Why chromium supplements? What does this essential mineral do for your body, and how is it used to increase your overall health, well-being and energy level? In the United States, both the American Medical Association and the American Osteopathic Association have conducted much medical research on the role of chromium, and endocrinologists (physicians who treat disorders of the endocrine system like diabetes) have long relied upon chromium to regulate blood sugar. But do you need a chromium supplement? Only you and your physician can determine the response to this all-important question.
Chromium is an essential mineral contained in your body in trace amounts. Most people take a chromium supplement to manage their diabetes, reduce HDL cholesterol levels, maintain a healthy weight, and increase muscle efficiency. Chromium is found naturally in foods such as grains, fruits, meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables, but research indicates that we don’t always get the chromium we need from food because this mineral isn’t easily absorbed by the body. To help with this problem, taking a chromium supplement is better absorbed by the body thus giving you the amount of this essential mineral you need.
Maintaining healthy glucose levels is of vital importance in the treatment of diabetes; diabetics don’t process pancreatic insulin well. Chromium insures that the right amount of glucose, or sugar, is supplied to body cells. Physicians may prescribe a chromium supplement along with a careful diet to pre-diabetic patients to help prevent the occurrence of diabetes.
The development of Type 2 diabetes has a usual onset in adults over 45 to 50 as a result of obesity, a high sugar intake, excessive stress, and an overall unhealthy diet. Since diabetes can result in dire consequences such as blindness and limb amputation due to low blood flow, endocrinologists (physicians who treat diseases of the endocrine system like diabetes) have noted chromium’s positive effects upon blood sugar levels.
Before you talk with your physician about whether or not taking a chromium supplement is right for you, check the label of your multi-vitamin: it should contain between 20 to 120 micrograms of a form of chromium. Women over age 50 may safely take a vitamin containing up to 180 micrograms. Look for the forms of chromium that are the most easily absorbed, such as chromium chloride, high chromium yeast, chromium nicotinate or chromium picolinate.
A word of caution: some medical studies have appeared to show that chromium picolinate may be harmful to cells, while other studies find just the opposite effect. This is why your physician must be a vital “player” in helping you decide whether or not you need a chromium supplement. Some people who suffer from serious health problems should not take chromium picolinate.
You may have heard that some medical studies indicate that chromium picolinate is harmful to cells, there is yet no definite empirical evidence to support this theory; other studies indicate that just the opposite is true. However, chromium picolinate supplements should not be taken by people who have serious health problems, and never without a physician’s instruction.
Purchasing chromium supplements online or locally is easy and affordable. You can find more information on how chromium works in the body by doing a simple Internet search, and then discover your favorite source from a reliable merchant at an affordable price.
