Chromium Supplements Review
Chromium Supplements
Review. Best Chromium Supplements Identified -- By Strength.
Medically reviewed and
edited by Tod Cooperman, M.D. 
Initially Posted: 07/07/2018
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Table of Contents
Summary
·
What does chromium do? Chromium is an essential trace mineral
needed for insulin function. Supplementing with chromium may be of modest benefit
to some people with type 2 diabetes. One study suggests it may help people with
reactive hypoglycemia. Although touted for weight loss, the evidence is weak.
(See What It Is and What It Does).
·
How much chromium should I take? The daily
requirement for chromium ranges from 11 mcg in young children to 45 mcg in
lactating women. These amounts can be obtained from the diet (see Adequate intake and Chromium from food). However, much greater
amounts (200 mcg to 1,000 mcg per day) are typically taken for therapeutic uses
(See Dosage). Certain forms may be better absorbed
than others (See Chromium from supplements).
·
Best choice for chromium? Among the products Approved in testing,
CL selected three (of different strengths) as its Top Picks.
·
How to take chromium? You can take chromium with water or
food, but it may be best not to take it along with a supplement or dairy foods
providing large amounts of calcium because calcium may reduce chromium
absorption.
·
Safety and side effects of chromium: Chromium at doses
of 200 mcg or more daily can cause side-effects (See Concerns and Cautions).
What It Is:
Chromium
is an essential trace mineral, meaning that your body needs small amounts of
it.
What It Does:
Chromium is important for insulin function.
Chromium picolinate may be of modest benefit to some people with type 2
diabetes decrease fasting blood glucose levels as well as levels of
insulin and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), although the evidence is mixed.
For example, a study in Brazil among 71 men and women with poorly-controlled
type 2 diabetes who were taking antidiabetes
medications (i.e. biguanides and sulfonylureas) found that 300 mcg of chromium
picolinate after breakfast and dinner every day (a total daily dose of 600 mcg
chromium picolinate) for four months significantly reduced fasting blood sugar
levels (- 31 mg/dL vs -14 mg/dL), blood sugar levels after eating (- 37 mg/dL
vs -11.5 mg/dL), and HbA1c ( -1.9% vs - 1%) compared to placebo (Paiva, J Trace Elem Med Biol 2015). However, a
study in the Netherlands among 46 men and women with poorly-controlled type 2
diabetes who were taking insulin found no benefit compared to placebo from
either 250 mcg or 500 mcg of chromium picolinate taken twice daily with meals
for six months (Kleefstra, Diabetes
Care 2006). A review of 41 clinical studies on the effects of
chromium supplementation (including chromium picolinate, chromium nicotinate,
chromium chloride and brewer's yeast) in doses from 1.28 mcg to 1,000 mcg per
day and lasting from three to eight months concluded chromium supplementation
may have a "modest beneficial effect" in people with type 2 diabetes.
The researchers noted that, on average, "chromium picolinate
supplementation lowered A1C by 0.6% and that brewer's yeast and chromium
picolinate lowered fasting glucose by 1.1 and 0.8 mmol/l, respectively."
These effects were not found in people without diabetes (Balk, Diabetes Care 2007).
Taking 200 mcg of chromium chloride daily for three months seemed to improve
symptoms and increase blood glucose levels in patients with reactive
hypoglycemia (Anderson, Metabolism 1987).
Chromium may increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ("good
cholesterol") levels when these levels are lowered by use of
beta-blockers.
A small, placebo-controlled study found that chromium (1,000 mcg daily from
chromium picolinate) did not improve learning and
memory, nor depression scores, in older adults with early memory decline.
However, among those receiving chromium, there was a slight reduction in the
substitution of incorrect, but related terms (such as recalling
"celery" instead of "cabbage" on a recall test) and some
increased activation in certain brain regions seen on functional MRI scans (Krikorian, Nutritional Neuroscience 2010).
Quality Concerns and
Tests Performed:
Neither
the FDA nor any other federal or state agency routinely tests supplements for
quality prior to sale. Yet, there are potential problems that can exist with
chromium supplements: Amount of key ingredient:
It is important to know that a product contains the ingredients that it claims.
Too little and you may not get the expected effect and waste money. Too much,
and you may experience negative effects (See Cautions and Concerns). In fact, there
have been case reports of toxicity with doses of chromium over 600 mcg per day,
and even rare reports at doses over 200 mcg per day. The amount of chromium was
measured in all products.
