If you feel like you’re always battling your weight without success, you may want to consider taking chromium supplements. That’s because chromium may help fix many of the issues that lead to weight gain. Read on to discover how chromium may help you finally win the weight loss battle.
Chromium is an essential trace mineral, meaning that just a small amount is needed by the body. Chromium helps metabolize macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats). It also helps regulate blood sugar and helps insulin get glucose to your cells where it can be used for energy.
Your body doesn’t make chromium, so you must get this nutrient through diet or supplement.
Though a wide variety of foods -- such as broccoli, green beans, beef, and poultry -- contain chromium, this nutrient is easily destroyed through commercial food processing methods. This can lead to chromium deficiency, which may explain why an estimated 25% to 50% of those in the US are mildly deficient in this nutrient.1
Since chromium is key in blood sugar metabolism and since blood sugar imbalances can lead to hunger and carb cravings that often destroy weight loss efforts, it makes sense that chromium supplements may help with this issue.
In fact, many studies show that chromium supplementation can address two of the most common issues people struggle with on their weight loss journey: hunger and fat or carb cravings.
Chromium’s Effect on Hunger and Fat or Carb Cravings
There have been several double-blind placebo controlled studies -- the Gold Standard in science -- on the effects of chromium on hunger, fat/carb cravings, and weight loss.
In one study out of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, researchers took 42 overweight women who had reported carb cravings and randomly assigned them into two groups. One group received 1,000 mg of chromium picolinate per day for 8 weeks. The other group received a placebo.
At the end of 8 weeks, researchers reported that this study:
“Demonstrated that CrPic (chromium picolinate), as compared to placebo, reduced food intake, hunger levels, and fat cravings and tended to decrease body weight.”2
The researchers concluded that these results suggest that chromium picolinate influences food intake regulation.
And there’s more.
Another study tested chromium picolinate on the carb cravings of adults with atypical depression. (Depression is known to trigger hunger and carb cravings.) After analyzing the results of this double-blind 8-week study, researchers concluded:
“The results of this study suggest that the main effect of chromium was on carbohydrate craving and appetite regulation.3
Need more evidence? Research shows that chromium picolinate may also be useful in diabetes management. Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body’s ability to produce or respond to insulin is impaired. The most common form of diabetes is type 2, which typically involves insulin resistance. This leads to excess amounts of the fat storage hormone insulin circulating in your bloodstream, eventually causing weight gain. So, anything that improves the body’s ability to respond to insulin can help you manage your weight.
And research suggests that chromium can do that. According to a review of research on chromium:
“Virtually all trials using chromium picolinate supplementation for subjects with diabetes have demonstrated beneficial effects.4
The Science Says…
Science is showing us Chromium may be a great weight loss tool. That’s why SANE added a potent, highly absorbable dose of chromium picolinate to our gut-health POSTbiotic formula, Viscera-3. Discover how chromium picolinate combined with our SlimGut™ proprietary blend of pomegranate fruit extract and grape seed extract can finally help you lose that stubborn belly fat safely and easily! Click here to learn more about SANE Viscera-3 and place your order for this leading gut-health supplement while supplies last!
References
1- Weil A. Chromium. Dr. Weil. Updated Sep 27, 2012. Accessed Nov 16, 2020.
2- Anton SD, Morrison CD, Cefalu WT, Martin CK, Coulon S, Geiselman P, Han H, White CL, Williamson DA. Effects of chromium picolinate on food intake and satiety. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2008 Oct;10(5):405-12. doi: 10.1089/dia.2007.0292. PMID: 18715218; PMCID: PMC2753428.
3- Docherty JP, Sack DA, Roffman M, Finch M, Komorowski JR. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory trial of chromium picolinate in atypical depression: effect on carbohydrate craving. J Psychiatr Pract. 2005 Sep;11(5):302-14. doi: 10.1097/00131746-200509000-00004. PMID: 16184071.
4- Broadhurst CL, Domenico P. Clinical studies on chromium picolinate supplementation in diabetes mellitus – a review. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2006 Dec;8(6):677-87. doi: 10.1089/dia.2006.8.677. PMID: 17109600.
