Chromium is an essential trace mineral. Its main function is to work with the hormone, insulin, to metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Like many Americans, you might not know how important chromium is to your overall health. Since virtually all bodily functions are dependent on carbohydrate, fats and proteins, insulin and its co-factor, chromium, affects most cells in your body. Chromium is needed for proper insulin function. If you are not getting enough chromium, your insulin cannot perform as effectively as possible. Impaired insulin activity is referred to as “insulin resistance”. If your body becomes insulin resistant, more glucose remains in your blood stream and is more likely to be stored as fat, rather than moving into your cells to be burned for energy.
The insulin connection What’s the connection between insulin and chromium? Scientists often refer to insulin as the “master metabolic hormone”. When most people hear the word insulin, they immediately think of diabetes. What you may not know is that proper insulin function is essential to everyone’s good health. Your body secretes insulin as soon as you eat. Insulin then binds to cells and activates them to absorb glucose, a form of sugar, out of your bloodstream and into your cells. Glucose is the body’s most important energy source. Your cells use it as fuel to power many essential functions, like metabolism and muscle building. Learn More
Why Picolinate? All essential minerals need to be supplied either through the foods we eat or through supplementation. Unfortunately, chromium is an essential mineral that is very poorly absorbed by the body. Researchers found that when chromium is bound to picolinic acid, the absorption is significantly improved. Picolinic acid is a natural metabolite found in breast milk, believed to help babies better absorb the minerals found in mother’s milk. The addition of picolinic acid to a chromium molecule results in a complex called chromium picolinate. Although there are other forms of dietary chromium available to consumers, research suggests that chromium picolinate is a safe and effective form of chromium.
Chromium picolinate is backed by over 10 years of research. Its quality, safety and effectiveness have been demonstrated in studies carried out by leading scientists at respected hospitals, universities and research centers. Overall, chromium picolinate has been tested in over 35 clinical studies involving over 2,000 participants.
As the body of clinical evidence continues to build, the link between chromium and insulin function has become increasingly important to metabolic research.
Many scientists now believe that chromium supplementation may be important to managing the health of people at risk for insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity and other chronic health conditions.
The attached clinical research summaries shed light on chromium picolinate’s beneficial role in:
