Can Chromium Help Reduce Body Fat

Chromium is one of the most popular dietary supplements. This may be because it is unfamiliar and seems exotic to many people who consider it a "fountain of youth". Chromium is found as picolinate or nicotinate and is used to help reduce body fat, increase muscle mass and boost energy levels. Chromium is used in the body for carbohydrate metabolism and insulin function. The picolinate or nicotinate part of the supplement is chelated (bound) to other minerals (such as calcium or B vitamins) that aid intestinal absorption of Chromium, which is usually low.

Dietary Sources

Americans do not ingest enough Chromium in their diets based on large-scale nutritional surveys. The best food sources of Chromium are meats and whole-grain products. Processing grains reduces Chromium levels. Fruits and vegetables are very low in Chromium, as is milk. High intake of simple sugars, common in the American diet, increases Chromium requirements. Low Chromium status impairs glucose tolerance and is common in diabetics. This does not mean that low Chromium intake cause diabetes or that Chromium supplements can cure or prevent diabetes.

 Chromium Metabolism

Chromium deficiency is very rare, but low Chromium status is more prevalent than previously believed and may lead to the glucose intolerance found during late pregnancy. Glucose intolerance reduces the body's ability to use sugars for energy, causing them to be stored as fat. However, there is little evidence that Chromium enhances the body's ability to use these sugars. On the other hand, trained athletes have lower Chromium levels and greater losses in the urine with exercise. Exercisers who are consuming high carbohydrate diets and burning more carbohydrates may have lower Chromium levels than those of healthy non-exercisers.

Concerns

Chromium picolinate was linked to chromosome damage in a study published last year in journal of the journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Diane Stearns, Ph.D., the lead author of the study, is a researcher at Dartmouth College. She explains: "we didn't want to scare people with our results, but wanted to send a warning flag to others in science that there may be a reason to be concerned about long-term, high-dose Chromium supplements." Daily ingestion of Chromium supplements of 600 micrograms for 5 years may lead to Chromium accumulation in tissues at levels near those used in the study. Proponents of Chromium supplementation criticize the study because it was performed in hamster ovary cells not in humans. Yet, Dr. Stearns defends her results stating "This is a standard, universally-used assay to study the toxic effects on cells."

Recommendation

Although supplement manufacturers suggest that the American diet is deficient in Chromium, a diet rich in whole-grain breads and cereals (including beer) should provide sufficient amounts. In general, the more processed the grain, the lower the Chromium content (and that of other nutrients).

Consuming adequate whole grain foods also provides the fiber and B vitamins needed for weight loss and energy production. If you choose to take Chromium use a maximum of 50-200 micrograms per day. The USRDA committee considers 50-200 micrograms a day a "safe and adequate" intake of Chromium.