Chromium (Cr) is an essential nutrient required for normal sugar and fat metabolism. It potentates the action of insulin. Chromium occurs primarily in the trivalent and hexavalent forms; the form in higher organisms is trivalent. This mineral occurs throughout the body with highest concentrations in the liver, kidney, spleen and bone. Chromium is an essential trace mineral required for normal protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism.

The use of chromium picolinate supplements supports a normal glycated homoglobin level in individuals with type II diabetes reports a study in this month’s journal Diabetes, an official publication of the American Diabetes Association.

This clinical trial was conducted by Dr. Richard Anderson and his coworkers at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in Beltsville, Md. and by Dr. Nanzheng Cheng and her colleagues from the Beijing Medical University in Beijing, China.

In this double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 180 adult patients with the most common form of diabetes (type II or adult-onset) were randomized into one of three equal groups who received either 200 micrograms of chromium as chromium picolinate, 1,000 micrograms (one milligram) of chromium as chromium picolinate or placebo. All supplements were taken daily for four months, during which time the patients were instructed not to change their customary diets, exercise regimens or medications.