Should I increase the amount of chromium i'm taking?

Q: Dear Dr McLeod, .

I have been taking 600 mcgs/day of chromium for about 12 days and have not noticed any improvement. Should I increase the amount of chromium I'm taking?

About 3 and a half years ago I gained about 30 lbs,over a period of 3 to 6 months, up to my present weight of 208 pounds. This corresponded to a period of intense stress. Although I am better now, I still can fall into a depressive episode any time. They usually last hours, not days.

My blood lipid profile has always been high total cholesterol (>220), high triglycerides (as high as 700, much lower now thanks to fish oil), high LDL and HDL right at normal.

I'm 57 now. I was first treated for depression when I was about 33 (serious problems started at 20) and have been treated with every antidepressant known, as well as mood stabilizers and klonopin. No antidepressant has helped for long. I have had a few hypomanic episodes but only while on antidepressants.


A: I hope and think I may be able to help you. Here is the short answer:
Make sure you're taking Chromax chromium picolinate. If you don't respond to 600 micrograms per day, I suggest you increase the amount to 1000 micrograms per day, taken in the morning.

Here is the long answer:
Your weight gain of 30 pounds and your high level of triglycerides suggest that some cells in your body may not be responding adequately to insulin, that is, they are insulin resistant. Your pancreas may be trying to overcome the resistance by producing large amounts of insulin. Too much insulin injures some organs in the body. For example, too much insulin causes your liver to convert HDL ("good") cholesterol into triglycerides and it contriutes to weight gain by storing excess carbs as fat. I also suspect that insulin resistance contributes to depression in some people.

If you are indeed insulin resistant, you may require more than 600 micrograms of chromium picolinate per day. Chromium increases the sensitivity of the body to insulin, so that less insulin is required. I suggest taking 5 micrograms of chromium picolinate per day for each pound of body weight.

Make sure that you're taking chromium as chromium picolinate, as some forms of chromium are poorly absorbed. The brand of chromium picolinate I'm most confident in is Chromax®chromiumpicolinate.

In summary, make sure you're taking chromium as chromium picolinate, that you're taking enough of it, and that you're taking a trusted brand.

Please let me know if this helps.