Chromium Chromosomes

Chromium Chromosomes - Another Media Event

First it was rodent ovary cells in a test tube and now it's fruit flies.

Once again, chromium picolinate-the second best selling supplement behind calcium-is being attacked by a barrage of negative chronicles from the media. According to a report issued by a scientist at the University of Alabama, chromium picolinate added to the media of fruit flies causes mutations and sterility. Long before other scientists had a chance to examine the techniques used in this study and subsequently verify these observations, the media-always seeking a sensational story-proclaimed chromium picolinate is a dangerous supplement.

A few months ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added chromium picolinate to its G.R.A.S. (Generally Recognized As Safe) list after examining the results of several studies done with the supplement. There was no media coverage regarding this important event. Nor was there much, if any, media coverage after the National Academies Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Food and Nutrition Board issued in January of this year (2003) a monograph favoring the safety of chromium picolinate. This esteemed group evaluated the results of 28 different clinical studies conducted with chromium picolinate.

Chromium picolinate has been subjected to several tests to evaluate its safety. One of those tests was the well-known Ames test, which uses methods similar to those used in the fruit fly study. In this test, chromium picolinate was added to the food of five different kinds of bacteria. Bacteria reproduce very rapidly, so the addition of a toxic chemical shows obvious changes in their offspring. No abnormalities were seen when chromium picolinate was tested in this manner. This is interesting because bacteria are every bit as fragile as fruit flies.

Researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture fed chromium picolinate to rats for 24 weeks, which is equivalent to eight years in a human life. The highest level used amounted to a human eating two grams (two million micrograms) of chromium per day. There were no signs of toxic effects.

Dr. Merlin Lindemann of the University of Kentucky conducted an important test demonstrating the safety of chromium picolinate supplements. Dr. Lindemann fed chromium picolinate to female pigs from early in their life until they had delivered two litters. In addition to improving insulin action the chromium picolinate supplements resulted in an increase in the number of piglets born alive and the number of piglets alive after 21 days was increased. Also, of 11 sows that did not receive chromium picolinate supplements in their feed, only six had second litters while 10 of 11 sows given chromium picolinate had second litters. Dr. Lindemann has researched chromium picolinate in more than a million breeding sows and has never noted any signs of mutations. Incidentally, the physiology of the pig is nearly identical to that of the human.

The bacteria test and the animal studies prove that chromium picolinate is a safe supplement but perhaps the most convincing evidence is the fact that chromium picolinate has been available as a supplement since 1989. Gail Montgomery, president and chief executive officer of Nutrition 21, a supplier of chromium picolinate, has estimated that over 10 billion doses have been sold in the past 10 years. According to Montgomery, "If you put that into perspective, there's been no indication from consumer usage that there are toxicity issues linked to chromium picolinate supplementation."

In an address at the Chromium in Health and Disease CADRE Research Summit held in Boston MA. in early April, Dr. John Hathcock, vice president of Nutritional and Regulatory Science for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, stated "we conclude that there is no recognizable pattern of human adverse effects of chromium picolinate supplements and that well-conducted clinical trails show no evidence of adverse effects at 1000 micrograms per day supplemental chromium as chromium picolinate."

At the CADRE Research Summit in Boston, physicians and researchers noted that the great strides being made in the prevention and treatment of type II diabetes is due in large part to chromium picolinate supplements.

Although a large body of evidence supports both the safety and efficacy of chromium picolinate, negative reports-fueled and exaggerated by the media-regarding this helpful supplement occasionally appear. Good science has in the past proven that chromium picolinate is safe and effective. Evidence for the effectiveness of this supplement in preventing diabetes, heart disease and obesity continues to grow. However, you will have to peruse the journals at a local medical school or consult this Website regularly to keep abreast of the advances because the media won't be covering it-unless of course somebody claims chromium picolinate leads to loss of appetite in immature maggots.