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The Science on Chromium Supplements
The Science on Chromium Supplements -- Posted by Gumbo on 10-23-04 05:54
The Science on Chromium Supplements
The Hustle According to marketers, chromium supplements can help you lose
weight, boost metabolism, pack on muscle and fight heart disease. Some
preliminary research suggests that chromium can help regulate blood sugar
and improve insulin sensitivity, to the benefit of people with or at risk of
type 2 diabetes. Annual sales of chromium products rose from $65 million in
1996 to $106 million in 2003, according to Nutrition Business Journal.
Chromium picolinate is the most common type.
What's the Science Say? Scientific support for the weight-loss and
muscle-building claims is scant. Some studies have suggested, though, that
chromium may help ward off heart disease, particularly among people with
diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions. As for blood sugar regulation, the
studies have been too small or inadequately designed to conclusively
determine benefits, said Rebecca Costello, deputy director of the Office of
Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Chromium is
difficult to measure in the body, and nobody's figured out what exactly it
does once it's there.
Is It Safe? Costello said there's little evidence to suggest dietary
chromium taken in the typical dosage (50 to 200 micrograms) does any harm.
Extremely high doses could damage kidneys or even chromosomes.
So Should I Be Popping Chromium? Hard to imagine why, but you know the
drill: Talk with your doctor (particularly if you intend to take more than
200 micrograms a day). Most people apparently get all the chromium they
need -- though nobody's sure just how much that is -- from their diet. It
may also be in your multivitamin. And nobody knows if eating chromium-rich
foods (calf liver, brewer's yeast, American cheese, wheat germ) does any
good. There's no evidence that diabetes is due to a chromium deficiency.
As for muscle-building, fat-burning and all that? Ignore the hype: There's
no solid that evidence chromium works. Exercise and a healthy diet do.
-- Jennifer Huget
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