HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cefalu, W. T. Articles by Hu, F. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cefalu, W. T. Articles by Hu, F. B. Social Bookmarking                What's this?

Role of Chromium in Human Health and in Diabetes

¹ Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
² Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts

Address correspondence and reprint requests to William T. Cefalu, MD, Division of NutritionChronic Disease, The Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, 6400 Perkins Rd., Baton Rouge, LA 70808. E-mail: cefaluwt@pbrc.edu

Abbreviations: CrP, chromium picolinate • CVD, cardiovascular disease • FPG, fasting plasma glucose • GTF, glucose tolerance factor • HPFS, Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study • LMWCr, low–molecular weight chromium • MI, myocardial infarction • MW, molecular weight • TPN, total parenteral nutrition

The first 300 words of the full text of this article appear below.

	INTRODUCTION

 
Despite widespread use by patients with diabetes and anecdotal reports in the past regarding its efficacy, until recently, data in humans concerning chromium’s effects on insulin action in vivo or on cellular aspects of insulin action were scarce. Consequently, significant controversy still exists regarding the effect of chromium supplementation on parameters assessing human health. Furthermore, elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which chromium supplements affect carbohydrate metabolism in vivo is necessary before specific recommendations can be made regarding its routine use in the management of diabetes. This review focuses on providing current information about this trace mineral’s specific mechanisms of action and clinical trials in patients with diabetes.

Chromium, one of the most common elements in the earth’s crust and seawater, exists in our environment in several oxidation states, principally as metallic (Cr⁰), trivalent (+3), and hexavalent (+6) chromium. The latter is largely synthesized by the oxidation of the more common and naturally occurring trivalent chromium and is highly toxic. Trivalent chromium, found in most foods and nutrient supplements, is an essential nutrient with very low toxicity.

The interest in chromium as a nutritional enhancement to glucose metabolism can be traced back to the 1950s, when it was suggested that brewer’s yeast contained a glucose tolerance factor (GTF) that prevented diabetes in experimental animals (1). This factor was eventually suggested to be a biologically active form of trivalent chromium that could substantially lower plasma glucose levels in diabetic mice (2). Interest regarding chromium administration in patients with diabetes was kindled by the observation in the 1970s that it truly was an essential nutrient required for normal carbohydrate metabolism. A patient receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) developed severe signs of diabetes, including weight loss and hyperglycemia that was refractory to increasing insulin dosing (3. . . [Full Text of this Article]

	BIOLOGIC ACTIONS OF CHROMIUM

 
Biochemistry

	CLINICAL INTERVENTION WITH CHROMIUM

 
Review of the literature
Study design.
Subject selection.
Dosage, formulation, duration of study.
Assessment of chromium status.
Techniques to assess response.
Individuals with diabetes
Type 1 and 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes.
Steroid-induced diabetes.
Summary.
Individuals with the metabolic syndrome
Individuals without diabetes
Chromium effects on body weight and composition
Effects of chromium supplementation on the serum lipid profile
Relationship between tissue chromium levels and disease state
Risk for coronary heart disease.

	SAFETY OF CHROMIUM

 

	CONCLUSIONS

 

CiteULike    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				American Diabetes Association Nutrition Recommendations and Interventions for Diabetes: A position statement of the American Diabetes Association Diabetes Care, January 1, 2008; 31(Supplement_1): S61 - S78. [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. M. Balk, A. Tatsioni, A. H. Lichtenstein, J. Lau, and A. G. Pittas Effect of Chromium Supplementation on Glucose Metabolism and Lipids: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials Diabetes Care, August 1, 2007; 30(8): 2154 - 2163. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				American Diabetes Association Nutrition Recommendations and Interventions for Diabetes: A position statement of the American Diabetes Association Diabetes Care, January 1, 2007; 30(suppl_1): S48 - S65. [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Rink, S. Roy, S. Khanna, T. Rink, D. Bagchi, and C. K. Sen Transcriptome of the subcutaneous adipose tissue in response to oral supplementation of type 2 Leprdb obese diabetic mice with niacin-bound chromium Physiol Genomics, November 21, 2006; 27(3): 370 - 379. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				American Diabetes Association Nutrition Recommendations and Interventions for Diabetes-2006: A position statement of the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care, September 1, 2006; 29(9): 2140 - 2157. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Hendry Chromium Supplement Controversy Continues DOC News, June 1, 2006; 3(6): 9 - 9. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. F. McCarty and K. I. Block Toward a core nutraceutical program for cancer management. Integr Cancer Ther, June 1, 2006; 5(2): 150 - 171. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. Rajpathak, J. Ma, J. Manson, W. C. Willett, and F. B. Hu Iron Intake and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Women: A prospective cohort study. Diabetes Care, June 1, 2006; 29(6): 1370 - 1376. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				American Diabetes Association Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2006 Diabetes Care, January 1, 2006; 29(suppl_1): S4 - S42. [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Guallar, F. J. Jimenez, P. van 't Veer, P. Bode, R. A. Riemersma, J. Gomez-Aracena, J. D. Kark, L. Arab, F. J. Kok, J. M. Martin-Moreno, et al. Low Toenail Chromium Concentration and Increased Risk of Nonfatal Myocardial Infarction Am. J. Epidemiol., July 15, 2005; 162(2): 157 - 164. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. E. Gunton, N. W. Cheung, R. Hitchman, G. Hams, C. Sullivan, K. Foster-Powell, and A. McElduff Chromium Supplementation Does Not Improve Glucose Tolerance, Insulin Sensitivity, or Lipid Profile: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial of Supplementation in Subjects With Impaired Glucose Tolerance: Response to Komorowski and Juturu Diabetes Care, July 1, 2005; 28(7): 1842 - 1843. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Komorowski and V. Juturu Chromium Supplementation Does Not Improve Glucose Tolerance, Insulin Sensitivity, or Lipid Profile: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial of Supplementation in Subjects With Impaired Glucose Tolerance: Response to Gunton et al. Diabetes Care, July 1, 2005; 28(7): 1841 - 1842. [Full Text] [PDF]