If you want to lose weight, an appetite suppressant sounds like the perfect addition to your medicine cabinet. An over-the-counter supplement that doesn't have unpleasant side effects sounds even better. Manufacturers tout chromium, a mineral needed by the body in very small amounts, as an appetite suppressant that will also improve blood sugar levels. But clinical studies don't always reach the same conclusion.
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Chromium may make you less hungry by decreasing insulin resistance and increasing insulin sensitivity in cells. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, helps cells remove glucose from your bloodstream. When you produce too much insulin, your cells may become resistant to its effects. More glucose stays in your bloodstream and your fasting blood glucose levels rise. Because the cells don't respond by removing glucose, the pancreas makes more insulin. Having high levels of insulin increases hunger, so decreasing insulin resistance may decrease hunger.
Studies
While some studies show that chromium improves insulin resistance, others show no effect. In a United States Department of Agriculture study published in the November 1997 issue of "Diabetes," both fasting and postprandial insulin levels dropped after two and four months of supplementation with either 100 mcg or 500 mcg of chromium twice a day. However, a study conducted by researchers from the Joslin Diabetes Center and Australian researchers published in the March 2005 issue of "Diabetes Care" found no benefit in people with impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance who took 800 mcg of chromium daily for three months.
Risks
Chromium in large doses may cause changes in cellular DNA that could increase the risk of developing cancer, registered dietitian Joanne Larsen, M.S. reports on the Ask the Dietitian website. This effect was noted only in one type of chromium, chromium picolinate, eMed TV reports. Chromium picolinate is a form of chromium supposedly absorbed more efficiently into the body, although evidence is lacking. Other potential side effects include headaches, nausea, vomiting or irritability.
Considerations
Studies have not proven that chromium specifically reduces hunger. Improving insulin resistance may decrease hunger, but studies on chromium's effects on insulin also have not proven a definite benefit. You need a very small amount of chromium in your diet, although a recommended dietary allowance has not been established due to insufficient evidence. The adequate intake recommendation ranges from 0.2 mcg for newborns to 45 mcg for nursing mothers. Most Americans get this easily from their diet.
References
- Ask the Dietitian; Chromium; Joanne Larsen, R.D.
- "Diabetes"; Elevated Intakes of Supplemental Chromium Improve Glucose and Insulin Variables in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes; R. Anderson, et al.; November 1997
- eMed TV; Chromium Picolinate; Kristi Moson, Pharm.D., et al.; July 2008
- "Diabetes Care"; Chromium Supplementation Does Not Improve Glucose Tolerance, Insulin Sensitivity, or Lipid Profile; Jenny Gunton, et al.; March 2005
- Louisiana State University Shreveport; Diabetes Mellitus; M. Harper, M.D.; 2005
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