As of July, 2005, there does not appear to be any clear evidence of chromium supplementation except for individuals on total parenteral feeding.  Chromium may have a slight benefit for weight loss, diabetes, and depression, but any benefit is far from proven and not dramatic.  Chromium is an essential element, but it is plentiful in the foods we eat and natural deficiencies are extremely rare.

Depression: Chromium Picolinate Helped in Small DB: 15 MDD DB PC 8 weeks. 70% (7/10) chromium 600 microg/d vs 0% placebo responded. Duke. Effectiveness of chromium in atypical depression: a placebo-controlled trial. Davidson JR, Abraham K, Connor KM, McLeod MN. Biol Psychiatry 2003 Feb 1;53(3):261-4

Depression: Helped Eight Treatment Resistant Depression: 50yo with 25 yr hx dysthymia partially responsive to sertraline improved on self-prescribed chromium picolinate 200-400 microg/d. Four others then tried. All responded, two as sole med and three as adjunct. McLeod, J Clin Psychiatry ’99;60:237. Same author raises total to eight. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2000 Dec;3(4):311-314, U North Carolina

Depression: Anecdotal Reports of Chromium Helping Depression: Med Hypotheses 1994 Oct;43(4):247-52, McCarty. Gives some highly speculative reasons why such benefit might exist and mentions that there have been anecdotal reports.

Diabetes: No Clear Benefit: In a very small 3-month DB PC study of 40 diabetics, those on 400 microg/d of chromium showed no benefit. Chromium supplementation does not improve glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, or lipid profile: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of supplementation in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance: response to komorowski and juturu. Gunton et al. Joslin-Harvard. Diabetes Care 28:712-713, 3/2005

Diabetes: May Help Heart: In a 3-month DB PC crossover study of 30 diabetics, those taking 1000 micrograms of chromium daily had their the QT interval significantly shorten from 423 milliseconds to 406. Thus, increased intake of chromium may lower cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetic patients. Blood insulin levels decreased significantly after 3 months of chromium supplementation and this may be partly responsible for the QT interval shortening. Bojan Vrtovec et al. Ljubljana University, Slovenia. American Heart Journal, April 2005.

Diabetes Helped in One of Six Studies for Prevention and One of Four for Treatment: In people at risk for diabetes, only a 1999 University of Vermont study by Cefalu found benefit from 1 mg of chromium in a very small 8-month DB study of 29 adults at high risk of diabetes. J Trace Elem Exp Med 12:71. Of four good study of people with diabetes, only one 4-month DB study found benefit. 

Weight Loss: Chromium for Weight Loss No Benefit Although Slight Increase in Lean Body Mass: Chromium picolinate is a popular supplement. Case of rhabdomyolysis in Pharmacother 7/98 18:860-2 and case of hypoglycemia in 5/98 Psychosomatics show it is far from harmless. Nutr Rev 6/98. Chromium is an essential nutrient in regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Normal intake said often suboptimal. Said to increase lean body mass and decrease % body fat. RA Anderson, Beltsville USDA, Nutr Rev 9/98 56:566-70. Case of 33 year old woman ingesting 6-12 times recommended dose for 4 months. 1200-2400 microg/d ingested. Presented with weight loss, anemia, thrombocytopenia, liver dysfunction and renal failure. With blood chromium 2-3 times normal. Ann Pharmacother 4/98 32:428-31. 36 obese were treated for 26 weeks with DB placebo or chromium yeast or chromium picolinate with very low cal for 8 weeks them maintenance. Only picolinate group showed increase lean body mass at 26 weeks although all lost a comparable amount of weight. Act Med Austriaca ’97;24:185-7

Weight Loss: Chromium Picolinate No Help in Weight Training in Two Studies: 17 overwt women 48-71yo DB PC 12 weeks. Increased strength but high dose chromium no effect. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2002 Jun;12(2):125-35; Similar = J Appl Physiol 1999 Jan;86(1):29-39

Weight Loss: Chromium Picolinate No Help Weight Loss: Twelve weeks of 400 microg/day of chromium as a CP supplement did not significantly affect body composition, RMR, plasma glucose, serum insulin, plasma glucagon, serum C-peptide and serum lipid concentrations or iron and zinc indices in moderately obese women placed on an exercise program. U Mass. J Am Coll Nutr 2001 Aug;20(4):293-306

Weight Loss: Chromium Picolinate No Impact on Lipids: DB PC 19 normal adults 63-77yo. Chromium picolinate supplementation alone does not appear to improve insulin sensitivity, serum lipids, or change body composition in nonobese, healthy men and women of advanced age. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2000 May;55(5):M260-3

Weight Loss: Chromium Side-Effects: Various. One severe renal disease on 1200-2400 microg/d x 5 months. Can cause skin allergies and diseases.

Thomas E. Radecki, M.D., J.D.

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