Most of us have sweet tooth and love sugar-loaded stuffs like cookies, soft drinks, candies and desserts, so much so that this habit has become part of our daily life. From the Nutritional Science perspective, such sweet foodstuffs containing glucose, is our body’s main fuel source. Glucose can be rapidly absorbed and utilised by tissue cells to produce needed energy. It also helps in increasing the secretion of adrenaline, responsible for suppressing the unhappiness feeling and thus enables us to feel good.After a meal, blood sugar or glucose circulating in the bloodstream tends to rise. At exceedingly high level, the organs in the body have to work harder. For a healthy body, the mechanism is in place to regulate the blood sugar to a normalised level as soon as possible. However, high sugar consumption can take the toll on the body and force a break down of the organs in the long run.
History
Weapons found in burial pits dating from the late 3rd century BC Qin Dynasty of the Terracotta Army near Xi’an, China have been analyzed by archaeologists. Although buried more than 2,000 years ago, the ancient bronze tips of crossbow bolts and swords found at the site showed no sign of corrosion, because the bronze was coated with this mineral – chromium.
It later came to the attention of the west when Louis Nicolas Vauquelin discovered it in the mineral crocoite in 1797. Crocoite was used as a pigment, and after the discovery that the mineral chromite also contains chromium, this mineral was used to produce pigments as well. Chromium was regarded with great interest because of its high corrosion resistance and hardness. A major development was the discovery that steel could be made highly resistant to corrosion and discoloration by adding chromium to form stainless steel.In general, chromium is present in two forms:
1) Trivalent (chromium 3+ in which three atoms can combine with other atoms), the only form found in supplements safe to take, and also biologically active and found in food;
2) Hexavalent (chromium 6+), a toxic form that results from industrial pollution. It is not a nutrient, and thus not found in food.
Recent discovery
Bodybuilders believe that chromium picolinate diverts energy to building muscle and strength. Together with chromium chloride and chromium polynicotinate, they are the most common supplemental sources available.
Chromium picolinate absorption, whilst limited (less than 4%), is still significantly greater than that of chromium chloride. The low absorption percentage, which decreases further when intake is increased, may be part of the reason chromium is not toxic. This is further established after both chromium were fed to thousand of rats at the NRC’s upper limit (on a body-weight basis) with no evidence of toxicity.
Natural Source
Plants do not require chromium, and the chromium content of food plants depends on the amount and form of this mineral in the soil in which the plants grow. The dietary source of chromium includes liver, beef, brewer’s yeast, whole-grain cereals, broccoli and wheat germs. Though it is widely distributed in the food supply, most foods provide only small amounts (less than 2 micrograms per serving) and at low levels in foods high in simple sugars (eg. sucrose and fructose).
Positive effects
+ Chromium is much needed in the liver, kidney, spleen and bone to normalise metabolism of carbohydrate, protein and fat with any excess stored in these organs for further use.
+ Chromium is involved in two vital functions: converts blood sugar into cellular energy and aids in promoting proper insulin (the hormone secreted by the pancreas) sensitivity. In Type I diabetes, the cells of the pancreas do not produce and secrete enough insulin. Type II diabetes develops when the amount of insulin secreted is normal yet ineffective in causing cells to take in glucose from the blood.
In a four-month, double-blind study carried out in China involving 180 people with Type II diabetes, the result showed chromium administered at higher dosage affected biochemical indicators of diabetes favorably.
What affects chromium levels in the body?
Absorption of chromium from the intestinal tract is low, ranging from less than 0.4% – 2.5% of the amount consumed, and the remainder is excreted in the faeces. Enhancing the mineral’s absorption are vitamin C (found in fruits and vegetables and their juices) and the B vitamin niacin (found in meats, poultry, fish and grain products).
The body’s chromium content may be reduced under several conditions -
+ Diets high in simple sugars (comprising more than 35% of calories) can increase chromium excretion in the urine.
+ Infection, acute exercise, pregnancy and lactation and stressful states (such as physical trauma) increase chromium losses and can lead to deficiency, especially if chromium intakes are already low.
+ Older people are more vulnerable to chromium depletion than younger adults.
+ More chromium is required in current time due to premature aging, hectic pace of modern living, mineral depletion in the soil and high intake of highly processed foods.
Symptoms of deficiency
A lack of chromium can impair insulin function, inhibit muscle development and energy production. The sufferer can have symptoms like anxiety, fatigue, loss of mental acumen, reduced immune response, unwanted weight gain, acne, glucose intolerant and unhealthy lipid profile.
A serious chromium deficiency is rare and can result in metabolic problems like diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases -
Obesity – It helps to combat obesity by increasing muscle mass, decreasing body fat and promoting weight loss. It works by curbing appetite and reducing sugar cravings through its ability to regulate blood sugar levels. Also, it helps to metabolise glucose and fatty acids more efficiently, resulting in more fat loss and gain in lean muscle tissue. Athletes and bodybuilders can benefit from this mineral to achieve better performance with more power for a longer workout.
Cardiovascular diseases – It helps to increase the good cholesterol (HDL) and lower the bad cholesterol (LDL). A study done by Johns Hopkins University found that those with the highest levels of chromium were 35% less likely to have a heart attack than men who were deficient.
Diabetes – Dysfunction of insulin can lead to impaired glucose intolerance and affect blood sugar stability. Constant elevated blood sugar levels is a cause for diabetes and obesity, as well as malfunctioning of the endocrine system. Chromium acts as a co-factor of insulin that assists cells to uptake glucose and release energy.
+ Diabetic patients need to have basic healthcare knowledge of monitoring blood sugar levels to manage the condition. Other than taking preventive measures like proper dieting and exercising, nutritional supplements and healthcare products should be part of regime.
+ It is generally presumed that chromium supplementation is of no benefit to people with Type I diabetes, since their problem is insulin insufficiency. Although this is the case, sometimes Type I is combined with Type II, and chromium supplementation helps the patient overall. For example, blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin concentrations fell in a 28-year-old woman with an 18-year history of Type I diabetes during a three-month period in which she took 200 mcg chromium picolinate twice daily. Apparently, in addition to needing an outside source of insulin, she also had insulin resistance caused by chromium deficiency.
+ Carbohydrates and polysaccharides (complex sugar) groups such as rice, pasta and whole grains are preferred choices because their low glycemic index help to maintain glucose balance and promote satiety, important for weight management. On the contrary, most sweet stuffs contain high level of glycemic index, devoid of nutrition but provide instant energy only.
Health benefits at a glance -
+ Supports healthy glucose and lipid metabolism (improves cardiovascular function)
+ Promotes energy production
+ Promotes better athletic performance by optimising the energy output
+ Assists in weight management by converting body fat into lean muscle mass
+ Improves skin complexion
+ Reduces sugar craving and suppresses appetite
How much to take?
The Food and Nutrition Board of the NRC has recommended a “safe and adequate” range for dietary chromium of 50-200 mcg per day. Food intake analyses suggest that on average Americans consume below the adequate level.
Precautions
+ Note that the toxicity and carcinogenic properties of chromium can lead to DNA damage. Owing to its strong oxidational properties, upon reaching the blood stream, it can cause damages to the kidneys, the liver and blood cells through oxidation reactions. However, recent reviews suggest that moderate uptake of chromium through dietary supplements poses no such risk.
+ Organic form is known to have a much better bioavailability than inorganic chromium (eg. chromium chloride). It is the inorganic form that can be toxic and carcinogenic, and can be risky to our gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidney. Amongst the few forms of chromium supplement, most of the scientists promote chromium yeast as the safest form.
+ Having said that, few serious adverse effects have been linked to high intakes of chromium due to its low absorption. Certain medications (eg. beta-blockers, insulin) may interact with chromium especially when taken on a regular basis.
Source: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/chromium/
VIVA Corner
The unique feature of this product is the advanced and natural source of peptide-bonded chromium yeast (in organic form) to deliver specific nutritional support for healthy glucose metabolism.
