Is it safe to take over 1000 mcg per day of CrPic?

Dear Dr. McLeod,

I read your recent post about acceptable dosage of chromium and 3 to 5 mcg per body weight. If I apply this to my weight then I get more than 1000mcg, is it ok for me at 295 pounds to take 1475 mcg?

Thanks
A.L., Scotland


ANSWER:
Dear A.L.
Chromium picolinate has a wide margin of safety. Laboratory animals have been given dosages that far exceed the mcg per pound of body weight you are considering, and they have not suffered adverse effects. However, I'm not aware of studies of a large number of people who have taken more than 1000 micrograms per day for long periods of time.

Conclusion: Although I suspect that 1474 mcg per day is safe for you, I suggest you limit your daily intake to 1000 mcg per day until more data is available at higher doses.

It is conceivable that chromium might help you lose weight by increasing your energy level and enabling you to exercise more. Chromium has also been shown to decrease carbohydrate cravings, which might also help you lose weight. This has certainly been the case with many of my patients.

Good luck. Please let me known what responses you might have.
Thank you for your question.

Malcolm McLeod, MD
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

The difference between elemental chromium and chromium picolinate

Dear Dr. McLeod,

Would you please clarify the difference between elemental chromium and chromium picolinate? The label on my bottle of chromium picolinate indicates 200 mcg of elemental chromium and 1.6 mcg of chromium picolinate. Should I calculate my dosage on the basis of elemental chromium or chromium picolinate?

I am eager to read your response. Thank you.

A.W.

ANSWER

Dear A.W.

Your question is excellent. Thank you for asking it.

Chromium picolinate is composed of 12.43% elemental chromium and ~88% picolinic acid. For example, a capsule of chromium picolinate that contains 600 mcg of elemental chromium also contains approximately 4200 mcg of picolinic acid. The precise designation for this composition would be “600 micrograms of elemental chromium combined with 4200 micrograms of picolinic acid.” Unfortunately I, and others too, have fallen into the habit of referring to such a capsule by the inaccurate and confusing shorthand as “600 mcg of chromium picolinate.”

The daily dosage of chromium, as chromium picolinate, that I recommend is between 3-5 micrograms of elemental chromium per pound of body weight.

Again, yours is an important question. I thank you for asking it. Please let me know if I have answered it clearly. If not, I’ll be happy to try again.

Malcolm McLeod, MD

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