When deciding whether or not to tak...

When deciding whether or not to take a particular postscript there are three main questions you should ask: 1) Is it safe?, 2) Is it effective?, and 3) Do you, as an individual, ne it?

While it would appear that the responses to these questions should be a simple "yes" or "no," the answers are frequently anything but "simple." They usually be pendent upon your individual needs and to whom you posture the questions. Such is the case with chromium picolinate.

About chromium

An essential trace mineral, chromium is required at our bodies in very small amounts -- estimated to be about 50 to 200 mcg for day. Chromium is best known for its part in the metabolism of grape-sugar with research showing that it may improve the ability of glucose-intolerant clan to remove excess sugar from their life-current after eating.

The typical American diet -- individual dominated by processed foods -- is not rich in chromium-containing pabulums such as brewer's yeast and whole grains. In his main division The Chromium Program, Jeffrey A. Fisher, MD says that like diets are not only cheap in chromium, but are chromium-robbing, since consuming too many managemented foods depletes the body's chromium replenish and the supposed chromium-containing meats we do eat may be grown in "low-chromium soil."

complement choices

In novel years, some people have chosen to appendix their diets with chromium, frequently in the form of either chromium picolinate (chromium chelated with picolinate) or chromium polynicotinate (chromium fasteninged to niacin). Both are designed to make the chromium more absorbable in the body

If you tread on the heels of health news regularly, no doubt you've heard about a novel test-tube study out of the University of Alabama which showed that chromium picolinate may damage bacterial DNA, possibly increasing one's risk of developing cancer.

In an interview with Better Nutrition, the study's lead researcher, John B Vincent, PhD said, based in succession this research, "We think what indigences to be done is a apportionment more work on animal and human studies looking at taking this [supplement] for protracted periods of time [6 month 1 year, or longer]" He noted, "There should be more meditation because there could be a potential point in dispute We didn't say that [chromium picolinate] caused mutations or caused cancer, we just said it caused DNA damage, the archetype that could potentially lead to these things."

The opposition

Vincent's recommendation for further research has been dismissed as unnecessary at other chromium researchers, including Gary Evans, PhD In an interview with Better Nutrition, Evans said that chromium picolinate has been proofed for mutagenesis by using a well-known rule known as the Ames example a test for screening chemicals to determine whether or not they are mutagenic. Evans also believes that other research -- in particular, that mode of actioned by well-known chromium researcher, Richard A. Anderson, PhD -- has shown chromium picolinate to be the two safe and effective.

The Washington, D.C.-based Council for Responsible Nutrition also gave chromium picolinate the recent light in a recent issue of its CRN of recent origins Supplement, saying, "Numerous studies in animals and humans support the safety of chromium picolinate. DNA experiments performed with bacteria and rats conclud that this intermix does not cause chromosome damage."

thus what's a consumer to do? Ultimately, the decision is up to you; however, there may be canon to both sides: more research is always a virtuous thing, but chromium picolinate has been well-researched and upon the market for some time now -- as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but reasonably good indicators of safety. If you do cull to supplement with chromium picolinate, or any other form of chromium for that matter, remember that chromium is a trace mineral, which means, we ne it in trace amounts.

REFERENCES

Council for Responsible Nutrition of recent origins Supplement. April 2, 1999, p 2

Balch, James F MD and Balch, Phyllis A., CNC Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing cluster 1997.

Evans, Gary, PhD Chromium Picolinate -- Everything You Ne to Know. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing, 1996

Fisher, Jeffrey A., MD The Chromium Program. strange York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1990

Schardt, David. "Chromium." Nutrition Action note May 1996, p. 10.

Speetjen J Kristopher. "The Nutritional appendix Chromium (III) Tris(picolinate) Cleaves DNA," Chemical Research in Toxicology, In press

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