Food sources
Good sources of chromium include brewer's yeast, liver, beer, cheese, and whole grain cereals and breads. White rice and white bread are poor sources because most of the chromium in the grain is removed during the refining process.

Health applications

• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• Cardiovascular health
• Weight loss
• Muscular development

Deficiency symptoms
Serious chromium deficiencies, as may occur in patients on total parenteral nutrition without added chromium, can lead to insulin resistance, high blood sugar levels, impaired glucose tolerance, and loss of mental function.^2,3 These symptoms can be reversed with the addition of supplemental chromium to the diet. Marginal deficiencies are associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.⁴ Because strenuous exercise can increase the body's chromium requirements, some scientists recommend that athletes ingest foods high in chromium or take supplemental chromium to avoid marginal deficiencies.^5,6 Chromium supplements may also be helpful for the elderly, as research indicates that the body's chromium levels decline with age.⁷

Chromium and diabetes
Because chromium is known to be instrumental in the body's ability to use insulin, considerable research has been conducted on the mineral's role in diabetes. In one study, patients with type II diabetes (noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus, or NIDDM) had an average of 33% lower serum chromium concentrations than found in healthy subjects, suggesting a link between chomium levels and the insulin resistance that characterizes NIDDM.⁸ In other studies, supplemental chromium picolinate helped improve insulin, glucose, and cholesterol parameters in NIDDM patients.^9,10 Although the results of these studies are encouraging, other research indicates that chromium may only be helpful for some diabetic individuals. In a study of 243 diabetic patients (105 type I, 138 type II), chromium supplementation reduced insulin requirements in 57 percent of type II patients, but was only effective for 33 percent of patients with type I diabetes.¹¹ Due to varying responses in individual cases, it is recommended that diabetic individuals take chromium supplements only under a doctor's supervision.

Cardiovascular health
Many scientists believe that chromium may play an important role in cardiovascular health, primarily through its influence on cholesterol. Researchers have observed that plasma chromium levels are very much lower in patients with coronary artery disease than in healthy subjects.^12,13 In numerous studies, chromium supplements were shown to help raise serum HDL (the "good cholesterol") levels.^14-16 Preliminary research also indicates that chromium may help lower triglyceride,¹⁵ LDL, and total cholesterol levels.¹⁶ While these effects would be consistent with reduced risk for heart disease, no direct link between chromium intake and the incidence of heart disease has been established.

Weight loss/muscular development
Chromium supplements are often promoted as aids for weight loss and lean muscle development. Although such claims have helped make these products popular among dieters and athletes, chromium supplements have failed to show any effect on body fat percentage or lean muscle mass in scientific studies.^6,17 However, athletes may find chromium supplements useful for replenishing chromium levels depleted by strenuous excercise.⁶

Dosage/toxicity
Although chromium is essential in human nutrition, as a trace mineral it is only required in small amounts. For healthy adults, many nutrition experts recommend 200 mcg per day. But studies on diabetic patients have used as much as 600 mcg per day with no negative side effects. Chromium toxicity is extremely rare outside of chromium mining or industrial exposure in which chromium dust is inhaled.¹ Serious renal impairment was observed in one patient who supplemented extremely high doses of chromium (1,200 mcg of chromium per day) for over four months.¹⁸