Benefits and composition of chromium picolinate
Chromium picolinate hides the same chromium (Cr), only in combination with picolinic acid. It improves the absorption of the microelement and enhances its effect. Chromium is found in garlic, poultry meat, grape juice and a number of other products. But its absorption from food is extremely small - only 0.5-1%, and at the same time the microelement performs many important functions.
This supplement contains:
- III-valent chromium;
- picolinic acid;
- maltodextrin;
- dicalcium phosphate;
- magnesium stearate, etc.
Why does the body need chromium picolinate:
- to reduce cravings for sweets;
- maintain insulin activity;
- regulate lipid synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism;
- stabilize blood pressure;
- increase immunity;
- improve the elasticity of blood vessels;
- produce the so-called youth hormone DHEA;
- maintain normal blood sugar levels.
The combination with picolinic acid allows you to increase the degree of microelement absorption by up to 90%. The use of chromium picolinate is recommended for type 2 diabetes mellitus. This is due to the fact that the element is involved in the production of “good” cholesterol, which helps produce insulin during meals. The latter transports glucose to the cells, which gives them energy. Thus, chromium picolinate in diabetes mellitus helps in the processing and high-quality absorption of sugar.
The real role in losing weight
The fat-burning effect of such a supplement is a myth. It is due to the fact that chromium picolinate is classified as a dietary supplement for diabetics, which other people associate primarily with poor sugar tolerance and excess weight.
Therefore, many people think that chromium is used in diabetes mellitus to correct and alleviate the condition, in particular, to reduce weight. And they believe that if a supplement helps diabetics, then it is even more likely to help healthy people.
In reality, everything is completely different. In recommended doses, the supplement only improves glucose metabolism (does not interfere with fat deposition), has a beneficial effect on overall endurance and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
So is it possible to take chromium picolinate for weight loss? It is possible, but the weight loss effect is achieved by reducing cravings for sweets, and not by burning fat deposits. At the same time, you can only lose weight if you follow a diet and exercise.
What is chromium picolinate?
Chromium is a mineral that exists in several forms. Although one dangerous form may be found in industrial pollution, a safe form occurs naturally in many foods ().
This safe form is called trivalent chromium, and is generally considered essential, meaning it must be obtained from the diet.
Although some researchers question whether this mineral is truly essential, it serves several important functions in the body ().
For example, it is part of a molecule called chromodulin, which helps the hormone insulin perform its functions in the body (,).
Insulin is a molecule secreted by the pancreas that is important for your body to process carbohydrates, fat, and protein ().
Interestingly, the rate of absorption of chromium in the intestines is very low, with less than 2.5% of the absorbed chromium being absorbed ().
However, chromium picolinate is an alternative form of chromium that is better absorbed. For this reason, this type is commonly found in dietary supplements (,).
Chromium picolinate is the mineral chromium attached to three molecules of picolinic acid ().
Summary:
Chromium is a mineral that is found in low quantities in many foods. It plays a role in nutrient metabolism by influencing the hormone insulin. Chromium picolinate is a form often found in dietary supplements.
Indications for taking chromium picolinate
Scientists confirm that a complete refusal of sweets can cause depression and even metabolic disorders in people. Strict restrictions with a strong desire to eat something tasty later turn into breakdowns, which also do not bring any benefit. The presence of chromium in the body helps to avoid this. Indications for its use:
- heavy sports activities;
- chronic fatigue;
- chromium deficiency in the body;
- vegetative-vascular dystonia;
- diabetes;
- psychosomatic disorders;
- skin diseases;
- atherosclerosis;
- elevated blood sugar levels;
- high blood pressure;
- hormonal disorders;
- weakened immunity.
The beneficial properties of chromium picolinate make it possible to use it to prevent obesity and combat bulimia.
May improve blood sugar levels
In healthy people, the hormone insulin plays an important role in signaling the body to remove sugar from the blood into cells.
People with diabetes have problems with the body's normal response to insulin.
Several studies have found that taking chromium supplements may improve blood sugar levels in people with diabetes (,).
One study found that taking 200 mcg of chromium per day for 16 weeks could lower blood sugar and insulin levels, improving the body's response to insulin ().
Other studies have shown that people with elevated blood sugar and lower insulin sensitivity may respond better to chromium supplements (, ).
Additionally, in a large study of more than 62,000 adults, the likelihood of developing diabetes was 27% lower in those who took dietary supplements containing chromium ().
However, other studies in which chromium was taken for three or more months by adults with type 2 diabetes found no improvement in blood sugar levels ().
Moreover, studies in obese adults without diabetes found that taking 1,000 mcg of chromium picolinate per day did not improve the body's response to insulin ().
In fact, a large study of 425 healthy people found that chromium supplements did not change sugar or insulin levels ().
In general, some benefit from taking these supplements is seen in patients with diabetes, but not in all cases.
Summary:
For patients with diabetes, chromium supplements may be effective in improving the body's response to insulin or lowering blood sugar levels. However, results were mixed, and this beneficial effect was not generally observed in individuals without diabetes.
How to take chromium picolinate correctly
- Frequency of use: during meals 2-3 times a day.
- How long to take chromium picolinate: in total, the course of treatment lasts 1-3 months.
