months. Total cholesterol also decreased after 4 months in the group taking 1000 micrograms of chromium daily. (Diabetes. 1997 Nov; 46(11):).

The body’s chromium content may be reduced under several conditions. Diets high in simple sugars (comprising more than 35% of calories) can increase chromium excretion in the urine. Infection, acute exercise, pregnancy and lactation, and stressful states (such as physical trauma) increase chromium losses and can lead to deficiency, especially if chromium intakes are already low. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements).

Scientists believe that insulin uses chromium as an assistant (technically, a cofactor) to “unlock the door” to the cell membrane, thereby allowing glucose to enter the cell.

More than 15 scientific studies support the safety and role of chromium in improving insulin function and glucose metabolism in people with type 2 diabetes and related conditions. “There is strong scientific evidence to suggest that supplemental chromium picolinate may improve insulin sensitivity, blood glucose control, and cardiovascular risk factors in adults with type 2 diabetes,” according to Dr. Kaufman, former president of the American Diabetes Association and specialist in pediatric endocrinology. (PRNewswire-FirstCall 15/2/2005).

In 2004 a researcher from Louisiana State University System and another from Harvard School of Public Health reviewed the literature to date and noted as part of their review that two of the three studies that failed to document significant positive effects of chromium on insulin or glucose metabolism used a poorly absorbed inorganic formulation, and the third administered a very low dose of chromium picolinate. (Reviewed in Diabetes Care. 2004 Nov;27(11):2741-51).

Too little chromium can mean not enough insulin, which leads to poor use of blood sugar. When this happens, the body uses fats, instead of glucose, for energy. Consequently, there’s a reserve of cholesterol left in the blood, creating a veritable garbage dump in the arteries. (Brenda D. Adderly, M.H.A.)

If you take people in the general population with slightly elevated blood sugar and give them chromium supplements, you’ll see a drop in blood sugar in 80 to 90 percent of them. (Dr. Richard A. Anderson, U.S. Department of Agriculture).

References

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PRNewswire Feb 6, 2006 Chromium Picolinate Helps Muscles Use Blood Sugar Insulin to Work Better

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=62312

FDA Approves First Qualified Health Claim for Chromium Picolinate Diabetes

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Copyright 2007 KevinFlatt. Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is presented for information purposes only and is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner. It cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment.