Question For Cathe's Educated Crowd!
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Carol122201
Cathlete
I've never heard that, but everyday something seems to come up that suggests yet another supplement or vitamin or something causes cancer. It's enough to make me afraid to breathe. Hopefully someone on here can shed some light on this for you!!
Carol
Carol
Calico
Cathlete
I take it for my triglycerides in conjunction with flush free Niacin, and have had no problems. My triglycerides are down and my doctor is happy. I just read where it helps to break down carbs so the more carbs you eat the more you should take. I take as little as 1 (200 mcg)or(mg)I think, to 4 a day, depending on my eating habits of the day. So far so good.
So far so good.MadnNatsmom
Cathlete
Haven't heard of it being harmful, but I did take a bottle and it didn't do anything for me.
Bobbi
Cathlete
Here's an article regarding Chromium which might help you clarify.
"Chromium
Claims, Benefits: Builds muscle, prevents and treats diabetes, promotes weight loss.
Bottom Line: Chromium is an essential mineral, but deficiency is rare in the U.S. There's no evidence that chromium supplements perform as claimed, promote weight loss, or benefit healthy people. There is some evidence that the picolinate form may harm cells. Diabetics should take only on medical advice.
Full article, Wellness Letter, June 2003:
Luster and Tarnish
Chromium is an essential trace mineral for the human body. It’s important in processing carbohydrates and fats, and it helps cells respond properly to insulin—the hormone, produced in the pancreas, that makes blood sugar available to the cells as our basic fuel. No one understands the exact role of chromium in all this, or even how much chromium is enough, but it doesn’t take too much imagination to come up with theories that chromium might promote weight loss, treat diabetes, and perhaps even help prevent heart disease or alleviate depression. Thus, chromium, especially in the form of chromium picolinate, has become a popular supplement, and its purveyors make many health claims—while downplaying any safety concerns.
Here’s a summary of the latest research in three categories:
Weight loss. Chromium supplements are often sold for weight loss, particularly for obese people who may be in danger of developing diabetes. Scientists have been studying the sup-plement’s potential role in weight control, but so far the most carefully conducted studies have shown no benefits.
Diabetes. Because chromium helps insulin do its job, it seems reasonable that it might help people with Type 2 diabetes or those at high risk for developing it. Low levels of chromium are characteristic of diabetes, though there’s no evidence that low chromium causes diabetes. Some studies have found that chromium picolinate supplementation in doses of 200 micrograms is beneficial, but others have not. One problem is that it’s difficult to diagnose chromium deficiency. One large clinical trial conducted in China found that chromium was helpful for those with diabetes—but the Chinese, including those with diabetes, are less likely to be obese than Americans, and their chromium levels were not evaluated at the start of the study. Clinical trials in the U.S. involving people with diabetes have so far produced no clear evidence of benefits from chromium supplements.
Heart disease. Studies of chromium supplements and blood cholesterol levels have shown no consistent benefit. If you were chromium-deficient, you might be able to reduce your LDL ("bad") cholesterol and raise your HDL ("good") cholesterol somewhat with chromium supplements. But even that is a big "might." And there are better ways to accomplish this, including diet, exercise, and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Trouble with picolinate
Chromium supplements come in several forms, never as pure chromium. You can buy chromium picolinate, chromium chloride, chromium nicotinate, and high-chromium yeast. Nicotinate and picolinate seem more easily absorbed than the others. There have been safety concerns about chromium picolinate, however, since laboratory studies have found that it could damage genetic material in animal cells, which suggests it might cause cancer. It seems to be the combination of chromium and picolinate that’s the potential problem, not the chromium alone. Of course, what happens in a test tube or in lab animals might not happen in the human body. But the bottom line is that nobody knows whether chromium supplements, particularly in large doses over the long term, are safe or effective.
In May, England’s Food Standards Agency, a food-safety watchdog group set up by Parliament, concluded that chromium picolinate can potentially cause cancer, and warned consumers not to take it.
Where to get your chromium
The best and safest source of chromium is food. Whole grains, ready-to-eat bran cereals, seafood, green beans, broccoli, prunes, nuts, peanut butter, and potatoes are rich in chromium. Sugary foods are low in this mineral and may even promote chromium loss; vitamin C may increase its absorption. Don’t exceed the amount in multivitamin/mineral pills—20 to 120 micrograms—which preferably should not be in the form of chromium picolinate.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, July 2003
Full article, Wellness Letter, June 1999:
New study tarnishes chromium
We've always had doubts about the benefits—and more importantly, the safety—of chromium supplements. Millions currently take chromium picolinate in the hope of preventing or reversing diabetes, reducing blood cholesterol, and building muscle. Weight loss is even touted as one of its benefits. But the evidence is mounting that these supplements can do more harm than good.
Chromium is an essential trace mineral found in a wide variety of foods. It is important in the burning of carbohydrates and fats in the body, and helps insulin do its work of making blood sugar (glucose, our basic fuel) available to cells. Nobody is sure how much chromium we need to stay healthy, but some experts worry that we don't get enough. Chromium in food is not easily absorbed by the body. Chromium picolinate—the form of the mineral commonly sold as a supplement—is more easily absorbed.
Three years ago a laboratory study from Dartmouth College showed that chromium picolinate could damage the genetic material of hamster cells. This raised the question of whether it might cause cancer in humans. The response from the supplements industry was indignant: "bad science," they cried. It's true that it was only a lab study, and that what happens to hamster cells in a test tube might not happen to human cells in the body. But then again, this kind of genetic damage can be a warning signal.
Now a new study conducted by Dr. John Vincent at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa shows that chromium picolinate enters the cells directly and stays there—where it can cause problems. In fact, the chromium picolinate reacts with vitamin C and other antioxidants in the cells to produce a "reduced" form of chromium capable of causing mutations in DNA, the genetic material. It's the combination of chromium and picolinate (particularly the reduced form) that can produce dangerous compounds—not the chromium alone. Moreover, the picolinate eventually breaks off and itself has adverse effects.
Words to the wise: There's little evidence that chromium deficiency is widespread. Some very preliminary research suggests that chromium picolinate can reduce blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. But that's a far cry from a reliable treatment for diabetes, which is not a chromium-deficiency disease. There is no good evidence backing chromium picolinate as a weight-loss aid, a muscle-builder, or a way to reduce blood cholesterol levels. This new evidence does suggest that it may have serious side effects. Nobody should take chromium picolinate, especially not young people.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, June 1999
Full article, Wellness Letter, August 1996:
Chromium loses some of its shine
Millions of Americans now take chromium picolinate, a supplement that its manufacturers claim will promote weight loss, prevent or reverse diabetes, reduce blood cholesterol, and build muscle. These claims appeal to everybody from young athletes to elderly people with chronic diseases, so no wonder chromium picolinate sales are booming. It's sold as a dietary supplement, so the FDA can't touch it unless it can be proved to cause harm.
Interestingly, a new laboratory study from Dartmouth College found that chromium picolinate can damage chromosomes, thus raising the question of whether it could cause cancer. The response from the supplements industry was indignant and massive—ads, press releases, news conferences—plus accusations of "bad science." A "Chromium Information Bureau" was even set up.
The study is worth looking at a little more closely. Of course, it had the limitations of all lab studies. It used hamster cell cultures, and nobody knows if the findings would apply to people. Though the industry claimed that the dosages used in the Dartmouth study were massive, they were not. Levels of chromium picolinate in the cells being tested were about what you would have in your own cells if you took the supplement daily. Chromium doesn't just wash out of the body the way some nutrients do; in fact, minerals tend to accumulate in the body. Other forms of chromium did not damage the cells in this study. So it probably wasn't the chromium that did the damage to the hamster-cell chromosomes, but the picolinate.
Diane Sterns, one of the study's authors, pointed out that the safety of chromium picolinate and the long-term effects of chromium accumulation in humans are poorly understood. This study is not definitive, and further research is warranted.
News, or non-news, for diabetics?
Despite claims to the contrary, diabetes is not a chromium-deficiency disease. Just recently, a new study (unpublished but widely publicized) of diabetics in China found that high doses of chromium picolinate were helpful in controlling blood sugar. But even the author of the study called the results "preliminary." Many studies of other forms of chromium as a treatment for diabetes have been conducted in the U.S., with disappointing results. Few diabetics have been helped by chromium. Again, more studies will have to be done. Meanwhile, if you have diabetes, it's not a good idea to start taking chromium picolinate on your own, let alone to discontinue medical treatment in preference for a health-food supplement of unproven safety and effectiveness.
Words to the wise: Chromium is indeed a mineral the body needs. But there's little evidence that chromium deficiency is widespread. And there's no evidence whatsoever that these supplements help you lose weight, build muscle, or lower cholesterol. Chromium is found in water, beverages, and practically everything we eat. Don't take chromium picolinate, and you needn't worry about its potential to cause harm.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, August 1996"
Chicks's Rule! http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif Bobbi
"Chromium
Claims, Benefits: Builds muscle, prevents and treats diabetes, promotes weight loss.
Bottom Line: Chromium is an essential mineral, but deficiency is rare in the U.S. There's no evidence that chromium supplements perform as claimed, promote weight loss, or benefit healthy people. There is some evidence that the picolinate form may harm cells. Diabetics should take only on medical advice.
Full article, Wellness Letter, June 2003:
Luster and Tarnish
Chromium is an essential trace mineral for the human body. It’s important in processing carbohydrates and fats, and it helps cells respond properly to insulin—the hormone, produced in the pancreas, that makes blood sugar available to the cells as our basic fuel. No one understands the exact role of chromium in all this, or even how much chromium is enough, but it doesn’t take too much imagination to come up with theories that chromium might promote weight loss, treat diabetes, and perhaps even help prevent heart disease or alleviate depression. Thus, chromium, especially in the form of chromium picolinate, has become a popular supplement, and its purveyors make many health claims—while downplaying any safety concerns.
Here’s a summary of the latest research in three categories:
Weight loss. Chromium supplements are often sold for weight loss, particularly for obese people who may be in danger of developing diabetes. Scientists have been studying the sup-plement’s potential role in weight control, but so far the most carefully conducted studies have shown no benefits.
Diabetes. Because chromium helps insulin do its job, it seems reasonable that it might help people with Type 2 diabetes or those at high risk for developing it. Low levels of chromium are characteristic of diabetes, though there’s no evidence that low chromium causes diabetes. Some studies have found that chromium picolinate supplementation in doses of 200 micrograms is beneficial, but others have not. One problem is that it’s difficult to diagnose chromium deficiency. One large clinical trial conducted in China found that chromium was helpful for those with diabetes—but the Chinese, including those with diabetes, are less likely to be obese than Americans, and their chromium levels were not evaluated at the start of the study. Clinical trials in the U.S. involving people with diabetes have so far produced no clear evidence of benefits from chromium supplements.
Heart disease. Studies of chromium supplements and blood cholesterol levels have shown no consistent benefit. If you were chromium-deficient, you might be able to reduce your LDL ("bad") cholesterol and raise your HDL ("good") cholesterol somewhat with chromium supplements. But even that is a big "might." And there are better ways to accomplish this, including diet, exercise, and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Trouble with picolinate
Chromium supplements come in several forms, never as pure chromium. You can buy chromium picolinate, chromium chloride, chromium nicotinate, and high-chromium yeast. Nicotinate and picolinate seem more easily absorbed than the others. There have been safety concerns about chromium picolinate, however, since laboratory studies have found that it could damage genetic material in animal cells, which suggests it might cause cancer. It seems to be the combination of chromium and picolinate that’s the potential problem, not the chromium alone. Of course, what happens in a test tube or in lab animals might not happen in the human body. But the bottom line is that nobody knows whether chromium supplements, particularly in large doses over the long term, are safe or effective.
In May, England’s Food Standards Agency, a food-safety watchdog group set up by Parliament, concluded that chromium picolinate can potentially cause cancer, and warned consumers not to take it.
Where to get your chromium
The best and safest source of chromium is food. Whole grains, ready-to-eat bran cereals, seafood, green beans, broccoli, prunes, nuts, peanut butter, and potatoes are rich in chromium. Sugary foods are low in this mineral and may even promote chromium loss; vitamin C may increase its absorption. Don’t exceed the amount in multivitamin/mineral pills—20 to 120 micrograms—which preferably should not be in the form of chromium picolinate.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, July 2003
Full article, Wellness Letter, June 1999:
New study tarnishes chromium
We've always had doubts about the benefits—and more importantly, the safety—of chromium supplements. Millions currently take chromium picolinate in the hope of preventing or reversing diabetes, reducing blood cholesterol, and building muscle. Weight loss is even touted as one of its benefits. But the evidence is mounting that these supplements can do more harm than good.
