Chromium Picolinate Weight Loss and Side Effects

Chromium Picolinate plays a key role in the burning of carbohydrates and the fats in the body, and also helps insulin function, regulating blood sugar levels. Some research suggests that Chromium Picolinate can help reduce blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes.

Benefit of Chromium Picolinate

Chromium Picolinate is often promoted as a supplements that helps build muscle and burn fat, but there's little evidence to support this. However, Chromium Picolinate is a dietary supplement that's useful for helping to suppress appetite and food cravings. It's an ideal supplement for older individuals, as the body absorbs less chromium with age.

The biggest benefit of Chromium Picolinate may be its effect on suppressing appetites, leading to some weight loss. Other than that, the stuff you read about Chromium helps to gain muscle and lose fat isn't backed by substantiative evidence.

Danger of Chromium Picolinate and Side Effects

Generally, using Chromium Picolinate short term is not linked to any side effects, however, studies have noted few reports of irregular heartbeats, and also few studies have found chromium picolinate to cause changes in sleep patterns.

These side effects of Chromium Picolinate are rather minor and really aren't a cause for concern. What's notable is that a study from Dartmouth college found that Chromium Picolinate could damage the genetic material in hamster cells, and this raises the concern whether Chromium Picolinate can also cause cancer and affect the DNA in humans.

In a 1999 study done by University of Alabama, the researchers found when Chromium picolinate is taken in combination with ascorbic acid in vitamin C supplements, the Chromium Picolinate may cause DNA damage, and possibly lead to cancer.

This area still lacks long term extensive research to really show what kind of long term effects chromium picolinate may have on Human DNA and also the possibilities of increased risk of cancer.

For what it does - suppressing appetite - Chromium Picolinate works pretty good, but whether you're willing to take the risks associated with chromium picolinate is up to you. (It's really tough to say just how much effect chromium picolinate will have on human DNA in real life situations.) There really isn't much evidence to show that there's wide spread deficiency in chromium picolinate; however, for older individuals, the body absorbs less chromium, so supplementing Chromium Picolinate may be of consideration.

The RDA of chromium picolinate should not exceed 1200 micrograms (mcg) per day as this may result in liver and kidney problems. Pregnant or breast feeding women should avoid Chromium Picolinate.

Chromium picolinate is a rather cheap supplement, and you can get it online for around $10 bucks or less.

>> Click here for Sci-fit Chromium Picolinate 200 caps - $9.50
>> Click here for Twinlab Chromium Picolinate 100 caps - $5.95

Back to Bodybuilding Supplements Home Page

If you found this article informative and helpful please forward it to someone you know who can benefit from this information.