Chromium (Cr) is vital to the function of insulin, the hormone that drives the conversion of carbohydrates into energy. When blood sugar levels rise after a meal, the pancreas secretes insulin, which drives the sugar out of the blood and into cells where it can be used for energy. Cr enhances the action of insulin, increasing insulin sensitivity and the uptake of blood sugar by our cells. Cr potentiates insulin action in peripheral tissue. Improved insulin activity and the resulting improvements in blood glucose are associated with improved markers for energy metabolism, such as blood lipids and a healthy body weight. Optimal body weight and body fat are major benefits gained from the proper regulation of blood sugar and insulin, and Cr is critical for this process.

Micronutrient minerals are essential to all life. For the entire duration of human evolution, we have consumed our key micronutrients in their complex food forms as plants, animals or micro-organisms, like yeast. During the advent of modern Western science and nutrition in the 1900’s, food processors fortified foods with micronutrient mineral salts and synthesized vitamins to ensure adequate nutrient intake in processed foods. These modern methods of nutritional fortification departed from the traditional whole-food sources of minerals.

Chromium is one essential micronutrient that has a long history of consumption in food, with an excellent safety profile in its food-bound form. Whether as a truly organically bound complex form within fruits and vegetables, or in yeast added to foods like bread and beer, food-based micronutrients have not been called into question for efficacy or safety like some non-food bound forms.

Then there are what may be called “pseudo- organic” forms of minerals, which are mistakenly called “organic.” The term “organic” for these forms is misleading, because they are not derived from food forms and are not the same as the food form. The so-called “organic” minerals are often created through industrial chemical processes that typically use petrochemicals, harsh solvents, and processes.

Many studies have attempted to investigate the effect of non-food, chelated “organically bound” chromium, such as picolinate and nicotinate forms. The impact on the body of the so-called “organic” minerals, as well as salt-based micronutrients, such as chromium picolinate and nicotinate, have been studied in detail over the past 30+ years, often yielding conflicting results. The current state of the science on non-food forms of minerals like chromium poses more questions than answers.

For example, studies on chromium picolinate, which is not found in food sources of chromium, generally show limited improvements in absorption, versus the inorganic salt form. Yet in test tube studies,the inorganic salt form of chromium can be pro-oxidant and toxic to DNA. Human case studies have documented potential toxicity from chelated forms. This toxicity has not been found with food-form minerals.

GTF chromium is an important ingredient that potentiates insulin action by orchestrating the efficient conversion of energy from food carbohydrates. This improved glucose regulation is known to support healthy levels of body fat and a person’s ideal body weight and composition.

Yeast is grown in a controlled environment using a specific strain optimized for quality and consistency. Yeast is the unparalleled micronutrient delivery form, permitting accurate and precise standardization of nutrient content within very narrow limits. Meanwhile, food-form nutrients from sources like plants or animals are subject to wide variation and contaminant levels due to differences in climate, origin, species or variety, and method of processing.

People who are overweight or obese, diabetic, pre-diabetic, or have risk factors for metabolic syndrome.

Chromium deficiency is strongly correlated with a higher risk of insulin resistance and predispose a person to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Research on early onset Type-2 diabetics found an effective dose at 42 mcg per day chromium from chromium yeast.

Pregnant and lactating women, and children
These groups are particularly susceptible to micronutrient deficiency, particularly in areas where locally grown food is low in chromium. Chromium is lost through breast milk in lactating women and needs to be replaced through dietary consumption. Women do not appear to reduce chromium excretion during lactation to make up for increased demand for the baby. Acceptable intake values for chromium are therefore higher for breastfeeding women than for non-lactating women. Transfer of chromium to neonatal rats from the mother was found with chromium yeast, but not chromium salt.

Aging Populations
Older people often do not absorb nutrients and minerals as well as younger people. Chromium stores in our bodies reduce gradually as we age, which places many at risk for chromium deficiencies. A study on chromium-rich brewer’s yeast in elderly people, with normal and borderline diabetic-fasting blood sugar levels, found a significant reduction in oral glucose tolerance, cholesterol and plasma triglycerides. Medications that interfere with insulin response may also suppress chromium status.

People on popular fad diets
People on popular fad diets, as well as typical high-carbohydrate western diets, people on fasting diets or those who consume poor nutrition, low-carb, high fiber, calorie restriction or ketogenic diets often do not consume or absorb a sufficient amount of chromium. Most diets offer less than 60% of the recommended minimum intake of 50 mcg per day. High consumption of dietary fiber and phytate and old age may also be associated with lower chromium status. People on high-carbohydrate, high- sugar diets tend to excrete more chromium in urine, which requires supplementation to replace what is lost. Vegetarians and vegans consuming diets low in whole grains and high in sugar may have low chromium levels as a result. Also, people with compromised gastrointestinal absorption, or those on long-term restricted diets, require chromium in order to maintain normal blood-glucose management.

Athletes
A number of studies have found that aerobic exercise increases urinary excretion of chromium. This may be due to the increased protein turnover during physical activity, which releases the body’s stores of chromium. Athletes and those undergoing high levels of physical exertion may require increased supplementation of chromium to replace excreted stores.

People with abnormal stomach acidity
Dissolution and absorption of chromium appears to be highest under acidic conditions normally found in the stomach. People who take acid regulators or antacids may have reduced chromium absorption, based on limited evidence.

• GTF is produced from a living organism (yeast), has been shown to be better absorbed, and may be more efficient for activation of membrane phosphotyrosine phosphatase in mammals.

• Chromium picolinate is synthetically produced, not food-bound, and not generated by a living organism. Picolinate and polynicotinate are ‘pseudo- organic’ chemicals used to chelate chromium and are not found in the body at any appreciable level.

• The absorption of non-food forms of chromium like chromium picolinate is low due to degradation in the stomach at low pH. Thus, picolinate has been shown to be about equally absorbed as inorganic chromium salt (Chromium trichloride).

• Cytotoxic, genotoxic and mutagenic effects, mitochondrial damage and apoptosis (cell death) have been reported for chromium picolinate-using mammalian cell cultures, Drosophila and animal models. The potential toxicity of CrPic has raised concerns about the safety of supplements that contain this compound.

• The United States Food and Drug Administation (FDA) has concluded that that the relationship between chromium picolinate intake and insulin resistance is uncertain.

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