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Chromium
Chromium
is an essential trace mineral, important in the processing of carbohydrates
and fats. It helps cells respond properly to insulin—the hormone,
produced in the pancreas, that makes blood sugar available to the cells as our
basic fuel. In theory chromium is said to promote weight loss, treat
diabetes, and perhaps even help prevent heart disease.
Claims, purported benefits: Builds muscle, lowers
blood cholesterol, prevents and treats diabetes, promotes weight loss
especially in the very overweight, and alleviates depression.
Bottom line: So far the most carefully conducted
studies on chromium have shown no benefits for weight loss. One large clinical
trial, conducted in China, found that chromium was helpful for those with
diabetes—but the Chinese, including those with diabetes, are less likely to be
obese than Americans, and their chromium levels were not evaluated at the start
of the study. Clinical trials in the U.S. have so far produced no clear
evidence of benefits from chromium supplements. Low levels of chromium are
characteristic of diabetes, but there’s no evidence of a cause-and-effect
relationship, or any reason to think Americans are deficient in chromium.
Laboratory studies have found that chromium
picolinate (the most popular form of the supplement) could damage genetic
material in animal cells, which suggests it might cause cancer. This is only
preliminary evidence, but nobody knows whether chromium picolinate,
particularly in large doses over the long term, is safe. There are more
reliable ways to prevent and treat diabetes. There is no good evidence backing
chromium picolinate for weight loss, building muscles, or reducing blood
cholesterol. Nobody should take chromium picolinate, especially not young
people.