Chromium picolinate is a mineral associated with weight loss due to the way chromium affects your body's insulin receptors. However, in the mid-1990s, the Federal Trade Commission took action against several marketers of chromium picolinate supplements for making unsubstantiated claims about their products. Human studies show that if you want to lose weight, taking chromium picolinate probably won't help you.
About Chromium
Chromium is a trace mineral that you need to stay in good health; however, you need only very small amounts of it daily, according to MayoClinic.Com. Because chromium deficiency is so rare, there is no recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, established for this mineral. However, it is generally recommended that teens and adults get between 50 to 200 mcg daily. The exact way chromium exerts its effects is still unknown, but the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center indicates that researchers believe it normalizes your blood sugar level and insulin activity. Foods such as American cheese, fish, fruits, meat and whole grains contain chromium.
Marketing Claims
The FTC first began warning consumers about chromium picolinate supplement marketers as early as November 1996. Touting it as the "medical miracle of the 1990s," marketers claimed not only that Americans didn't get enough chromium in their diets and were in danger of serious health complications, but that chromium picolinate, the salt form of this mineral, helped with weight loss and increased lean muscle mass. At the time the FTC made its announcement, retail sales for chromium supplements topped an estimated $100 million yearly.
What Research Shows
According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, numerous human trials have put chromium supplements to task as a weight loss aid. Results of these studies do not support chromium for weight loss or increased muscle mass. A study published in the March 2007 issue of "Nutrition" by the U.S. Department of Agriculture examined the effects of chromium picolinate supplementation in 83 women. The women were given chromium picolinate, picolinic acid or a placebo in a 12-week, double-blind, randomized trial. Results indicated that neither chromium picolinate nor picolinic acid promote weight loss or change the composition of your body.
FTC Action
In 1996, the FTC took action against three California-based chromium picolinate supplement marketers for making unproven claims about their products, specifically that scientific research supports chromium as a weight loss aid and that 90 percent of Americans don't get enough chromium. Additionally, the testimonials used did not reflect the average experience of chromium supplement users. However, although the false claims used to promote chromium picolinate supplements have long since been revealed, it continues to be available on the consumer market and used as a weight loss aid.
Chromium and You
Chromium picolinate supplements are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a dietary supplement, not a drug. Whenever you take a dietary supplement, your product's safety and efficacy are not assured. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center notes that you shouldn't take chromium supplements if you have liver or kidney problems or take sulfonylureas or insulin. Talk to your doctor before using dietary supplements such as chromium picolinate to address your health concerns.
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