CHROMIUM PICOLINATE

Chromium is an essential trace element in human and animal nutrition. SCHWARZ (1959) had observed liver necrosis in rats which could be cured by a Chromium containing compound - the Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF) - which occurs in yeast, meat and various other nutrients. The structure of GTF remains unknown. It is certain, however, that the compound contains trivalent Chromium. It is assumed that GTF is Chromium complexed by nicotinic acid and various amino acids. Among parenterally fed patients symptoms were observed which were similar to a form of diabetes (in particular glucose intolerance). These symptoms could not be cured by insulin but well by administration of (inorganic) Chromium (JEEJEEBHOY, 1977, FREUND, 1979). Glucose intolerance is characterized by a higher than normal glucose blood level and by a slow decrease of the glucose level after glucose intake (hyperglycemia). The administration of Chromium does also normalize a too low glucose level (hypoglycemia) (ANDERSON, 1983, I). The effect of Chromium appears to be an increase of the efficiency of insulin. Chromium can, however, not substitute insulin (ANDERSON, 1978). While the absorption of Chromium from food or feed is quick (BOREL, 1984), only a small fraction of the available is actually absorbed (0,4 bis 3%) (ANDERSON, 1985). This fraction depends on the quantity offered. When 10 micrograms of Chromium are ingested per day, 2% thereof will be absorbed, while only 0.4% are absorbed if the daily intake is 40 microgramm. Chromium is excreted via the urin. Increased losses occur after glucose consumption (that is, also if the nutrition has a high concentration of monosaccharides (ANDERSON, 1983, II)), and especially after physical exercise (ANDERSON, 1982) and after more serious injuries (BOREL, J. et al., 1984, II). Chromium plays an important role in cell division a role which, however, is not well understood yet (FLORO, 1984). Chromium in form of complexes is better absorbed than simple inorganic Chromium (MERTZ, W., 1969). Thus Chromium in the form of the GTF complex is absorbed at a rate of 10% to 25% (JEEJEEBHOY, 1984). ANDERSON (1983, I) observed that supplementation with 200 micrograms of inorganic Chromium per day and person improved glucose tolerance only after two months. In case of a supplementation with GTF this effect was found after only one week (POTTER, 1985). Because of the poor absorption of inorganic Chromium compounds, salts of organic acids and Chromium have been synthesized and investigated. TOEPFER (1977) synthesized a compound of Chromium, nicotinic acid, glutamic acid and cystein which showed biological acticity and which can be considered an artificial glucose tolerance factor. Another similar, however better defined and more stable compound is Chromium (tri)picolinate. Since picolinic acid has two coordination sites (at the oxygen and the nitrogen atom), the resulting compound is a chelate in which all six coordination sites of the Chromium are saturated. The compound shows special solution behaviour which is probably responsible for the effect. In experiments the expected normalizing effect on the blood sugar level of persons with a weak diabetic disposition was found. With young men participating in a weight lifting program the intake of 200 microgram Chromium per person and day had the effect of a significant decrease of body fat and an increase of the total muscle mass (EVANS, 1989).

References

ANDERSON, R.A. et al., 1978: An improved assay for biologically active chromium, J. Agric. Food Chem., 26: 1219-1221.

ANDERSON, R.A. et al., 1982: Effects of exercise (running) on serum glucose, insulin glucagon and chromium excretion, Diabetes, 31: 212-216 ANDERSON, R.A. et al., 1983, I: Chromium supplementation on human subjects: effects on glucose, insulin and lipid variables, Metabolism, 32: 894-899.

ANDERSON, R.A. et al., 1983, II: Effect of Chromium supplementation on urinary Cr excretion of human subjects and correlation of Cr excretion with selected clinical parameters, J. Nutr., 113: 276-281. ANDERSON, R.A. et al., 1985: Chromium intake, absorption and excretion of subjects consuming self-selected diets, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 41: 1177-1183.

BOREL, J. S. et al., 1984, I: Chromium, in Biochemsitry of the Essential Ultratrace Elements (E. Frieden ed.), Plenum Publishing Corp., New York, p. 175-199

BOREL, J. et al., 1984, II: Chromium intake and urinary chromium excretion of trauma patients, J. Biol. Trace Elements Res., 6: 317-326. EVANS, Gary W., 1989: Int. J. Biosocial Med. Res., 11, 163-180. FLORO, N.A., et al., 1984: Effect of chromium(III) on poly (dG-dC) conformation. Biochemical Biophys. Res. Commun. 124, 106-113 FREUND, H. et al. , 1979: Chromium deficiency during total parenteral nutrition, J. Am. Med. Ass., 241: 496-498.

JEEJEEBHOY, R.C. et al., 1977: Chromium deficiency, glucose intolerance, and neurophathy reversed by chromium supplementation in a patient receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 30: 531-538.

JEEJEEBHOY, K. N., 1984: Zinc and chromium in parenteral nutrition. Bull. N.Y. Acad Med. 60, 118-123

MERTZ, W., 1969: Chromium occurrence and function in biological systems, Physiol Rev., 49: 163-239.

POTTER, F.j. et al., 1985: Glucose metabolism in glucose intolerant older people during chromium supplementation, Metabolism 34, 199-204. SCHWARZ, K.; MERTZ, W., 1959: Chromium and the glucose tolerance factor, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 85, 292-295.

TOEPFER, E.W. et al., 1977: J. Agric. Food Chem., vol. 25, No. 1, 1977, 162-166

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