# Chromium - good for type 2 diabetes?



## Observer (May 21, 2007)

Chromium supplements for type 2 diabetics have been recommended as a help by alternative medicine advocates based on various studies (see list of authorities in article here for example). 

The list of symptoms given in this article certainly parallels Type 2 diabetes and on the face would seem to validate the need for chromium supplementation, However, a new Dutch study , found here. maintains that supplementation is not a significant aid in western cultures.

The possible reason? Westerners, the Dutch research article suggests, may already have adequate chromium their diet - supplements require a deficiency to be efficacious. There is no reliable means of formally determining the degree of chromium deficiency in an individual it is simply association. The results of the Dutch study also may be skewed by the impact of other factors on the ability of the body to properly metabolize chromium. 

Obviously there is an unexplained difference between authorities. At present this would seem to reflect a need for those afflicted with type 2 diabetes to evaluate chromium usage on an individual basis.


----------



## SamanthaNY (May 22, 2007)

Ahh, the Brockovich case... 

But is chromium 6 (that was in the water in Hinkley) the same as, or related to chromium supplements? 

And what about chromium picolinate? That was a buzzsupplement a few years ago - I think for weight loss, supposedly? But I don't know if it was related to blood glucose, or what.


----------



## Zandoz (May 22, 2007)

I took chromium picolinate supplements for about a year, and noticed no change in my glucose tests. It was one of the ones that made the "can't afford it" hit list.

Also, back in the 90s when I was on the diet from hell that screwed me up, the doctor was pushing VERY expensive chromium picolinate supplements as a weight loss aid.


----------



## Green Eyed Fairy (May 22, 2007)

missaf said:


> Chromium scares me. I live near Hinkley, California.
> 
> Chromium scares me.




I think it's the chromium PICOLINATE that is dangerous- I read, more than once, how it can cause genetic mutations ( I read that from the Berkeley Wellness webpage too)


----------



## weetabix (Oct 13, 2009)

You might want to combine that with Vanadium
http://www.diabetesnet.com/vanad.php

http://www.american-longevity.com/eze.htm

I would be interested in knowing any updates since type 2 diabetes seems to be quite common in SSBBW.

Regards,
Weetabix.


----------



## Sandie_Zitkus (Oct 13, 2009)

When I was insulin resistant I used chromium picolinate and it worked well for me. Since being diagnosed as a full blown diabetic and being on oral meds I wouldn't touch it now. Combined with oral drugs or insulin it could drastically lower your blood sugar which would be disastrous for a diabetic. 

IMO - as a diabetic you need to choose between drugs and herbs/supplements because they could class in a bad way. JMO


----------



## weetabix (Oct 14, 2009)

As I understand it Chromium and Vanadium work by mimicing the effect of insulin since they also have the effect on type I diabetics.

Other substances are said to assist in making insulin more effective, this is my understanding of Choline and Inositol supliments.

I agree that something that replaces the job of insulin could be difficult to manage whilst taking drugs, but then you are supposed to be measuring your blood sugar. In the case of something which improves the effectiveness of insulin, that should be fine since the body is controling the insulin. 

A bit like a powerful car can be driven within the speed limit the same as a much less powerful car. If the insulin becomes more potent, the body will release less of it. That's got to be a good thing since insulin itself is a danger and not just it's effect on blood sugar.

Regards,
Weetabix.


----------



## moore2me (Oct 17, 2009)

I used to check for this stuff when I worked with OSHA. Here is my attempt at a summary.
*
Chrome can be found in three valence states. This is important because chrome six, the highest valence state, is the toxic form that we should avoid. * Chrome with the lowest valence state-zero, as in vitamins, is the one that is discussed in the diabetes study. We have several nicknames for chrome six or Cr (VI). 

I have listed several at the end of this note. Even tho chrome six is extremely toxic, we continue to use it in several applications. This includes occupational exposures such as production of stainless steel, chemicals, chromate pigments. Cr(VI) exposures also occur during other work activities such as stainless steel welding, thermal cutting, chrome plating, Those of you who paint know that chrome makes a lovely yellow color.

NIOSH considers all Cr(VI) compounds to be potential occupational carcinogens. An increased risk of lung cancer has been demonstrated in workers exposed to Cr(VI) compounds. Other adverse health effects associated with Cr(VI) exposure include dermal irritation, skin ulceration, allergic contact dermatitis, occupational asthma, nasal irritation and ulceration, perforated nasal septa, rhinitis, nosebleed. *(OSHA even requires that workers in chrome plating operations have routine checkups for holes that may have been eroded inside of their noses.)*

Cr (VI) can also cause respiratory irritation, nasal cancer, sinus cancer, eye irritation and damage, perforated eardrums, kidney damage, liver damage, pulmonary congestion and edema, epigastric pain, and erosion and discoloration of the teeth.

*Other names for bad or toxic chrome* (can be in dust, smoke, in water, in paint, in soil, etc.) 
Chrome Six
Chromate (CrO3)
Hexavalent chrome
Hexavalent chromium
Chrome six
Insoluble chrome
Lead chromate  This stuff has lead and chrome six in it. 
_________________________________________________________________

NIOSH keeps some great info on chrome (VI). (I used some of it for this piece.) Here is the website.

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hexchrom/


----------



## weetabix (Oct 17, 2009)

Thanks for that, I assume that we don't want to use Chrome Six as a suppliment. Does this mean there is a danger from Chrome 0 compounds as well?


----------



## moore2me (Oct 18, 2009)

Weetabix,

I spent more time studying the bad stuff than the stuff that wasn't bad. But wiki had the following info. 

*Chrome three is the non-toxic form* (when taken in moderate levels) as a dietary supplement.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium

Trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) or chrome three is required in trace amounts for sugar and lipid metabolism in humans and its deficiency may cause a disease called chromium deficiency.

The long known influence of chromium uptake on diabetes conditions suggested the positive influence of dietary supplement containing chromium(III) also on healthy persons. For this reason, dietary supplement or slimming aid usually contain chromium(III) chloride, chromium(III) picolinate, chromium(III) polynicotinate or amino acid chelate, such as chromium(III) D-phenylalanine. The benefit of those supplements is still under investigation and is questioned by some studies. 

Trivalent chromium (Cr(III) or Cr3+) in trace amounts influences sugar and lipid metabolism in humans, and its deficiency is suspected to cause a disease called chromium deficiency .

The use of chromium-containing dietary supplements is controversial due to the complex effects of the used supplements. The popular dietary supplement chromium picolinate complex generates chromosome damage in hamster cells. In the United States the dietary guidelines for daily chromium uptake were lowered from 50-200 µg for an adult to 35 µg (adult male) and to 25 µg (adult female). 

µg is micrograms


----------



## Miss Vickie (Oct 18, 2009)

I've been working and so haven't had a chance to post to this thread but someone was asking, I think, about how chromium works in the body vis a vis diabetes. What it seems to do is make the cells more sensitive to insulin, and in fact seems to improve the movement of other nutrients into and out of cells. So even for people who are insulin dependent, it could theoretically lower their insulin requirements because their bodies would better utilize the insulin they take.

Like anything, YMMV (I didn't notice a difference with my insulin resistance), and always consult your doctor before trying any supplement. I think it can be helpful, but sometimes the disease process overwhelms even the best nutritional supplement.


----------

