Chromium is a well-known micronutrient among diabetics for its potential ability to increase insulin sensitivity by improving glucose tolerance.
From the metabolic point of view, chromium appears to be able to enhance the actions of insulin by re-entering the so-called glucose tolerance factor, a low molecular weight substance which - by binding to insulin and its receptor - would trigger that cascade. of intracellular events leading to the migration of the glucose transporter pool from the cytoplasm to the cell membrane. A natural source of this factor, in which chromium is bound to nicotinic acid and glutathione, is represented by brewer's yeast; its bioavailability is considered very high, much higher than that of trivalent chromium much more represented in food (the mineral is instead highly toxic and carcinogenic in the tetravalent form released into the environment as an industrial pollutant).
As regards the position of the most authoritative scientific institutions on the "usefulness of chromium supplementation in the treatment of patients with type two diabetes mellitus, we recall the meta-analyzes reported in the bibliography, according to which this practice can bring modest but significant benefits. The conditional is obligatory, given that - in the light of contradictory data - the examination of the scientific literature has given results that are all in all inconclusive. For this reason there is still a lot of skepticism towards this practice, expressed - among other things - by the "American Diabetes Association.
As it is more bioavailable, chromium is marketed in the form of its picolinate salt (chromium + picolinic acid), as a supplement intended to fill any shortcomings, which are extremely rare and demonstrated only in subjects subjected to extremely restrictive nutritional regimes. Although reduced insulin sensitivity has been observed in these patients, it is not said - nor proven - that chromium picolinate supplementation brings safe and consistent benefits in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
The dosages of chromium picolinate normally proposed in the treatment of diabetes mellitus are in the order of 600-1000 mcg / day (micrograms per day); at the common doses of use there are no relevant side effects.
In the near future we will test the effects on man of chromium administered in alternative forms, or associated with the other components of the glucose tolerance factor (nicotinic acid and glutathione, the latter composed of glycine, cysteine and glutamic acid, and which can be integrated through supplements of N-acetylcysteine). The lack of these nutrients important for supporting the action of trivalent chromium could explain the lack of response of some diabetic patients to chromium picolinate supplementation. Among the most recent studies, for example, we note how a "brewer's yeast supplementation equal to 9 g / day (42 μg of chromium) ensured a significant improvement in the glycemic (glycemic, glycated hemoglobin) and lipid (total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL) profile in subjects with recent onset diabetes. Brewer's yeast, in addition to being rich in chromium, also contains generous amounts of amino acids, selenium and B vitamins.
Essential bibliography
Althuis MD, Jordan NE, Ludington EA, Wittes JT. Glucose and insulin responses to dietary chromium supplements: A meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 2002; 76: 148–155.
Balk EM, Tatsioni A, Lichtenstein AH, Lau J, Pittas AG. "Effect of chromium supplementation on glucose metabolism and lipids: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials". Diabetes Care 30 : 2154–63.
Broadhurst CL, Domenico P (December 2006). "Clinical studies on chromium picolinate supplementation in diabetes mellitus - a review". Diabetes Technol. Ther. 8: 677–87.
Sharma S, Agrawal RP, Choudhary M, Jain S, Goyal S, Agarwal V Beneficial effect of chromium supplementation on glucose, HbA1C and lipid variables in individuals with newly onset type-2 diabetes. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2011 Jul; 25: 149-53. Epub 2011 May 12.