Chromium is an essential trace mineral found in a wide variety of foods. It is important in the burning of carbohydrates and fats in the body, and helps insulin do its work of making blood sugar (glucose, our basic fuel) available to cells. Nobody is sure how much chromium we need to stay healthy, but some experts worry that we don't get enough. Chromium in food is not easily absorbed by the body. Chromium picolinate—the form of the mineral commonly sold as a supplement—is more easily absorbed.
Three years ago a laboratory study from Dartmouth College showed that chromium picolinate could damage the genetic material of hamster cells. This raised the question of whether it might cause cancer in humans. The response from the supplements industry was indignant: "bad science," they cried. It's true that it was only a lab study, and that what happens to hamster cells in a test tube might not happen to human cells in the body. But then again, this kind of genetic damage can be a warning signal.
Now a new study conducted by Dr. John Vincent at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa shows that chromium picolinate enters the cells directly and stays there—where it can cause problems. In fact, the chromium picolinate reacts with vitamin C and other antioxidants in the cells to produce a "reduced" form of chromium capable of causing mutations in DNA, the genetic material. It's the combination of chromium and picolinate (particularly the reduced form) that can produce dangerous compounds—not the chromium alone. Moreover, the picolinate eventually breaks off and itself has adverse effects.
Words to the wise: There's little evidence that chromium deficiency is widespread. Some very preliminary research suggests that chromium picolinate can reduce blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. But that's a far cry from a reliable treatment for diabetes, which is not a chromium-deficiency disease. There is no good evidence backing chromium picolinate as a weight-loss aid, a muscle-builder, or a way to reduce blood cholesterol levels. This new evidence does suggest that it may have serious side effects. Nobody should take chromium picolinate, especially not young people.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, June 1999
Full article, Wellness Letter, August 1996:
Chromium loses some of its shine
Millions of Americans now take chromium picolinate, a supplement that its manufacturers claim will promote weight loss, prevent or reverse diabetes, reduce blood cholesterol, and build muscle. These claims appeal to everybody from young athletes to elderly people with chronic diseases, so no wonder chromium picolinate sales are booming. It's sold as a dietary supplement, so the FDA can't touch it unless it can be proved to cause harm.
Interestingly, a new laboratory study from Dartmouth College found that chromium picolinate can damage chromosomes, thus raising the question of whether it could cause cancer. The response from the supplements industry was indignant and massive—ads, press releases, news conferences—plus accusations of "bad science." A "Chromium Information Bureau" was even set up.
The study is worth looking at a little more closely. Of course, it had the limitations of all lab studies. It used hamster cell cultures, and nobody knows if the findings would apply to people. Though the industry claimed that the dosages used in the Dartmouth study were massive, they were not. Levels of chromium picolinate in the cells being tested were about what you would have in your own cells if you took the supplement daily. Chromium doesn't just wash out of the body the way some nutrients do; in fact, minerals tend to accumulate in the body. Other forms of chromium did not damage the cells in this study. So it probably wasn't the chromium that did the damage to the hamster-cell chromosomes, but the picolinate.
Diane Sterns, one of the study's authors, pointed out that the safety of chromium picolinate and the long-term effects of chromium accumulation in humans are poorly understood. This study is not definitive, and further research is warranted.
News, or non-news, for diabetics?
Despite claims to the contrary, diabetes is not a chromium-deficiency disease. Just recently, a new study (unpublished but widely publicized) of diabetics in China found that high doses of chromium picolinate were helpful in controlling blood sugar. But even the author of the study called the results "preliminary." Many studies of other forms of chromium as a treatment for diabetes have been conducted in the U.S., with disappointing results. Few diabetics have been helped by chromium. Again, more studies will have to be done. Meanwhile, if you have diabetes, it's not a good idea to start taking chromium picolinate on your own, let alone to discontinue medical treatment in preference for a health-food supplement of unproven safety and effectiveness.
Words to the wise: Chromium is indeed a mineral the body needs. But there's little evidence that chromium deficiency is widespread. And there's no evidence whatsoever that these supplements help you lose weight, build muscle, or lower cholesterol. Chromium is found in water, beverages, and practically everything we eat. Don't take chromium picolinate, and you needn't worry about its potential to cause harm.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, August 1996"
Chicks's Rule! http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif Bobbi