Acceptable Dosage of Chromium

Dear Dr. McLeod,

Thanks so much for your research into chromium suplementation for
depression. I found the abstract of your 2003 paper a couple of weeks
ago and have been taking chromium picolinate since then. It has
profoundly improved my life - my lifelong anxiety has been lifted, my
energy levels and mood are improved and the only side effect is
enhanced dreaming.

I am currently taking 600mcg chromium per day. The abstract of your
2003 paper suggests 600mcg of chromium picolinate, whereas Docherty et al (2005) used a dosage of chromium picolinate equivalent to 600mcg elemental chromium, which is 4,800mcg of chromium picolinate. What is the correct dosage?

I look forward to your answer.

Thanks,

A. W

ANSWER
Dear A. W.

Thank you for contacting me. I'm pleased that chromium is helping you.

The enhanced dreaming is a good sign that chromium is working in your body. Rather than a side effect, I think of it as a salutary sign. Some antidepressant medications cause an increase in dreaming. Ususally vivid dreaming subsides in two weeks. Please let me know the duration of your vivid dreaming.

I recommend a starting dosage of 3 mcg per pound of body weight per day of Chromax chromium picolinate. For a two-hundred pound person that "translates" to 600 mcg per day. If the desired relief is not achieved within a week, I suggest increasing the daily dosage to 5 mcg per body weight each day.

In the Docherty et al (2005)study, the dosage of Chromax chromium picolinate was 600 mcg per day of elemental chromium. That does NOT "translate" to 4,800 mcg per day of elemental chromium.

Again, thank you so much for contacting me about this important issue.

Malcolm McLeod, MD