You are here: Q&A->
Page 14->Chromium picolinate concerns
Chromium picolinate concerns
After reading your recent fitness special (January 18, 2001) which recommended a supplement called Chromium picolinate for weight loss and muscle gain, I decided to find out more from the Internet. I was very concerned to find an article claiming this supplement can cause DNA damage making it dangerous. Why is it still on sale?
The Chromium picolinate industry in America is worth in excess of $100 million and to date, there have been no reported fatalities. While proponents argue that the supplement can bring about a significant increase in lean body mass by altering the rate of insulin metabolism, others argue that there is an unknown risk of chromium accumulation in the liver and kidneys and that the supplement should be banned.
In my initial researches for this article, I came across the same article you found by Ann de Wees Allen, N.D. which condemned Chromium picolinate as dangerous for humans. In fact, it would have been hard to miss this web story since every search engine I tried called up this paper first. It was not, as you know, a research paper but an article by a nutritionist examining the implications of new American research which found that this supplement, in non-toxic doses, could cause DNA damage in bacteria.
The key thing here is that the scientist who did the research is not the person saying this supplement is dangerous. He did not call for a ban - and indeed, neither the oft draconian US Food & Drink Administration (FDA) or the UK’s Medicines Control Agency (MCA) has banned it. He simply said this called for further research into its long-term use and said “We didn’t say that chromium picolinate caused mutations or caused cancer. We just said it caused DNA damage of the type that could, potentially, lead to these things.”
You may also have discovered, in your researches, that some of the more aggressive American companies selling this supplement have, quite rightly, been taken to task through the courts for making wild and unsubstantiated claims for its efficacy. What you may not have known is that equally new research, conducted by scientists at the University of Texas Medical School, investigating how weight loss supplements including this formulation work, have confirmed that it really does work.
When there is conflicting evidence over a supplement, one of the most useful, reliable and comprehensive databases to consult is Healthnotes which is compiled by American doctors and naturopaths who examine all the evidence, human, animal and in vitro, before making their current recommendations. On the subject of Chromium picolinate the authors report: ‘In theory, the reported chromosomal changes in bacteria could increase the risk of cancer but so far, chromium intake has not been linked to increased incidence of cancer in humans.”
The fact is, you have to decide your own priorities. If you want to change your body shape, do you want to take a pill - and risk possible side-effects which we cannot know until someone, somewhere does the research - or will you decide to sweat the fat off in the gym? It might help you decide if you take note that critics of the animal studies also insist the researchers were all using too high dosages. The recommended daily dose for humans is actually 200 mcg (micrograms).
*For details of Healthnotes, call the Nutricentre on 0207-436 0422. The database, which is revised annually, is available on CD-Rom. If you want to preview it, you will find it is also widely used on most Internet health sites.