Contamination with chromium (VI) (hexavalent chromium):
Chromium (VI) is a more toxic form of chromium than the one our bodies require,
which is trivalent chromium or chromium (III). Hexavalent chromium does not
occur in significant amounts naturally but is formed as an industrial by-product.
It is used in the chemical and welding industries. Ingesting large amounts of
chromium (VI) can cause stomach upsets and ulcers, convulsions, kidney and
liver damage, and even death. Chromium (VI) is also a carcinogen — it is the
form of chromium implicated as causing cancers in the movie Erin
Brockovich. It has been known to occur as a contaminant in chromium
supplements. All of the chromium products were tested for levels of chromium
(VI).
Ability to break apart:
Products that cannot properly disintegrate (break apart) may not fully deliver
their ingredients. All products in tablet (or caplet) form underwent
disintegration testing.
See How Products Were Evaluated for more
information on testing.
What CL Found:
All six of the chromium supplements that ConsumerLab.com
selected for testing passed this testing and label review and, therefore, were
Approved for Quality. An additional chromium supplement was evaluated through ConsumerLab.com's voluntary Quality Certification Program and
passed the same testing and review and was Approved for Quality.
None of the products exceeded contamination limits for hexavalent chromium.
Top Picks:
Among
the Approved products, we compared the cost to obtain 200 mcg of chromium —
which is the lower end of a standard therapeutic dose of chromium, although it
is several times the daily requirement for chromium (see Dosage below).
The lowest cost to obtain 200 mcg of chromium was just 2 cents from Spring
Valley [Walmart] Chromium Picolinate, but this is
an extremely high-dose product containing 1,000 mcg per tablet
so the actual cost per pill is 8 cents. Among products with lower amounts of
chromium per unit, the lowest cost for chromium was from GNC
Chromium Picolinate which is 5 cents for 200 mcg from a vegetarian
caplet and Puritan's Pride Chromium Picolinate at 14
cents for a tablet providing 500 mcg of chromium. All three of these products
are our Top Picks for
chromium, although the one that is best for you depends on the dose you need.
Some of the Approved products contain chromium in the picolinate form and
others are in the polynicotinate form. Both forms are
effective and better absorbed than chromium chloride (For more information
see Chromium from Supplements).
Test Results by Product:
Listed
below are the test results for seven chromium-containing supplements. Six
products were selected by ConsumerLab.com and one other (denoted with a CL
flask) is included for having passed the same evaluation through CL's
voluntary Quality Certification Program.
Shown in the table are the amounts of chromium and serving sizes as listed on
the labels of the products. Products listed as "Approved" met their
label claims for chromium and ConsumerLab.com's
quality criteria (see Passing Score). The full
list of ingredients is available for each product by clicking on the word
"Ingredients" in the first column, although some notable features are
listed in the last column as are price and cost comparisons.
|
RESULTS OF CONSUMERLAB.COM TESTING OF CHROMIUM SUPPLEMENTS |
||||||
|
Product Name, Listed
Amount of Chromium per Unit, Serving Size, and Suggested Daily Serving on
Label |
Claimed Amount and
Form of Chromium Per Labeled Daily Serving |
—TEST RESULTS— |
Cost For Daily
Suggested Serving On Label |
|||
|
OVERALL RESULTS: |
Contained Labeled
Amount of Chromium |
Did Not Exceed
Contamination Limits for Chromium VI |
Disinte-grated Properly |
|||
|
|
200 mcg to 400 mcg |
APPROVED |
|
|
NA |
$0.07-$0.14 |
|
|
400 mcg |
APPROVED |
|
|
NA |
$0.16 |
|
|
200 mcg to 800 mcg |
APPROVED |
|
|
|
$0.05-$0.20 |
|
|
200 mcg3 |
APPROVED |
|
|
NA |
$0.273 |
|
|
500 mcg |
APPROVED |
|
|
|
$0.14 |
|
|
200 mcg to 400 mcg |
APPROVED |
|
|
|
$0.06-$0.12 |
|
|
1,000 mcg |
APPROVED |
|
|
|
$0.08 |
|
|
||||||
|
Unless otherwise noted, information about the products
listed above is based on the samples purchased by ConsumerLab.com (CL) for
this Product Review. Manufacturers may change ingredients and label
information at any time, so be sure to check labels carefully when evaluating
the products you use or buy. If a product's
ingredients differ from what is listed above, it may not necessarily be of
the same quality as what was tested. |
||||||
|
Copyright ConsumerLab.com, LLC, 2018. All rights reserved.
