The United States Food and Drug Administration, in 2006, stated that the relationship between intake of chromium picolinate and insulin resistance is highly uncertain.
Chromium is required in small quantities for utilization of glucose by insulin. Since this process is disrupted in obese and diabetic people, many of them take this supplement for weight loss and insulin regulation.
Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, have found that this compound reduces the inflammation associated kidney disease in diabetic people (diabetic nephropathy). Results of the study were discussed at the 2010 American Physiological Society conference, Cardiovascular Disease, Inflammation and Immunity in Westminster, Colorado.
Knowledge Gained from Research on Chromium Picolinate and Diabetic Nephropathy:
- The study was carried out on experimental six week old mice by dividing them into three groups, namely, the lean healthy ones, the obese diabetic treated mice and the obese diabetic untreated mice.
- The healthy and untreated mice groups were given normal diet and the treated mice group was given a diet rich in this chromium supplement.
- After six months of study, the blood and urine tests were done of the mice belonging to all the three groups.
- As expected, the untreated mice had nearly 10 times more albumin protein in their urine. It is a characteristic symptom of kidney ailments.
- The treated group of mice excreted 50 percent less albumin protein in their urine comparatively.
- The mice were euthanized (easy and painless death) as part of the research study to find out the state of their kidneys.
- Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 17 (IL-17) are two markers associated with inflammation in kidneys.
- These markers were less present in the kidneys of the treated mice when compared to the kidneys of the untreated mice.
- This finding suggested that chromium picolinate was responsible for reducing inflammation in the kidneys of obese diabetic mice.
The researchers believe that further studies are required to be carried out before the conclusions could be extended to humans.
