Written by Jessica Patella, ND. Those who supplemented with 2000 micrograms of chromium per day for 30 days had a 27% lower risk of developing diabetes than those who did not supplement.
An estimated 29.1 million US adults have diabetes, accounting for 9.3% of the population (2). Lifestyle modifications and nutritional supplements that help prevent or control type 2 diabetes are gaining interest due to the economic burden and public health concern over the disease (1,3). Chromium is a trace mineral that is important in carbohydrate metabolism and deficiency leads to glucose intolerance and resistance (1, 4, 5). A recent analysis found that the risk of having type 2 diabetes is lower in adults who take supplements containing chromium (1).
The analysis included data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999-2010. The database was limited to adults who reported having diabetes, which included a total of 28,211 people (1). Of this population, 58.3% reported taking dietary supplement in the past 30 days and 28.8% reported taking a dietary supplement that contained chromium (1).
When analyzing that data, people taking chromium supplements had a 27% lower risk of having diabetes than those that did not take supplements in the previous 30 days (OR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.62, 0.86; P<0.001) (1).
Those taking more than 2,000 micrograms of chromium in the previous 30 days had a lower risk of diabetes than those who consumed no dietary supplements (OR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.87; P=0.001) (1). In contrast, the risk of having diabetes did not differ between those who consumed supplements without chromium and those who took no supplements at all (OR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.77, 1.03; P=0.11) (1).
In conclusion, chromium supplementation in adults is associated with a significantly lower risk of having diabetes. Although cause cannot be determined in a population study like this one, it shows strong evidence of chromium supplementation reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Future double blind research on the effect of chromium and in the most beneficial dose is warranted (1).
Source: McIver, David J., et al. “Risk of type 2 diabetes is lower in US adults taking chromium-containing supplements.” The Journal of nutrition 145.12 (2015): 2675-2682.
© 2015 American Society for Nutrition.
Posted December 10, 2015.
Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.
References:
- McIver D, et al. Risk of Type 2 Diabetes is Lower in US Adults Taking Chromium-Containing Supplements. 2015 The J of Nutrition, dii:10.3945/jn115.214569.
- Diabetes Statistics (2014). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Pasaltopoulou T, et al. The role of diet and lifestyle in primary, secondary and tertiary diabetes prevention: A review of meta-analysis. Rev Diabetes Stud 2010;7:26-35.
- Cefalu WT> Effect of chromium tripicolinate on insulin sensitivity in vivo. J trave Elem Exp Med 1999;12:71-83.
- Cefalu WT, Hu FB. Role of chromium in human health and in diabetes. Diabetes Care 2004:27:2741-51.
