5 Things You Need to Know About Chromium

1. A Little Goes a Long Way

You really only need a small amount of chromium in your diet. Even so, many people are chromium deficient. Two thirds of Americans are pre-hyperglycemic, hyperglycemic or diabetic. That's because chromium keeps your blood sugar level steady and helps your energy. It works with GTF or Glucose Tolerance Factor and controls your insulin.

2. Crash and Burn

Without enough chromium, you'll feel lethargic, tired or anxious. A deficiency can also cause a glucose intolerance and heighten your risk of arteriosclerosis. If you are overweight, exercise a lot, crave sugar or have high cholesterol, it's a good idea to boost your chromium intake. It's an even better idea to combine it with Vitamin B3. B-vitamins help improve your energy, too.

3. Boost Chromium Rich Foods

Some foods contain chromium in small amounts. Whole grain foods, meat, some vegetables, fruits and spices are good sources of chromium. Foods that have a lot of sugar such as fructose or sucrose don't have much chromium. If you eat more broccoli, mashed potatoes, whole wheat English muffins, eggs, brewer's yeast, beef and turkey breast, you'll get more chromium into your system. Likewise, spices like garlic and basil also contain chromium.

4. Pop a Pill

Chromium Picolinate is readily available in supplement form. It's basically chromium mixed with a natural amino acid metabolite. Some people use it as a supplement to burn carbohydrates. It's proven to work well to help you lost fat and increase your lean muscle mass. The recommended minimum dosage for chromium picolinate is 120 micrograms per day. This is the bare minimum, to ward off chromium deficiency. There are some dangers of chromium picolinate. Some people develop liver or kidney damage or gastrointestinal ulcers if they take too much over a long period of time.

5. Remember Erin Brockovich?

In the movie, Erin Brockovich campaigned against a major company because they polluted the ground water with hexavalent chromium. There is a major difference between hexavalet chromium and trivalent chromium. Hexavalent chromium is very toxic. It's considered a human carcinogen via inhalation. It can cause cancer, DNA damage and a host of other serious medical problems.

Last updated on: Nov 18, 2009

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