Dietary chromium is safe - and elemental to good health

Better Nutrition, March, 1997 by James J. Gormley

Chromium is an element, one of the building blocks of all things, and one that is critical for good health. Although occurring in small amounts in such foods as brewer's yeast, black pepper, broccoli, liver, and other meats, nine out of 10 Americans do not get an adequate amount of chromium in their diet because: 1) the form of chromium in many foods is not easily absorbed; 2) they do not eat foods containing chromium; 3) chromium is lost during food processing: 4) chromium is not needed by plants, so very little winds up in the food supply; and 5) a high-sugar diet, common in America, causes a loss of chromium from the body.

In the body, chromium is absolutely essential; without it, the hormone insulin would not function. The "master hormone of our metabolism," insulin not only controls blood sugar levels and many other aspects of carbohydrate breakdown and storage, but also orchestrates a great deal of the metabolism involving fat, protein, and energy (calories).

The form of chromium that our bodies require is called "tri-valent" chromium, which means that it has a net electronic charge of plus three (3 ), and is written as Cr [3.sup. ], as opposed to hexavalent chromium, which forms as a byproduct of industrial processing (including the production of stainless and hard-alloy steels and of certain pigments).

Recent studies highlight chromium's benefits in those with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (Type II) and in physical conditioning/weight-loss.

Diabetes. On March 14, 1996, Richard Anderson, Ph.D., the lead scientist for trace minerals at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's "Human Nutrition Research Center," presented a paper at the Society of Toxicology's annual meeting (Anaheim, Calif.), entitled "Beneficial Effects of Chromium for People with Type II Diabetes."

In the study, 180 adults with Type II diabetes were divided into three groups: a placebo group, a group supplemented with 200 mcg (micrograms) of chromium per day, and a group which received 1,000 mcg of the mineral per day.

Chromium had "significant beneficial effects on cholesterol, glycated hemoglobin, and glucose/insulin variables in patients with Type II diabetes," the study concluded.

Why? Well, rather than stimulating the body to make more insulin, chromium makes the insulin which is already present function more efficiently in the body's cells.

Physical conditioning and weight loss. In a study that appeared in the Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine in 1996, 40 collegiate swimmers (of both sexes) received either 400 mcg/day of chromium, or a placebo, throughout a six-month competitive season. At the end of the season, it was found that the decreases in body fat and increases in non-fat body mass were 20-40 percent higher in those who received the supplemental chromium; it worked best with the female swimmers.

Safe? Very. In a Better Nutrition interview with Annette Dickinson, Ph.D., the Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs for the Washington-based Council for Responsible Nutrition, she said that "we feel that the benefits and safety of chromium are well established and that most people don't get enough in their diets."

"The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] has established reference doses for minerals--and chromium has a very wide margin of safety," she added.

In fact, trivalent chromium is believed to be one of the safest of all nutrients; it has been nearly impossible to artificially cause life-threatening toxicity in animals with orally administered dietary chromium, at any dose, however large.

Are there any circumstances/groups where caution might be needed? There are two: diabetic patients who take chromium and do not adjust their medication appropriately (under professional guidance) and reactive hypoglycemics who feel worse while using chromium supplements.

How much should we take? The EPA and the Food and Nutrition Board have established a "safe and adequate" supplement range of 50 to 200 mcg/day.