TOXICOLOGICAL PROFILE FOR CHROMIUM - Davidborowski.com

CHROMIUM 1692. HEALTH EFFECTSelevated lipid levels. Serum chromium levels before and after supplementation were often not measuredbecause of limitations in analytical techniques available. Brewer's yeast, extracts of brewer's yeast,synthetic chromium compounds with biological activity, chromium(III) picolinate, and inorganic trivalentchromium have been used as chromium supplements (Pi-Sunyer and Offenbacher 1984). In general,these studies have demonstrated improved glucose tolerance to an oral glucose load in Type II diabetics(adult onset) and nondiabetic elderly subjects receiving a 4–200 µg/day chromium supplement (Evans1989; Levine et al. 1968; Liu and Morris 1978; Offenbacher and Pi-Sunyer 1980). The subjects receivingthe daily chromium supplements had significantly lower blood glucose levels than the controls and nodifference in serum insulin levels between the groups. This reduction in blood glucose without a changein insulin levels provides support that chromium enhances insulin sensitivity. Decreases in totalcholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and serum lipids and increases in HDL-cholesterol have also been observedin Type II diabetics and nondiabetics administered chromium supplements (Anderson et al. 1997c; Evans1989; Lee and Reasner 1994; Offenbacher and Pi-Sunyer 1980; Press et al. 1990). This improvement inserum lipids and cholesterol levels may be secondary to the decreased serum glucose levels.In recent years, the use of chromium picolinate as a dietary supplement to aid in weight loss and increaselean body mass has gained in popularity. As discussed by (Anderson 1998b), the role of chromium in theregulation of lean body mass, percentage body fat, and weight reduction is highly controversial withnegative and positive results being reported in the literature. Initial studies (Evans 1989; Hasten et al.1992) on chromium picolinate supplementation during resistance training served as the basis for themarketing of chromium picolinate to promote muscle growth and fat loss. Evans (1989) found thatadministration of 200 µg chromium(III)/day as chromium picolinate for 6 weeks to healthy malesperforming daily weight training exercises resulted in an increase in body weight that was mostly due toan increase in lean body mass. Control subjects undergoing the same exercise regimen but given aplacebo of calcium phosphate gained significantly less lean body mass and lost significantly less body fatthan the subjects receiving the chromium supplement; the weight gain in the controls was mostly due toincreased fat tissue. Hasten et al. (1992) reported an increase in lean body mass in women receiving200 µg chromium(III)/day as chromium picolinate during 12 weeks of resistance training. Althoughsome other studies have found increases in lean body mass (Bulbulian et al. 1996; Kaats et al. 1996) inadults taking 200 or 400 µg chromium(III) as chromium picolinate along with an exercise program, manystudies did not find any alterations in lean body mass (Campbell et al. 1999; Clancy et al. 1994; Hallmarket al. 1996; Lukaski et al. 1996; Trent and Thieding-Cancel 1995).