- Dosage of chromium picolinate: the maximum daily dose is 200 mcg of chromium, the recommended dose is 100-150 mcg.
Specific rules for use depend on the supplement itself. The manufacturer provides recommendations on the packaging of the product. Chromium picolinate comes in capsules and tablets. Examples of such additives:
- Chromium Picolinate from Scitec Nutrition. Available in tablets. There are 100 tablets in a jar. You need to take 1 tablet once a day for 4 weeks, then take a break for three weeks.
- Burner by QNT. 3 capsules per day between meals for 1 month. The drug is a powerful fat-burning complex, since it additionally contains caffeine, L-carnitine and guarana extract.
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- GTF Chromium from NOW. 1 tablet 1-2 times a day during or 15 minutes before meals. The course lasts 2-3 months. This supplement contains only chromium in the most accessible form for absorption, so it can also be used for diabetes. In general, the supplement is recommended for use in cases of atherosclerosis, strong cravings for sweets, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and hyperlipidemia, obesity and overweight.
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If we talk about which company is better to choose chromium picolinate, then it all depends on the purpose. For active reduction, it is better to purchase Burner from QNT, as it promotes fat burning. In the case of depression, chronic fatigue and strong cravings for sweets, you can limit yourself to taking pure chromium picolinate GTF Chromium from NOW, which does not contain fat-burning components.
Chromium picolinate for weight loss
Due to chromium's role in nutrient metabolism and possible effects on eating behavior, several studies have examined whether it is an effective supplement for weight loss.
One large analysis looked at 9 different studies involving 622 overweight or obese people to get a full picture of whether this mineral is beneficial for weight loss.
These studies used doses of up to 1000 mcg of chromium picolinate per day.
Overall, this study found that chromium picolinate resulted in very small weight losses of 1.1 kg after 12-16 weeks in overweight or obese adults.
However, the researchers concluded that this level of weight loss is questionable and that the supplement's effectiveness is still unclear ().
Another in-depth analysis of existing studies on the effects of chromium on body weight led to a similar conclusion ().
After analyzing 11 different studies, researchers found a reduction in body weight of just 0.5 kg when taking chromium supplements for 8 to 26 weeks.
Numerous other studies in healthy adults have demonstrated no effect of this supplement on body composition (fat mass and lean body mass), even when combined with exercise ().
Summary:
Based on existing evidence, chromium picolinate is not effective when taken by overweight or obese people for weight loss. It appears to be even less effective in people of normal weight, even when combined with exercise.
Summarize
Chromium picolinate is a supplement that helps replenish chromium deficiency, which is important for better absorption of sugar and reduction of cravings for sweets. By itself, it does not affect fat deposits and does not prevent their formation, but due to the ability to resist the desire to eat sweets, it helps to lose weight. Suitable for the prevention of obesity and also approved for use by diabetics. It is also optimal for athletes who train intensively - it helps them recover faster.
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Physiological role of chromium.
A. Activates some enzymes in our body.
Chromium is an activator of the enzyme trypsin, which allows the breakdown of peptides and proteins into their components - amino acids. It is also (in small quantities) capable of activating enzymes involved in glucose metabolism such as cytochrome oxidase, succinate dehydrogenase and phosphoglucomutase. The glucose metabolic pathway consists of many stages and involves a large number of enzymes, but it is vital for us because... The end result of glucose conversion is energy stored in the form of ATP.
b. Participates in maintaining normal blood sugar balance.
After eating food, the level of glucose in the blood begins to increase, and our pancreas begins to release the hormone insulin into the blood. Insulin, in turn, transports glucose into cells where it is used for energy, thereby lowering blood glucose levels. But to achieve this effect, insulin must be able to attach to receptors on the cell surface, which is impossible without the intervention of a dietary factor - the “glucose tolerance factor”. This factor initiates the attachment of a hormone (insulin) to a receptor located on the surface of the cell membrane and, according to some data, it contains trivalent chromium, nicotinic acid, amino acids (glycine, cysteine) and glutamic acid. Therefore, people suffering from diabetes need to monitor the concentration of chromium in the body. V. Participates in the synthesis and maintenance of the conformation of DNA and RNA molecules.
Chromium can form covalent bonds between purine and pyrimidine bases, thereby ensuring their connections in DNA and RNA molecules. Also in these molecules it is necessary to maintain the desired conformation (spatial arrangement of atoms in the molecule).
d. Participates in lipid metabolism.
One of the most important functions of chromium in the body, along with maintaining blood sugar balance, is its ability to influence the production of bad cholesterol. This cholesterol forms plaques on the walls of blood vessels and interferes with the circulation of blood throughout our body, as a result of which a person suffers from various cardiovascular diseases. Bad cholesterol is formed in the liver and the substrate for its formation is glucose. By enhancing the effect of insulin on glucose utilization, chromium simultaneously performs two functions: it regulates blood sugar and lowers cholesterol levels.
d. Participates in the production of hormones.
Among other things, chromium affects the production of the steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which helps strengthen bones. Therefore, chromium preparations (chromium picolinate) are often used in the treatment of osteoparosis.
e. Helps regulate intraocular pressure.
Chromium, in combination with ascorbic acid, stimulates the flow of glucose to the lens, thereby regulating the pressure inside the eye, so people suffering from diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma are prescribed chromium as a complex therapy.
