Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. 226 hyprcholesterolaemic type 2 diabetics, who received 2 mg of biotin and 600 micrograms of chromium daily for 12 weeks, saw a significant improvement in coronary risk factors such as triglycerides and cholesterol.
According to the latest statistics from the Department of Health and Human Services, there are 25.8 million Americans with diabetes, 90% of which are type 2 diabetics, comprising 8.3% of the population. But because 7.0 million have not yet been diagnosed, their risk of having more complications of diabetes is greater than those with a diagnosis and treatment (1).
Type 2 diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke, and is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, so the need for prevention strategies and effective treatment strategies is crucial. Blood sugar control is the key component of both prevention and effective disease management (2) and research (3) suggests that chromium and biotin may be of benefit.
The study included 348 patients between the ages of 47 and 67 and with:
- A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes >1 year
- Levels of a protein called HbA1c >7%
- A Body Mass Index (BMI) between 25 and 35 kg/m2
- A fasting triglyceride level <400 milligrams/deciliter
They received either 600 micrograms of Chromium Picolinate and 2 mg Biotin (226 patients) or a placebo (122 patients) per day for 12 weeks. They were instructed not to change their diet, level of physical activity, or prescription medications. They also underwent a physical examination before the study began, were called two times over the 90 days as a check-up, and underwent a physical examination on Day 90 of the study.
By the end of the study, compared to the placebo group, those in the Chromium/Biotin group had:
- A 45% greater decrease in % HbA1c: 0.53% (8.7% to 8.17%) vs. 0.35% (8.46% to 8.11%) decrease, p = 0.05
- A 5.6% decrease in fasting glucose compared to a 0.5% in the placebo group: 9.48 milligrams/deciliter decrease (169.5 mg/dL to 159.7 mg/dL) vs. 0.88 mg/dL increase (171.4 mg/dL to 172.28 mg/dL), p = 0.02
- Significantly greater improvement in the ratio of triglycerides to HD L cholesterol: 0.12 ratio decrease (2.53 to 2.42) vs. 0.52 ratio increase (2.45 to 2.97), p = 0.05
For the researchers, “Chromium Picolinate and Biotin appear to be generally well-tolerated with no adverse effects and therefore has the potential to be a useful adjunct to lifestyle modification and pharmacotherapy in type 2 diabetes.”
Source: Albarracin, Cesar, et al. “Combination of Chromium and Biotin Improves Coronary Risk Factors in Hypercholesterolemic Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Placebo‐Controlled, Double‐Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.” Journal of the cardiometabolic syndrome 2.2 (2007): 91-97.
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Posted February 20, 2013.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- “National Diabetes Statistics, 2011” posted on the U.S. Health and Human Services Website
- Gerich JE. Contributions of insulin-resistance and insulin-secretory defects to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Mayo Clin Proc. 2003;78(4):447-56
- Albarracin C. Combination of chromium and biotin improves coronary risk factors in hypercholesterolemic type 2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized clinical trial. J Cardiometab Syndr 2007;2(2):91-7.
