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Health News Archive 409 - Diabetes
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Chromium Helps Control Weight and Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Diabetics

Still regarded by the American Diabetic Association as “highly uncertain” in its ability to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, prior to this study, chromium picolinate lacked the “gold standard” methods in study design and dosage used.

A new study published in the August 2006 issue of Diabetes Care has found that chromium picolinate helps diabetics maintain normal weight and improve insulin sensitivity. In the study, 37 patients with type 2 diabetes were given 5 mg per day of a common type 2 diabetes prescription drug called sulfonylurea and a placebo for three months. Patients were then randomly assigned to one of two groups and either kept on the sulfonylurea-placebo regimen or given 1,000 micrograms of chromium picolinate for six months. Throughout the study researchers measured body composition, insulin sensitivity, and blood sugar control.

Researchers found that, compared to those in the sulfonylurea -chromium picolinate group, those in the sulfonylurea-placebo group had a “significant increase” in body weight (4.84 lbs vs. 0.9 lbs), body fat (1.17% vs. 0.12%), and total abdominal fat (32.5 cm² vs. 12.2 cm²) over the course of the study. Those in the sulfonylurea-chromium picolinate group had significant improvements in insulin sensitivity compared to the placebo group.

The researchers concluded, “this study demonstrates that chromium picolinate supplementation in subjects with type 2 diabetes  . . . significantly improves insulin sensitivity and [blood sugar] control” and that “chromium picolinate supplementation significantly [prevented] body weight gain and fat accumulation compared with the placebo group.”

Source: Martin J. Chromium Picolinate Supplementation Attenuates Body Weight Gain and Increases Insulin Sensitivity in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care 2006; 29(8): 1826-1832.

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