Chromium overload

Natural Health, Nov, 2004 by Elena Abregou

I AM A BIG FAN of your magazine and find it very helpful in my studies toward my degree in nutrition. I would like to express my concern, though, over some information provided in the September issue. In "Ask the Experts," Koren Barrett, N.D., recommends taking 400 to 600 milligrams of chromium daily for balancing sugar levels to treat clogged pores and acne. These amounts enormously exceed the well-established daily value of chromium, which is 200 to 400 micrograms--about one thousand times less than Barrett recommends.

--Elena Abregou, Des Plaines, Ill.

Thank you for catching our mistake--the correct dosage recommended by Barrett is, indeed, 400 to 600 mcg. The editors at NATURAL HEALTH take full responsibility for this typo, and we apologize to our readers and to Barrett. (Note: Are you concerned because you "followed" our elevated recommendation? More than likely, you took the correct amount. Chromium supplements am generally sold in mcg measurements, so it would be very difficult to intentionally take a dosage of 400 to 600 mg--that would be hundreds of capsules to swallow!)