Chromium Supplements

The Other Side of the Debate

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Jan 7, 2008 Ken Kashubara

Do chromium supplements really cause weight loss?

People point to Chromium as a weight loss miracle (1). These people, promoting supplements, say that chromium burns fat and builds muscle without any change in exercise. They also claim chromium supplementation lowers blood sugar levels. They point to a study performed by R.A. Anderson (4) of the Nutritional Requirements and Functions laboratory as their validation.

The study showed chromium supplementation caused reduction in insulin resistance. What they fail to realize or point out is that this study was performed on patients with diabetes. A characteristic of diabetes is low levels of chromium.

No RDA on chromium has been established in the United States. No RDA is why people can claim Americans are chromium deficient. Given this fact, there is no proof of chromium deficiency in Americans either.

According to the Wellness Guide to Dietary Supplements(2), published by the University of California-Berkeley, studies on chromium supplementation have shown no benefits for weight loss.

Chromium supplementation is a rather new practice. No studies have been performed to determine the long-term effects these supplements have on humans. Many surgical procedures, like artificial spinal discs, have been outlawed due to the lack of long-term studies for safety.

Chromium picolinate is the most common form of chromium supplements. Preliminary studies on animals have shown it can cause damage to genetic materials in animal cells, which is an indicator for cancer. The official website for chromium picolinate (3) does a good job in referencing many studies that seek the side effects of chromium picolinate toxicity.

Most of these studies concluded that chromium picolinate is safe for use. However, not one of the studies claimed that chromium picolinate supplementation is effective for weight loss. Sorry, chromium supplements will not burn fat. They will not build muscle.

Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve any dietary supplements. Dietary supplements do not need FDA approval since former president Bill Clinton signed the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act (DSHEA) (5) into law in 1994.

This is not to say that all dietary supplements are ineffective and dangerous. That’s not the case. Many people believe chromium supplementation will help them lose weight. Sometimes that’s all it takes, but don’t count on it. Eat right. Move more. Have patience.

Sources:

  1. Syndrome X
  2. University of California-Berkeley
  3. Chromium Picolinate Official Website
  4. Anderson, Richard A., Chromium, Glucose Intolerance and Diabetes. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 17, No. 6, 548-555 (1998)
  5. Coalition to Preserve DHSEA

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The copyright of the article Chromium Supplements in Weight Loss is owned by Ken Kashubara. Permission to republish Chromium Supplements in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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