diabetes

Chromium and Diabetes: an effective remedy?

Chromium is a well-known micronutrient among diabetics due to its potential to increase sensitivity to insulin by improving glucose tolerance.

From a metabolic point of view, chromium appears to be able to enhance the actions of insulin, falling within the so-called glucose tolerance factor, a low molecular weight substance that - by binding to insulin and its receptor - would initiate that cascade of intracellular events leading to migration of the glucose transporter pool from the cytoplasm to the cell membrane. A natural source of this factor, in which chromium is found bound to nicotinic acid and glutathione, is represented by brewer's yeast; its bioavailability is considered very high, clearly higher than that of trivalent chromium, much more represented in food (the mineral is instead highly toxic and carcinogenic in the tetravalent form released into the environment as an industrial pollutant).

As regards the position of the most authoritative scientific institutions on the usefulness of chromium integration in the treatment of patients with type two diabetes mellitus, we recall the meta-analyzes reported in the bibliography, according to which this practice can bring modest but significant benefits. The conditional is a must, given that - in the light of contradictory data - the examination of the scientific literature has given inconclusive results. For this there is still a lot of skepticism towards this practice, expressed - among other things - also by the American Diabetes Association.

As it is more bioavailable, chromium is marketed in the form of its picolinate salt (chromium + picolinic acid), as a supplement intended to fill any deficiencies, which are extremely rare and demonstrated only in subjects subjected to extremely restrictive nutritional regimens. Although a reduced sensitivity to insulin has been observed in these patients, it is not said - nor demonstrated - that supplementation with chromium picolinate has safe and consistent benefits in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

The dosages of chromium picolinate normally proposed in the treatment of diabetes mellitus are in the order of 600-1000 mcg / day (micrograms per day); to the common doses of employment no relevant side effects are reported.

In the near future we will test the effects on chromium humans administered in alternative forms, or associated with the other components of the glucose tolerance factor (nicotinic acid and glutathione, the latter composed of glycine, cysteine ​​and glutamic acid, and integrable through supplements of N-acetylcysteine). The lack of these important nutrients to support the action of trivalent chromium could explain the lack of response of some diabetic patients to chromium picolinate supplementation. Among the most recent studies, for example, we note that a yeast supplement of 9 g / day (42 μg of chromium) guaranteed a significant improvement in the glycemic profile (glycemia, glycated hemoglobin) and lipid (total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL) in subjects with recent onset diabetes. Brewer's yeast, besides being rich in chromium, also contains generous amounts of amino acids, selenium and B-group vitamins.

Essential bibliography