Why Chromium Picolinate?

The Hormone Insulin

Insulin is a hormone that functions in the bloodstream, controlling certain body processes in everyone. The vast majority of the population will experience ineffective insulin, which can lead to a number of conditions including heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

One mineral that will help control the body's insulin is chromium picolinate. It is an essential element that is not only needed in the body to make insulin function properly but is also necessary for metabolism. Studies show that it is very difficult to get sufficient quantities of chromium from our diet or find it in a form that our bodies can use effectively - even for those who think they are eating a healthy diet. Depending on age and health conditions, a person may need to take up to 1000 micrograms per day. The average diet was tested with some cases showing less than 25 micrograms, showing a need for chromium supplementation.

There are many forms of chromium on the market and volumes of marketing hype on each one, making it difficult to find the best. By far the most research done involves chromium picolinate, and all of the credible studies have positive results. Chromium picolinate has proven to be beneficial in preventing and helping many health conditions, such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, and obesity. The picolinate moves the chromium into the bloodstream where it improves insulin's effectiveness. Discovered by Dr. Gary Evans, Ph.D., chromium picolinate has been shown to control blood fat, blood sugar, body fat, food cravings and osteoporosis. Over 200 studies conducted over the past 30 years have all confirmed the safety and effectiveness of chromium picolinate.

Insulin resistance, which is also known as Syndrome X, may start soon after a person is born, and become an increasing problem during the aging process and with increased intake of sugar. Long-term sugar intake and decreased chromium in the diet causes the cells to work ineffectively. The cells become protective with too much glucose and don't allow the glucose into the cell membrane to be burned. This in turn causes a chain reaction in the body. First, the muscles turn off their insulin recognition system pushing the glucose into the fat cells and liver, followed by the fat cells, which eventually leads to a shut-down of the glucose transport system. The excess glucose moves into the urine and causes the pancreas to stop proper insulin production. At this point, insulin resistance turns into diabetes, which affects 18.2 million people in the United States.

In August of this year, the issue of chromium in insulin resistance was addressed at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) in Indianapolis. Over 30 years of laboratory and clinical research has shown that chromium is an essential mineral required for normal insulin function and metabolism, helping insulin move glucose into cells; there is a definite relationship between chromium status and insulin-related diseases; and that supplementation with chromium, especially in the form of chromium picolinate, enhances insulin sensitivity and reduces elevated blood glucose levels in people with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

For those concerned about the safety of chromium picolinate, new data and conclusions were recently published in Food and Chemical Toxicology, supporting chromium picolinate as a Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) ingredient. Scientists from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Toxicology Program (NTP), and leading academic institutions documented extensive research for this safety review. Their conclusions showed no incidence of any genetic toxicity.

With that being said, chromium picolinate is a mineral needed as a supplement by everyone to help the body properly use insulin to maintain a healthy diet and help prevent unnecessary disease and conditions as the body ages.