chromium (poly)nicotinate is safe though:
quote:
Studies Show
Chromium Picolinate is Dangerous
Update 2000
Dr. Ann de Wees Allen, N.D.
An alarming study conducted by Dr. John Vincent at the University of Alabama shows that chromium picolinate reacts with antioxidants in the cells to produce in "reduced" form of chromium capable of causing mutations in DNA, our human genetic material.
Based on this new research, the University of California at Berkeley warns that:
"Nobody should take chromium picolinate,
especially not young people."
This is not the first time that chromium picolinate has gotten negative press from the media and the scientific community. In 1995 and 1996 scientific studies showed that chromium picolinate could damage genetic material in animals. The research was funded by the National Cancer Institute and conducted at George Washington University, Department of Pharmacology, Washington, D.C. and Dartmouth College, Department of Chemistry.
The study included testing specific chromium supplements as well as various forms of chromium. Chromium picolinate, U.S. Patent 5194615, currently the most widely used form of chromium, was included in the study. The potential toxicity of the picolinate form of chromium has been an issue of debate over the past five years.
The three forms of chromium analyzed in the study were:
Chromium Chloride
Chromium Nicotinate (chromium bound to niacin; Niacin-bound chromium)
Chromium Picolinate (chromium bound to picolinic acid, US Patent 4315927).
Cytotoxicity was determined by measurement of colony formation in laboratory animals. Chromosome damage was measured as clastogenicity observed for cells in metaphase. Results were compared to those obtained in cells treated with ligands alone or with chromium. "Treatment with chromium picolinate producing 91 +/- 12% colony survival resulted in 32 +/- 12% of metaphases with chromosome damage." The results are indeed staggering in their implication.
"Chromium picolinate was found to cause
significant chromosome damage at a non-toxic dose."
"Chromium nicotinate and CrCl3 (chloride) did not cause
chromosome damage at equivalent doses."
Critics of the study retaliated by saying that the amount of chromium picolinate tested was too high to be meaningful. But Dr. Stearns, chromium researcher at Dartmouth College, says that while the doses were high, "They were not out of context considering that day in and day out consumers are taking large amounts of chromium, which may be accumulating the body." Dr. Stearns predicts that after 5 years of swallowing a daily dose of 600 mcg of chromium picolinate, the amount recommended on supplement packages, chromium would accumulate in the body to the level that caused damage in her study."
The study conclusively linked chromosome damage to chromium picolinate. Since the data showed that chromium picolinate causes DNA damage at low, supposedly nontoxic doses, the researchers concluded that, "This study raises the question of the safety of chromium picolinate as a human dietary supplement."
The chromium picolinate industry responded with cries of "bad science" and insisted that chromium picolinate was safe. They chose to ignore the fact that this kind of generic damage in animals can be a loud warning signal of a cancer-causing agent in humans.
Since the Dartmouth study was published, the chromium picolinate manufacturers and marketers have aggressively pushed their product in the nutrient industry. Currently, millions of people are taking chromium picolinate, and many consumers are not even aware that they are ingesting this potentially dangerous nutrient. Chromium picolinate can be found in many of the most popular vitamin supplements including multi-vitamins, sports drinks, diabetic formulas, and weight loss formulas.
Are all chromium supplements dangerous? No. The combination of chromium and picolinate can produce dangerous compounds, not the chromium alone. Safety issues concerning the use of the picolinate form of chromium have been in question for the past few years. Aside from genetic damage evidenced in the recent study, picolinate is known to "break off" from its chromium-bond and cause adverse effects.
Since many vitamin, mineral, and multi-vitamin products currently contain chromium picolinate, it is strongly advised that consumers check labels and ingredients panels of the supplements they are taking to ascertain if they contain chromium picolinate.
Consumers are urged to switch to a nontoxic form of chromium, such as niacin-bound chromium, also known as chromium polynicotinate. Niacin-bound chromium is the safest and most bioavailable form of chromium. Most health food stores carry niacin-bound chromium polynicotinate Two of the best-known brand name products are:
Solgar Chromium Polynicotinate *
200 mcg chromium (polynicotinate) per capsule
Natrol ChromeMate *
200 mcg chromium (polynicotinate) per capsule
10 mg vitamin B-6
The Natrol Chromate contains added B-6 plus 50 mg of L-arginine and 50 mg L-lysine. L-Arginine and L-Lysine are direct antagonists of each other, meaning that at higher doses (over 2 grams/2000 mg) they should not be taken together. In doses of 50 mg, as found in the Natrol product, the negating effects of the two amino acids should not be significant.
* Dr. Ann de Wees Allen has no affiliation with the Solgar Chromium product or the Natrol ChromeMate product, and does not receive any monies or benefits from mentioning their products in this article. Manufacturer's wishing to have their niacin-bound chromium products added to this article may submit the label copy to
www.anndewessallen.com for review.
No compensation will be accepted by Dr. Allen.
References
Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter, Oct. 1996
U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Research Center, Chromium Study, 1996
George Washington University, Department of Pharmacology, Washington, D.C., Chromium Toxicity Study, 1995
Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
.jpg "Research Chemical Sciences")
.png "Research Chemical Sciences")
