Optimal - The Blog
July 1, 2025
Chromium is an essential trace mineral that helps the body process carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It’s found naturally in small amounts in foods like broccoli, potatoes, grape juice, yeast, cinnamon, cloves, and turmeric.
However, food processing—such as turning whole wheat into white flour—can strip away up to 70% of its chromium content, and diets high in sugar can increase chromium loss in urine, potentially leading to deficiencies.
Because chromium plays a key role in blood‐sugar regulation, people with diabetes, prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may benefit from supplementation.
Clinical studies show that daily doses above 200 ug (and up to 1,000 ug) can significantly improve fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c, triglycerides, and “good” HDL cholesterol—effects comparable to some diabetes medications. Both chromium chloride and yeast‐derived chromium supplements have demonstrated these benefits.
Measuring blood chromium levels is challenging because “normal” ranges vary depending on the reason for testing: nutrient status, industrial or toxic exposure, or even from joint prosthetics.
Reported average plasma chromium in healthy adults falls around 0.16 µg/L (0.6–6 nmol/L), but levels can differ based on diet, supplements, medications, and how blood is collected.
Importantly, the toxic hexavalent form (CrVI) highlighted in the Erin Brockovich story is entirely different from the beneficial trivalent form (CrIII) found in food and supplements.
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