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Chromium
- Thread starter PANTS
- Start date
Chromium loses some of its shine
Millions of Americans now take chromium picolinate, a supplement that its manufacturers claim will promote weight loss, prevent or reverse diabetes, reduce blood cholesterol, and build muscle. These claims appeal to everybody from young athletes to elderly people with chronic diseases, so no wonder chromium picolinate sales are booming. It's sold as a dietary supplement, so the FDA can't touch it unless it can be proved to cause harm.
Interestingly, a new laboratory study from Dartmouth College found that chromium picolinate can damage chromosomes, thus raising the question of whether it could cause cancer. The response from the supplements industry was indignant and massive—ads, press releases, news conferences—plus accusations of "bad science." A "Chromium Information Bureau" was even set up.
The study is worth looking at a little more closely. Of course, it had the limitations of all lab studies. It used hamster cell cultures, and nobody knows if the findings would apply to people. Though the industry claimed that the dosages used in the Dartmouth study were massive, they were not. Levels of chromium picolinate in the cells being tested were about what you would have in your own cells if you took the supplement daily. Chromium doesn't just wash out of the body the way some nutrients do; in fact, minerals tend to accumulate in the body. Other forms of chromium did not damage the cells in this study. So it probably wasn't the chromium that did the damage to the hamster-cell chromosomes, but the picolinate.
Diane Sterns, one of the study's authors, pointed out that the safety of chromium picolinate and the long-term effects of chromium accumulation in humans are poorly understood. This study is not definitive, and further research is warranted.
News, or non-news, for diabetics?
Despite claims to the contrary, diabetes is not a chromium-deficiency disease. Just recently, a new study (unpublished but widely publicized) of diabetics in China found that high doses of chromium picolinate were helpful in controlling blood sugar. But even the author of the study called the results "preliminary." Many studies of other forms of chromium as a treatment for diabetes have been conducted in the U.S., with disappointing results. Few diabetics have been helped by chromium. Again, more studies will have to be done. Meanwhile, if you have diabetes, it's not a good idea to start taking chromium picolinate on your own, let alone to discontinue medical treatment in preference for a health-food supplement of unproven safety and effectiveness.
Words to the wise: Chromium is indeed a mineral the body needs. But there's little evidence that chromium deficiency is widespread. And there's no evidence whatsoever that these supplements help you lose weight, build muscle, or lower cholesterol. Chromium is found in water, beverages, and practically everything we eat. Don't take chromium picolinate, and you needn't worry about its potential to cause harm.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, August 1996
Millions of Americans now take chromium picolinate, a supplement that its manufacturers claim will promote weight loss, prevent or reverse diabetes, reduce blood cholesterol, and build muscle. These claims appeal to everybody from young athletes to elderly people with chronic diseases, so no wonder chromium picolinate sales are booming. It's sold as a dietary supplement, so the FDA can't touch it unless it can be proved to cause harm.
Interestingly, a new laboratory study from Dartmouth College found that chromium picolinate can damage chromosomes, thus raising the question of whether it could cause cancer. The response from the supplements industry was indignant and massive—ads, press releases, news conferences—plus accusations of "bad science." A "Chromium Information Bureau" was even set up.
The study is worth looking at a little more closely. Of course, it had the limitations of all lab studies. It used hamster cell cultures, and nobody knows if the findings would apply to people. Though the industry claimed that the dosages used in the Dartmouth study were massive, they were not. Levels of chromium picolinate in the cells being tested were about what you would have in your own cells if you took the supplement daily. Chromium doesn't just wash out of the body the way some nutrients do; in fact, minerals tend to accumulate in the body. Other forms of chromium did not damage the cells in this study. So it probably wasn't the chromium that did the damage to the hamster-cell chromosomes, but the picolinate.
Diane Sterns, one of the study's authors, pointed out that the safety of chromium picolinate and the long-term effects of chromium accumulation in humans are poorly understood. This study is not definitive, and further research is warranted.
News, or non-news, for diabetics?
Despite claims to the contrary, diabetes is not a chromium-deficiency disease. Just recently, a new study (unpublished but widely publicized) of diabetics in China found that high doses of chromium picolinate were helpful in controlling blood sugar. But even the author of the study called the results "preliminary." Many studies of other forms of chromium as a treatment for diabetes have been conducted in the U.S., with disappointing results. Few diabetics have been helped by chromium. Again, more studies will have to be done. Meanwhile, if you have diabetes, it's not a good idea to start taking chromium picolinate on your own, let alone to discontinue medical treatment in preference for a health-food supplement of unproven safety and effectiveness.
Words to the wise: Chromium is indeed a mineral the body needs. But there's little evidence that chromium deficiency is widespread. And there's no evidence whatsoever that these supplements help you lose weight, build muscle, or lower cholesterol. Chromium is found in water, beverages, and practically everything we eat. Don't take chromium picolinate, and you needn't worry about its potential to cause harm.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, August 1996
