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Effect of Chromium Supplementation on Glucose Metabolism and Lipids

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

¹ Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
² Clinical Nutrition Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
³ Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Ethan Balk, Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts-New England Medical Center, 750 Washington St., NEMC #63, Boston, MA 02111. E-mail: ebalk{at}tufts-nemc.org

OBJECTIVE—A systematic review of the effect of chromium supplementation on glucose metabolism and lipid levels.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE and the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau. Eligible studies were English language randomized controlled trials of chromium supplement intake 3 weeks, with 10 participants receiving chromium. All trials with glucose metabolism outcomes and trials of individuals with diabetes or glucose intolerance for lipid outcomes were included. Meta-analyses were performed as appropriate.

RESULTS—Forty-one studies met criteria, almost half of which were of poor quality. Among participants with type 2 diabetes, chromium supplementation improved glycosylated hemoglobin levels by –0.6% (95% CI –0.9 to –0.2) and fasting glucose by –1.0 mmol/l (–1.4 to –0.5) but not lipids. There was no benefit in individuals without diabetes. There were some indications of dose effect and differences among chromium formulations. Larger effects were more commonly observed in poor-quality studies. The evidence was limited by poor study quality, heterogeneity in methodology and results, and a lack of consensus on assessment of chromium status.

CONCLUSIONS—No significant effect of chromium on lipid or glucose metabolism was found in people without diabetes. Chromium supplementation significantly improved glycemia among patients with diabetes. However, future studies that address the limitations in the current evidence are needed before definitive claims can be made about the effect of chromium supplementation.

Abbreviations: AUC-Glu, glucose area under the curve

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