question. what's the best way to dose Chromium Picolinate for optimal insulin management?
Letters: Comments and Responsesquestion. what's the best way to dose Chromium Picolinate for optimal insulin management?
hmm very interesting. so this study is claiming that there is no significant improvement of insulin sensitivity whatsoever with daily chromium supplementation?Letters: Comments and Responses
Chromium Supplementation Does Not Improve Glucose Tolerance, Insulin Sensitivity, or Lipid Profile: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial of Supplementation in Subjects With Impaired Glucose Tolerance
Response to Gunton et al.
James Komorowski, MS and Vijaya Juturu, PHD
Technical Services & Scientific Affairs Department, Nutrition 21, Inc., Purchase, New York
Address correspondence to Vijaya Juturu, PhD, Nutrition 21, Inc., 4 Manhattanville Rd., Purchase, NY 10577. E-mail: vjuturu{at}nutrition21.com
We read the recent article by Gunton et al. (1) with great interest and feel that it warrants comment. In this study, the authors stated that they "found no beneficial effect of chromium supplementation in the treatment of people with IGT [impaired glucose tolerance]." The results are in conflict with other clinical studies that showed chromium picolinate can enhance or normalize impaired glucose metabolism, as described in a recent review (2). The lack of effect described by the authors may be explained by the apparent low dose of elemental chromium used in the study.
The authors stated that the chromium picolinate "dose (at 800 µg/day) was at the higher end of the ranges used in previous studies" (1). However, chromium picolinate administered at 800 µg per day yields a daily dose of 100 µg per day of elemental chromium (i.e., chromium picolinate contains 12.4% elemental chromium). An elemental chromium dose of 100 µg a day is half of the suggested minimum amount (200 µg) of elemental chromium previously shown to exhibit efficacy in glucose and lipid metabolism (2). A daily dose of 200–1,000 µg of elemental chromium, as chromium picolinate, is the efficacious dosage range used in previous studies.
Bullivants Natural Health Products, the supplier of the study products used by the authors, stated that 400 µg of the chromium picolinate product they produce yields 50 µg of elemental chromium. The study was conducted in Australia, and the 50-µg elemental chromium dose is also the maximum daily dose allowed by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (3).
It was also interesting to note that although the serum chromium levels significantly rose in the active group, the serum chromium levels were not significantly higher in the active group than in the placebo group after 3 months of supplementation (active group 5.2 ± 8.9 nmol/l, placebo group 4.4 ± 4.0 nmol/l). For these reasons, we believe study subjects in the active group may have been administered daily doses of 50 µg elemental chromium, twice daily.
We recommend future studies be conducted in people with impaired glucose tolerance (following criteria defined by the American Diabetes Association) using daily doses of chromium picolinate providing ≥200–1,000 µg of elemental chromium for at least 90 days. We also recommend evaluating efficacy using the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test with calculation of the area under the curve using the trapezoidal method.
Footnotes
The authors are employees of Nutrition 21, Inc., which manufactures products containing chromium.
References
1. Gunton JE, Cheung NW, Hitchman R, Hams G, O’Sullivan C, Foster-Powell K, McElduff A: Chromium supplementation does not improve glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, or lipid profile: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of supplementation in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. Diabetes Care 28:712–713, 2005[Free Full Text]
2. Cefalu WT, Hu FB: Role of chromium in human health and in diabetes. Diabetes Care 27:2741–2751, 2004[Free Full Text]
3. Complementary Medicines Evaluation Committee (CMEC), meeting 41, 1 August 2003, public recommendation summary [summary online]. Available at http://www.tga.gov.au/docs/html/cmec/cmecdr41.htm. Accessed 1 August 2003
One study indicates that large amounts of chromium picolinate may cause chromosome damage...many other studies now also indicate it to be of questionable safety.question. what's the best way to dose Chromium Picolinate for optimal insulin management?
Thats why I test my own blood sugar. I get immediate results w/ 200mcgs of Solgar Chromium Polynicotinate & 10mcgs of Vanadyl sulfate taken w/ meals where I want to reduce blood sugar and control the insulin response. The glucometer is my objective measure and the mirror my subjective measure of effectiveness.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16877033&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=15886052&ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
For every pro study you can always find a con study.
Because the combo is objectively effective. There is no reason why the glucose disposal agent you mentioned wouldn't be equally effective. Have you tested your own blood sugar w/ a glucometer w/ and w/o ALA usage?My question to you is: Why bother with it when ala has come so far (na-r-ala and k-r-ala) and is not only effective but also has a positive effect on your health?
I was neither endorsing or condoning it's use.Thats why I test my own blood sugar. I get immediate results w/ 200mcgs of Solgar Chromium Polynicotinate & 10mcgs of Vanadyl sulfate taken w/ meals where I want to reduce blood sugar and control the insulin response. The glucometer is my objective measure and the mirror my subjective measure of effectiveness.
I should add that my fasting baseline is solidly normal.
Many other than myself use this approach to stay lean.
I do not go to those lengths honestly and for myself berberdine is far more effective from an annecdotal viewpont. I only mention ALA because everyone is siting studies and ALA has tons of studies that show it to be effective through glut-4 mediation and also to be one of the best anti-oxidents on the planet. Since berberdine may or may not have proven safety long term (haven't done the leg work myself) and chromium has questionable long term safety (studies pointing both ways), when we take all the thing being spoekn about here into account, I think ALA is a strong alternative and provides a better safety profile.Because the combo is objectively effective. There is no reason why the glucose disposal agent you mentioned wouldn't be equally effective. Have you tested your own blood sugar w/ a glucometer w/ and w/o ALA usage?
The VS actually begans to dispose of blood sugar BEFORE insulin rises significantly whereas the Chromium enhances insulin sensitivity. It is an effective combo. I'm curious as to what sort of results you are getting w/ ALA & your glucometer.
Chromium Polynicotinate is on the FDA's GRAS list ("Generally Recognized as Safe"). Chromium Picolinate is not.I do not go to those lengths honestly and for myself berberdine is far more effective from an annecdotal viewpont. I only mention ALA because everyone is siting studies and ALA has tons of studies that show it to be effective through glut-4 mediation and also to be one of the best anti-oxidents on the planet. Since berberdine may or may not have proven safety long term (haven't done the leg work myself) and chromium has questionable long term safety (studies pointing both ways), when we take all the thing being spoekn about here into account, I think ALA is a strong alternative and provides a better safety profile.
Glucometers are cheap. As cheap as $10. The problem is that the manufacturer charges a lot for test strips. So it is best to look at the price of the test strips for the machines.Without providing links, how much does a quality glucometer go for? Any preferred brands/models I should look into?
Damn, you weren't kidding. I looked into the strips for the One Touch brand, and they were like $26 for a box of 25.Glucometers are cheap. As cheap as $10. The problem is that the manufacturer charges a lot for test strips. So it is best to look at the price of the test strips for the machines.