Most studies have used 200 μg of chromium, 1 to 3 times a day. This means that normal dietary intake of chromium for an adult is suboptimal. And yet, Americans normally ingest only around 50-60% of the minimum suggested daily intake of 50 μg. The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowances) for chromium has been established by the US Academy of Sciences as 50 – 200 μg/day for adult men and women. Sea food (shellfish, mussels, oysters – best natural sources of chromium).To enhance body levels of chromium for diabetes control, you need to consume foods rich in the mineral. By deactivating the enzyme, chromium protects the integrity of the receptors and allows effective binding of insulin, increasing insulin sensitivity.
Binding with chromium activates LMWCr and it then participates in a complex chain reaction that amplifies the action of insulin.Ĭhromium’s insulin sensitivity-enhancing activity comes from its ability to deactivate an enzyme that makes certain structural changes to insulin receptors, thereby not allowing the insulin to bind effectively to the receptors. There, chromium is released and it then combines with a compound called low molecular weight chromium binding substance (LMWCr). It also improves glucose metabolism and lipid profile in individuals even without diabetes.Ībsorbed chromium combines with a protein called transferrin which carries it through blood inside insulin-insensitive cells. Data suggested that supplemental chromium has significant effects on HbA1c levels, glucose, insulin and cholesterol.Īnother study with 72 type 2 diabetes patients discovered that chromium supplementation gives better control of glucose and lipid levels while decreasing drug dosage.Ĭhromium has also been found beneficial in increasing muscle gain and fat loss associated with exercise. 180 adults with type 2 diabetes were treated with placebo and differing levels of chromium supplements. In a study with Chinese subjects with Type 2 Diabetes, patients that received a chromium picolinate diabetes dosage of 500 micrograms (μg) twice per day of chromium picolinate showed significant improvement as far as blood sugar levels and requirement of insulin was concerned.Ī study found that elevated chromium supplementation was involved in control of type 2 diabetes. These and many other studies implicated chromium as a critical cofactor in insulin action. Within two weeks, the patient showed distinct improvement in signs and symptoms, blood sugar levels improved and insulin requirements were greatly reduced. The earliest study that showed the effect of chromium supplementation in decreasing symptoms of diabetes was done in the 1970s, when a patient was given supplemental chromium. What Does Research Say About Chromium and Diabetes? This activity has led to studies that show the importance of chromium for diabetes type 2. Chromium is used by the body to make Glucose Tolerance Factor, a biologically-active compound that enhances activity of insulin by as much as three times.
Adequate chromium consumption decreases our requirement of insulin and improves our blood lipid profile. All metabolic reactions of chromium are insulin dependent. Chromium is an essential mineral that helps insulin regulate blood sugar level in our body. Functional medicine practitioners have also been using supplements to reduce the stress of side effects of prescription anti-diabetic drugs that cause both short-term and long-term health complications due to removal of vital nutrients from the body.Ĭhromium has garnered a lot of interest, in recent times, with people with diabetes type 2 as it has been reported that chromium picolinate has been found to lower blood glucose levels. Dietary supplements have been recognized as an important weapon to counteract the symptoms as well as causes of type 2 diabetes not only by practitioners of alternative medicine but also by mainstream medical physicians.
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