![]() ![]() Chromium promotes and expedites the movement of amino acids toward your muscles, where they can assist in stimulating muscle growth and repair. Per, we find through the 1999 book “Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease” that chromium “potentiates” (bolsters) insulin’s activity and also appears to affect fat and protein metabolism, assisting in the breakdown of these nutrients in preparation of their use as energy in your body. Earlier we mentioned chromium and the glucose tolerance factor as it relates to insulin and the proper metabolism of blood glucose (sugar). ![]() GTF Chromium’s Potential Health Benefitsįollowing is an expanded look at how chromium can be beneficial to human health in several respects: Sources include brewer’s yeast, coffee, tea, potatoes, peas, oysters, whole grains, and even beer. Not only is chromium involved in the metabolic processes that control blood sugar, it also aids in the transportation of glucose into cells via insulin, where the glucose can help produce energy, per .Īs for its sources, very small amounts of chromium – hence its being classified as a ‘trace metal’ – can be found in a variety of animal and plant tissues. ![]() What they found was that a diet lacking the proper dietary amount of chromium resulted in test subjects being unable to respond effectively to heightened levels of glucose in the blood, per .Īs for humans, we don’t require large amounts of the metallic substance in our bodies, but what little we do need we really must have. What Do We Know about GTF Chromium?Ĭhromium’s apparent ability to regulate glucose metabolism was first identified in the 1950s through research conducted by scientist Walter Mertz and co-workers performing experiments that involved regulating the diet of rats. It can also reduce blood-sugar levels for people who are hypoglycemic, and it has been singled out for its possible positive influence on athletic performance. As such, GTF chromium in nutritional supplement form bound to niacin and now in a state to be readily absorbed, serves a number of healthful purposes to include contributing to the optimal function of insulin while also enhancing cholesterol metabolism, which benefits those with high cholesterol, per. In the case of glucose tolerant factor (GTF) chromium, its binding ‘partner’ is niacin (vitamin B3). ![]() That sounds like it could be a problem, even a contradiction of human biology, except such minerals can be chelated, or bound, to another compound to enhance its absorption capability. Response to chromium did not vary with central adiposity.Chromium is a mineral that is essential for your body’s nutritional needs, yet it is a hard metal that, in its natural state, is difficult for your body to absorb. Supplementation of 1000 microg of chromium picolinate alone, and in combination with nutritional education, did not affect weight loss in this population of overweight adults. Variation in central adiposity did not affect any outcome measures. No change was seen in BMI after 24 weeks in the intervention as compared to placebo (chromium = 0.1 +/- 0.2 kg/m(2) versus placebo = 0.0 +/- 0.5 kg/m(2) p = 0.81). After 12 weeks, no change was seen in BMI in the intervention as compared to placebo (chromium = 0.3 +/- 0.8 kg/m(2) versus placebo = 0.0 +/- 0.4 kg/m(2) p = 0.07). Outcomes include weight, height, blood pressure, percent body fat, serum, and urinary biomarkers.Īt baseline, both the chromium and placebo groups had similar mean body mass index (BMI) (chromium = 36 +/- 6.7 kg/m(2) versus placebo = 36.1 +/- 7.6 kg/m(2) p = 0.98). All subjects received passive nutritional education at the 12-week point in both the intervention and control groups. Subjects were randomly assigned to daily ingestion of 1000 microg of chromium picolinate or placebo for 24 weeks. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 80 otherwise healthy, overweight adults assessed at baseline for central adiposity measured by computerized tomography. This trial assesses the effects of chromium picolinate supplementation, alone and combined with nutritional education, on weight loss in apparently healthy overweight adults. Chromium is an essential trace element and nutritional supplement that has garnered interest for use as a weight loss aid. ![]()
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