Chromium Articles
Chromium, B vitamins could
reduce middle-aged spread
Essential Mineral Report
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Chromium, B vitamins could reduce middle-aged spread
Four common supplements - chromium, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and multivitamins - may help slow weight gain in middle-age adults, suggest results from an observational study.
Researchers told a meeting of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians in Seattle last weekend that people, aged 55 on average, who said they took one of these supplements over a 10-year period were less likely to gain weight than their counterparts.
Weight loss research shows that American women gain an average of 16 pounds of body weight from the age of 25 to 54. Men gain an average 10 pounds between the age of 25 to 45, with both sexes losing weight after the age of 55.
The new research suggests that certain vitamins and minerals could help reduce this weight gain.
The team from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle gathered responses to a questionnaire on vitamin, mineral and herbal supplement use over a 10-year period, along with details about diet, physical activity and medical history, from about 15,000 people.
The researchers focused on 14 supplements that are marketed for weight loss and increased energy, either through over-the-counter or Internet advertising. They included CoQ10, DHEA, garlic, ginseng, melatonin, gingko, St John's Wort, fibre supplements, soy supplements, omega-3 fatty acids, the vitamins B6, B12, and multis, as well as chromium.
They analyzed supplement use in relation to weight gain, dividing the subjects into groups based on their body weight - normal, overweight and obese - as well as their gender.
Use of chromium, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and multivitamins appeared to reduce weight gain in more than one group although none of these had an impact on people with normal weight.
For instance, obese women consuming more than 35 mg of vitamin B6 daily gained only 6 pounds on average over the 10 years, compared to 7.5 pounds in those taking a lower dose and 16.1 pounds in those with no B6 supplement use.
"These supplements did not impact every gender and every weight group but each had a significant impact in more than one of these groups," lead author M.C. Nachtigal told NutraIngredients.com.
"The most striking result was chromium, which was significant for both genders in both overweight groups," she added.
Research on the picolinate form of chromium has found that it improves insulin function and glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes. It is also widely marketed as a weight loss supplement.
Nachtigal explained that the study controlled for other factors that may affect weight gain - calorie intake, education, race, smoking habits and exercise.
"It is possible that there is some other factor that we didn't think of. But there is a lot of power in the large number of people we studied - about 7,000 of each gender," she said.
"But we didn't specifically ask when the subjects took the supplements and when they lost weight. So it is possible that some lost weight early on and then started taking the supplements."
She added: "As a clinician I wouldn't start recommending these supplements based purely on this observational trial. I would like to see a clinical trial in a small group on a prescribed diet. And also look at whether these supplements have short-term or long-term effects. But our results are striking."
www.nutraingredients.com
9/14/2004
Essential Mineral Report
Regardless of whether you're a couch potato or high-energy athlete, aging Baby Boomer or teenager, vegetarian or carnivore, there's a good chance your body is deficient in an essential trace mineral: chromium. The quantity of chromium typically stored in your body is almost insignificant -- just 6 milligrams -- yet maintaining adequate chromium levels is critical to proper health, enhanced vitality and longevity. And even though the amount of chromium you need is small, dietary chromium deficiency is very common among the US population.
Your body does not produce chromium so it must be obtained from the foods you eat. Unfortunately, modern agricultural practices used in this country (such as using chemical additives) deplete the soil of naturally occurring essential minerals and trace elements, such as chromium. Additionally, refined foods, especially sugar and flours -- the mainstay of many American diets -- don't add to your chromium intake because food processing reduces available chromium by as much as 90 percent. This is one reason why teenagers, who typically eat a lot of junk food, tend to be just as chromium-deficient as senior citizens, who often base their menus on processed frozen dinners.
Chromium deficiency has been associated with increased incidence of anxiety, fatigue, vision impairment, weight gain and acne, as well as reduced immune response, loss of mental clarity, and slower healing time after injuries or surgery. More importantly, because chromium helps the body maintain normal blood sugar levels and metabolize fat, a chromium deficiency means you're more susceptible to developing Type II diabetes (also known as "adult onset diabetes"), atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
Studies indicate that chromium may lower LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) as it mildly raises HDL ("good" cholesterol), which reduces risk for coronary artery disease. And because chromium plays an important role in regulating blood sugar and facilitating the efficient use of insulin, some researchers suggest that the high incidence of Type II diabetes in this country -- between 90 and 95 percent of the almost 16 million cases of diabetes -- is due, in part, to a widespread chromium deficiency.
The best natural source of chromium is brewer's yeast. It's also found in small amounts in egg yolk, whole-grain cereals, brown rice, broccoli, beef, liver, black pepper, mushrooms, peanuts, green peppers and potatoes. The amount of chromium in these foods, however, is inadequate to supply your chromium requirement in a normal daily diet. A quarter-pound of beef, for example, has 56 micrograms of chromium; a cup of broccoli or potatoes has only trace amounts. Additionally, only about 1 to 2 percent of dietary chromium is absorbed by the body -- a rate that decreases even further as we age. Diets that are stressful to the digestive system (such as extreme weight-loss diets) also inhibit chromium absorption, as do high-fat diets.
For most people, it's a good idea to take a chromium supplement. It's generally suggested that adults need between 100 and 150 micrograms (mcg) per day. Some research indicates that vitamin C increases chromium absorption so you might want to add this vitamin to your daily supplements, too.
Chromium supplementation is generally regarded to be safe within the recommended dosages -- some people report gastrointestinal upset with doses higher than 300 mcg per day -- and you can help maintain an adequate chromium level by limiting your sugar intake (soda pop, candy and presweetened breakfast cereals, for example), and using whole wheat products instead of refined white flour products, such as white breads and crackers.
Sources: Vitality Research Institute, Essential Mineral Report; Bodywise International;
Health Notes Online
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