Loading ...Nutrients & HealthChromium: An Essential Mineral for Diabetes and Weight Loss
If you’re overweight and worried about diabetes as a health risk, you may be surprised to learn that a common nutrient can help both.
Chromium is an essential trace mineral that has been shown to decrease elevated glucose levels and also enhance the action of insulin. In one study, 78 diabetic patients received either a chromium supplement or brewer’s yeast, a rich source of natural chromium.1
Both groups significantly reduced blood glucose levels. In fact, several of the test subjects in both groups were able to cut back on their anti-diabetic drugs. Others were even able to stop taking insulin.
In another study, researchers tested 29 overweight adults with a family history of diabetes.2 At the end of 4 months, the group given a daily dose of chromium picolinate reduced insulin resistance by a remarkable 40% compared to the placebo group.
But there’s even more good news about chromium. It also provides additional benefits for weight loss. Because chromium increases insulin sensitivity, carbohydrate metabolism also improves. This means that glucose can be used as an energy source instead of being stored as fat.
While chromium is found in foods such as meat, whole grains, and cheese only about 3% of our intake is absorbed into body tissue. The USDA estimates that 90% of adults are in fact deficient.
A supplemental dose of 50 to 100 mcg daily will correct a chromium deficiency. Individuals trying to reduce insulin resistance will need to take a higher dose under a doctor’s care.
- Bahijiri SM et al. Saudi Med J, 2000 Sep;21(9):831-837.
- Clinical trial conducted by William Cefalu, MD, Director of Diabetes Comprehensive Care and Research at Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, 1997.
[Ed. Note: Melanie Segala is the Managing Editor of Total Health Breakthroughs. To learn more about her recommendation for a life-saving nutrient that you can't live without, click here.]
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Tags: Chromium, diabetes, nutrient depletion, Weight Loss
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