Not to be reproduced, excerpted, or cited in any fashion without the express
written permission of ConsumerLab.com LLC. |
||||||
ConsumerTips™:
What to
Consider When Buying:
Chromium from food: Chromium is found
in many foods, as shown in the table below. Some of the richest sources are
organ meats (such as calves' liver), brewer's yeast, broccoli, and grape juice,
as noted in the table below. Whole grains are also a good source of chromium.
Amounts of Chromium in Food
|
Food (serving
size) |
Chromium |
|
Brewer's yeast (2 ounces) |
50 mcg to 60 mcg |
|
Calf liver (4 ounces) |
50 mcg to 60 mcg |
|
Broccoli (1/2 cup) |
11 mcg |
|
Grape juice (I cup) |
8 mcg |
|
English muffin, whole wheat (1) |
4 mcg |
|
Potatoes, mashed (1 cup) |
3 mcg |
|
Garlic, dried (1 tsp) |
3 mcg |
|
Orange juice (1 cup) |
2 mcg |
|
Beef cubes (3 ounces) |
2 mcg |
|
Turkey breast (3 ounces) |
2 mcg |
|
Whole wheat bread (2 slices) |
2 mcg |
|
Red wine (5 ounces) |
1 mcg to 13 mcg |
Sources: Anderson, Biol Trace Elem Res 1992; Cabrera-Vique, J Agric Food
Chem 1997; Dattilo, Nutr
Today 2003
Chromium is also found in drinking water, especially hard water, but
concentrations vary widely. Estimates of chromium intake from diet in the U.S.
are roughly 25 micrograms for women and 33 micrograms for men, which are
generally adequate to avoid severe deficiency but may leave some people, such
as women who are nursing, slightly deficient (see What to Consider When Using below for
adequate intake levels of chromium). To get levels used therapeutically,
however, supplements are generally needed.
Chromium from supplements: Various forms of
chromium are available. Chromium picolinate and chromium polynicotinate
are better absorbed than chromium chloride. Theoretical safety concerns have
been raised about chromium picolinate, but none have been substantiated
(see Concerns and Cautions below).
High-chromium yeast supplements are also available.
In the past, some chromium products contained the term "GTF" in their
names. GTF on a chromium product does not actually refer to an ingredient in
the product. Rather, it is a marketing term used to allude to the outdated
concept of "glucose tolerance factor," whose acronym is
"GTF." Based on research performed several decades ago, it was
thought that the body combined chromium with nicotinate and other substances to
form a large molecule named GTF. In turn, GTF was supposed to help control
blood sugar. Certain foods, such as brewer's yeast, were thought to contain
already formed GTF. For this reason, products containing chromium polynicotinate, or brewer's yeast extracts, sometimes used
the term GTF in their labeling. However, it is now believed that GTF does not
exist; rather, the substance seems to have been inadvertently produced by
chemists during their attempts to study the effects of chromium.
Current thinking suggests that chromium influences blood sugar by combining
with a small protein named "low molecular weight chromium-binding
substance," or LMWCr (also called chromodulin).
What to Consider When Using:
Adequate intake:
Adequate Intakes (AIs) have been established for chromium by the Food and
Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences and are: 11 micrograms
(mcg) for children ages 1 to 3, and 15 mcg for children ages 4 to 8. For boys
ages 9 to 13, it is 25 mcg, while for girls it is 21 mcg. For males ages 14 to
50 it is 35 mcg. For females ages 14 to 18 it is 24 mcg, rising to 25 mcg for those
ages 19 to 50. For men 51 years and older it is 30 mcg, and for women aged 51
and older it is 20 mcg. Women who are pregnant need more 29 mcg if 18 or
younger and 30 mcg if 19 and older, while lactating women need even more: 44
mcg if 18 or younger and 45 mcg if 19 or older.
Dosage:
As described below, dosing of chromium to treat or prevent medical conditions,
it at much higher levels than the adequate daily intakes noted above.
For diabetes: Taking 500 mcg twice daily significantly decreases
HbA1c levels (a marker of blood sugar control) after two months of treatment,
while taking 100 mcg twice daily can take up to 4 months to decrease these
levels. (There is some concern, however, with high dose usage — see Concerns and Cautions below). Diabetics
should check with their doctors before using chromium; if the supplement does
improve blood sugar control, medication reduction may be necessary (Ravina, Harefuah 1993).
To prevent hypoglycemia: Taking 200 mcg of chromium chloride daily
for three months seems to improve symptoms and increase blood glucose levels in
patients with reactive hypoglycemia (Anderson, Metabolism 1987).
