Chromium Picolinate Supplementation Attenuates Body Weight Gain and Increases Insulin Sensitivity in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes
- Julie Martin, MS, RD1,
- Zhong Q. Wang, MD2,
- Xian H. Zhang, BS2,
- Deborah Wachtel, NP, MPH1,
- Julia Volaufova, PHD3,
- Dwight E. Matthews, PHD1 and
- William T. Cefalu, MD2
- 1Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
- 2Division of Nutrition and Chronic Diseases, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- 3Biostatistics Program, School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to William T. Cefalu, MD, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Rd., Baton Rouge, LA 80808. E-mail: cefaluwt{at}pbrc.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—Chromium picolinate (CrPic) supplementation has been suggested to improve glycemia, but there are conflicting reports on efficacy. We sought to determine the effect of CrPic on insulin sensitivity, glycemic control, and body composition in subjects with type 2 diabetes.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Thirty-seven subjects with type 2 diabetes were evaluated. After baseline, subjects were placed on a sulfonylurea (glipizide gastrointestinal therapeutic system 5 mg/day) with placebo for 3 months. Subjects were then randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive either the sulfonylurea plus placebo (n = 12) or the sulfonylurea plus 1,000 μg Cr as CrPic (n = 17) for 6 months. Body composition, insulin sensitivity, and glycemic control were determined at baseline, end of the 3-month single-blind placebo phase, and end of study.
RESULTS—Subjects randomized to sulfonylurea/placebo, as opposed to those randomized to sulfonylurea/CrPic, had a significant increase in body weight (2.2 kg, P < 0.001 vs. 0.9 kg, P = 0.11), percent body fat (1.17%, P < 0.001 vs. 0.12%, P = 0.7), and total abdominal fat (32.5 cm2, P < 0.05 vs. 12.2 cm2, P < 0.10) from baseline. Subjects randomized to sulfonylurea/CrPic had significant improvements in insulin sensitivity corrected for fat-free mass (28.8, P < 0.05 vs. 15.9, P = 0.4), GHb (−1.16%, P < 0.005 vs. −0.4%, P = 0.3), and free fatty acids (−0.2 mmol/l, P < 0.001 vs. −0.12 mmol/l, P < 0.03) as opposed to sulfonylurea/placebo.
CONCLUSIONS—This study demonstrates that CrPic supplementation in subjects with type 2 diabetes who are taking sulfonylurea agents significantly improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control. Further, CrPic supplementation significantly attenuated body weight gain and visceral fat accumulation compared with the placebo group.
- AUC, area under the curve
- AUC-B, glucose AUC from the fasting glucose at time 0
- CrPic, chromium picolinate
- DEXA, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry
- FFA, free fatty acid
- GITS, gastrointestinal therapeutic system
- OGTT, oral glucose tolerance test
Footnotes
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A table elsewhere in this issue shows conventional and Système International (SI) units and conversion factors for many substances.
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
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- Accepted April 25, 2006.
- Received January 31, 2006.
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