Health Benefits Of Chromium Supplements

Chromium supplements are increasingly popular in the gym community because of their health benefits, including the support of optimal metabolism. The first thing that might come to your mind when thinking about chromium is that it is a metal. Chromium is in the transition metals series and is also an essential trace element for the body to function normally. Your levels of chromium naturally drop as you age.

With many people reliant on processed and fast foods, or not really considering their food choices, chromium deficiency is more prevalent than you might think. This can lead to metabolic dysfunctions and this can cause serious health issues.

Other issues that can arise from chromium use are growth impairment and reduced fertility. This is because of how important chromium is in sustaining metabolic or energy producing reactions throughout the body. Lets take a closer look at how chromium works in the body and how chromium supplements could have health benefits.

Foods Rich In Chromium

To avoid chromium mineral deficiency, many people should look first to improve the accessibility of chromium from your diet. It is important that you consume a good basis of all the minerals and vitamins the body needs. This can be done through your diet. There are foods naturally higher in chromium such as certain meats, cheese, nuts, whole grain products, green beans and egg yolks. Safe dietary intake of chromium is between 50 to 200µg per day. Your RDA of chromium is about 35µg for males and 25µg for women. Most diets actually contain less than 60% of the suggested chromium minimum intake of 50µg per day. This emphasises the importance of maintaining and improving your chromium levels.

Chromium For Optimal Metabolism

Chromium is coveted by bodybuilders and athletes because of how it assists with enhancing lean body mass. Through assisting optimal metabolism and normal use of glucose, chromium suppresses appetite. It is no wonder then that chromium promotes healthy blood glucose levels, or glycemic levels, as well as normalized blood pressure.

Insulin is a glucose level regulating hormone. Insulin has a massive influence on cellular metabolism or nutrient and energy production. Chromium has been shown to improve certain insulin hormone receptor activities and insulin cell signalling. Chromium also joins a protein called chromodulin and this helps insulin to bind to receptors. This activities are how it has a lot of its effects on the body’s metabolism.

Through optimized metabolism, chromium supports healthy body mass and composition. Chromium has been seen to not just reduce fat composition in the body, but to improve muscle mass too. Of course, muscle needs a constant supply of calories and nutrients. This might be a reason why chromium supports lean muscle mass. This is one reason why chromium supplements are so popular, especially with athletes. These finding are supported through various studies with chromium supplements.

With essential elements, the form of mineral used in the supplement is really important. The wrong type of chromium could end up causing carcinogenic or allergy issues in the body. Transition metals like chromium can exist in different states. Chromium 3+ or trivalent chromium III is the one that should be used in supplements.

Amongst the most researched and well used chromium supplements, chromium picolinate is very popular. Chromium picolinate seems to have demonstrated safety over time and has clinical studies supporting its use to improve chromium status in the blood.

Chromium Loss In Sweat

Another thing that athletes need to consider is electrolyte use, degradation and loss through sweat. When you direct the hard work of your exercise into your muscle mass, you naturally use resources and lose water containing salts in your sweat. Studies show that chromium is lost through your sweat during exercise.

Because of this chromium is also really popular as a body replenishing or revitalizing supplement, pre or post exercise and may potentially benefit athletes. Other times when chromium loss occurs is in stressful situations, for example pregnancy and during infections. Lower chromium status in birth can lead to lower birth weight or diabetes.

Chromium And Diabetes Prevention

Chromium deficiency, such as during excessive elite level exercise, can lead to impaired insulin functioning. This is natural, considering how important chromium is in maintaining normal metabolism. These conditions of impaired metabolism would mimic insulin resistance, such as that which occurs through the development of diabetes.

As a result of this influence on insulin, chromium has been shown to have an important role in the development of diabetes, glucose intolerance and steroid induced diabetes. Diabetes patients can be given chromium to support their condition, including high-chromium yeast supplements. This is often seen to improve glycemic controls naturally, including other diabetes markers like glucose levels and LDL levels.

The results of chromium use here highlight its benefits in maintaining a normal metabolism, normal energy levels and optimal overall health. More research needs to be done to confirm an effective treatment for diabetes. One day chromium supplements might form a part of diabetic treatment due to their potential health benefits.

Chromium Supplements And Cardiovascular Health

Studies with chromium picolinate have shown that, in addition to insulin resistance, supplementation reduces risk of cardiovascular disease. Specifically, the chances of plaque build-up in your blood vessels reduce with chromium picolinate use.

While chromium has been seen to improve LDL, other studies have found that HDL cholesterol levels in the blood improve with Chromium III supplement use. This means that adequate chromium status, including from supplements, has health benefits for maintaining optimum cardiovascular health.

Role As An Antioxidant

Chromium is also thought to be an antioxidant. Reactive oxygen species, or free radicals, are highly reactive chemicals. Chromium III has a role in protecting cells from reactive oxygen species that could damage cells. This includes protecting cell components and DNA that can malfunction from damage. Oxidative damage can also cause cancer. Antioxidants like chromium have an antiaging effect. Chromium might therefore have health benefits as an antiaging antioxidant.

Conclusion

Chromium plays an important role in the body, with chromium sufficiency producing optimal metabolism and energy production. It is an essential trace element found in high amounts in meats, nuts and egg yolks. Safe intake levels are around 50 to 200µg per day.

Supplemental chromium is very popular with athletes to support lean muscle mass and growth. The more efficient use of calories from the same amount of food is likely to contribute to this.

Chromium has a role as a helper for insulin, a key hormone that controls glucose or sugar use in the body. It has an effect on different pathways in the cell related to insulin activity, supporting normal activity. Because of its effect on glucose use, it also has effects on cell growth and fertility. Chromium can be lost with other sweats in salts, so it is important to replenish or revitalize chromium levels.

Excessive chromium loss can lead to diabetes. Because chromium is thought to support normal insulin levels, it is therefore thought to be able to support diabetes suffers. Chromium supplements might also have heart health benefits through supporting higher HDL cholesterol levels and improving LDL levels.

It also plays a role as an antioxidant in the body, protecting the body from oxidative damage and stress. Oxidative damage can cause cells to malfunction or cause cancers. Chromium has an effect as an antiaging antioxidant in the body.

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