Weight-loss: Although its weight-loss benefits in healthy
individuals are not proven, dosage used in weight-loss studies ranged from 200
to 400 mcg of chromium daily. Doses as low as 50 mcg have also been used (Kaats, Cur Ther Res 1996).
Adequate intake: Adequate Intakes (AIs) have been established for
chromium by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences
and are: 11 micrograms (mcg) for children ages 1 to 3, and 15 mcg for children
ages 4 to 8. For boys ages 9 to 13, it is 25 mcg, while for girls it is 21 mcg.
For males ages 14 to 50 it is 35 mcg. For females ages 14 to 18 it is 24 mcg,
rising to 25 mcg for those ages 19 to 50. For men 51 years and older it is 30
mcg, and for women aged 51 and older it is 20 mcg. Women who are pregnant need
more 29 mcg if 18 or younger and 30 mcg if 19 and older, while lactating women
need even more 44 mcg if 18 or younger and 45 mcg if 19 or older.
An Upper Tolerable Intake Level (i.e., a safe upper limit) for chromium has not
been set, due to lack of research regarding the long-term safety of chromium
supplementation; however, it is believed that doses below 200 mcg per day are
safe. Pregnant woman and nursing mothers should not take doses above the AIs
described above. There is some concern that taking chromium may impair insulin
sensitivity in some healthy individuals (see Concerns and Cautions below).
Calcium carbonate may interfere with the absorption of chromium. Consequently,
it may be best to take chromium at a different time of day than when
you take a calcium supplement, antacids, or any large amount of dairy foods (Seaborn, Nutr
Res 1990).
Concerns and Cautions:
·
Chromium is generally well tolerated. However, some patients can
experience cognitive, perceptual, and motor dysfunction at doses as low as 200
to 400 mcg per day. Some patients also experience headaches, insomnia,
sleep disturbances, irritability, and mood changes.
·
Although not common, significant adverse effects have been
reported with chronic use of chromium picolinate. Doses of 600 mcg to 2,400 mcg
per day have been associated with anemia, thrombocytopenia, hemolysis,
hepatic dysfunction, and renal failure in some patients; however, it
is not clear if chromium is responsible for these effects. There is one report
of acute hepatitis in a patient taking only 200 mcg chromium polynicotinate daily for five months whose condition
improved upon discontinuation of the supplement (Lanca, Eur J Intern
Med 2002).
·
A study suggests that chromium supplementation may be
undesirable in healthy people who are not chromium deficient. In the study,
individuals who were neither obese nor diabetic were given 1,000 mcg of
chromium daily (500 mcg twice a day from chromium picolinate) or a placebo for
16 weeks. Taking the supplement did not improve insulin sensitivity, lipid
levels in the blood, nor the amount of fat at the waist. Disturbingly, those
who attained the highest blood serum levels of chromium during the study (above
3.1 mcg/liter) experienced a worsening in insulin
sensitivity (Masharani, BMC
Endocrine Disorders 2012).
·
Acute chromium toxicity can cause vomiting, diarrhea,
hemorrhage, and blood loss into the gastrointestinal tract resulting
in cardiogenic shock.
·
Oral chromium supplements can cause allergic reactions
in people with chromate or leather contact allergy. In people with a
chromate allergy, wide-spread skin rash can occur after
ingesting chromium picolinate or other chromium-containing supplements (Fowler, Cutis 2000).
·
Because picolinic acids might affect neurotransmitter levels,
chromium picolinate should be used with caution in people with
depression, bipolar disease, or psychosis.
·
Two highly preliminary studies suggests that chromium picolinate
might damage DNA (Speetjens, Chem Res Toxicol 1999; Kareus, J Hazard Mater
2001).
To further assist
consumers, ConsumerLab.com licenses its flask-shaped CL Seal of Approved
Quality (see The CL Seal) to manufacturers for use on
labels of products that have passed its testing. ConsumerLab.com will
periodically re-evaluate these products to ensure their compliance with ConsumerLab.com's standards.
Information on this site
is provided for informational purposes only. It is not an endorsement of any
product nor is it meant to substitute for the advice provided by physicians or
other healthcare professionals. The information contained herein should not be
used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Consumers should
inform their healthcare providers of the dietary supplements they take.
Latest Clinical Research Updates for Chromium
9/01/2013
A new study shows that
chromium supplementation can sometimes cause a worsening of insulin
sensitivity, raising some concern about its use. For details (as well as test
results and comparisons for 8 chromium supplements) see the updated Chromium Supplements Review
>>
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