Frequently Asked Questions

How soon will I see results from chromium?
Some people report reduction in carb cravings, increase in energy, and an improved sense of well-being within one day. Yes, that right, in only one day. Additional health benefits associated with dietary supplementation with chromium, such as healthy cholesterol metabolism and improved blood glucose levels, may take as long as 3 months when taking chromium on a daily basis. The likelihood of improvement is increased by exercise and a healthy diet. Your physician can order blood tests to evaluate your responses to chromium.

Is Chromax safe?
The FDA has approved Chromax® chromium picolinate as safe, as have 17 member states within the European Union. Billions of doses of Chromax have been taken without one proven, serious side effect. Several of my patients have safely taken chromium picolinate for a decade. To be on the safe side, I do not recommend more than 5 micrograms per pound of body weight per day.

What are the side effects?
The beauty of chromium picolinate is that side effects are rare, almost non-existent.

Where can I buy chromium?
Chromium is widely available at health food stores, drug stores and grocery stores. There are several good brands of chromium, but unfortunately there are many brands that do not work. The most researched and reliable brand, the one I recommend to my patients, is Chromax® chromium picolinate, made by Nutrition 21. It can be obtained by www.chromax.com .

What is Chromax?
Chromax is Nutrition 21’s brand of chromium picolinate. Chromax is a combination of the trace mineral chromium and picolinic acid. Picolinic acid is a natural substance that is found in breast milk. When picolinate is added to chromium, it produces a form of chromium that is easily absorbed and used by the body.

How much Chromax should I take every day?
I recommended that most adults take 5 micrograms per pound of body weight per day. For most people, this translated into taking 1 or 2 500 microgram capsules daily.

What does it mean that chromium is an essential trace mineral?
“Essential” means that chromium must be acquired from the diet and that chromium is necessary for insulin to function properly.

What does chromium do in the body?
Chromium helps the master hormone, insulin, function normally so that carbohydrates can be converted into energy. Chromium also is necessary for metabolize (“burning”) of fat and protein...

Chromium chloride is in my vitamin pill. Do I still need Chromax?
Yes. Chromium chloride is poorly absorbed, so your body may be low on chromium. By contrast, Chromax® chromium picolinate is readily absorbed. Chromax is the best-absorbed form of chromium.

Do I need a prescription?
No.

Is chromium habit forming?
No.

Does chromium affect sleep?
Yes. Chromium has a paradoxical effect on sleep. If it is taken more than 8 hours before going to sleep, it can improve sleep. If, however, it is taken closer to bedtime, it may cause mild, initial insomnia. For most people, that means taking chromium in the morning.

Does taking chromium affect dreaming?
Yes. Many people report vivid dreaming after beginning to take chromium. They do not report nightmares, just vivid dreaming. I do not consider this a side effect of chromium. Rather it is a good sign that chromium is working well. The vivid dreaming begins to disappear in a few days.

I’m bipolar II. Will chromium help me? Should I take it?
I cannot tell you whether to take chromium or not. That’s between you and your healthcare provider. I can tell you that I’ve given chromium to numerous bipolar II patients who crave carbs. They have reported great benefit.

I first reported the benefits of chromium in bipolar II disorder in an article that Dr. Robert Golden and I wrote in the late 1990s. It was published in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology in the year 2000. In that article we described a man in his 50s who has bipolar II disorder, that is, he had a history of recurrent depressive episodes that alternated with periods of mild mood elevation. He took lithium carbonate during the 1980s, which helped stabilize his mood, but he gained 30 pounds of weight and he continued to have bouts of depression in the fall. Approximately 8 years ago, I suggested he add chromium to his regimen, which he did. His mood stabilized right away. Soon he decided to stop lithium. I advised against that, but he stopped lithium nevertheless and took chromium alone. He reported a leveling of his mood, an increase in energy, a decrease in his craving for carbohydrates and his winter blues did not return. Moreover, he gradually lost 23 pounds. He has continued to take chromium alone for 8 years and has been free of his old symptoms.

I am a diabetic. Can I take chromium?
By all means. You should take chromium if you have type 2 diabetes. Numerous studies suggest that chromium helps improve glucose control in type 2 diabetes and reduce risk factors for heart disease.

I have high blood pressure. Should I take chromium?
None of my patients with high blood pressure have reported an increase or decrease in blood pressure while taking chromium. That doesn’t mean, however, that another person’s blood pressure will remain normal. So, monitor your blood pressure daily after you begin taking chromium and consult with your physician to make certain that chromium does not cause an increase in your blood pressure.

I’m overweight. Is it safe for me to take chromium?
By all means. You should take chromium regularly. Chromium curbs carb cravings and can help you fight weight gain. It may be dangerous for an obese person NOT to take chromium.

Has chromium been tested in children?
Currently (in the year 2005) Dr. Francine Kaufman (former president of the American Diabetes Association and a specialist in pediatric endocrinology at Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles), is conducting a study on the effects of adding 600 micrograms of chromium picolinate daily to the diets of children between the ages of 12 to 18 who are overweight and who have type 1 diabetes.

Does dietary supplementation with chromium reduce the risk of heart disease?
There is strong evidence from at least 15 studies that suggests that chromium reduces risk factors for heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes.

I take Nardil for atypical depression. Can I also take chromium?
I don’t know the answer to that question, but Nardil is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) and MAOIs cause dangerous side effects when taken with some cold remedies and with foods that contain tyramine. If you decide to take chromium with Nardil, do so very gradually under the close supervision of your physician.

Does your book, Lifting Depression: The Chromium Connection, explain how chromium works?
Yes. Chromium increases the sensitivity of the body to insulin which, in some unknown way, I believe increases the brain chemicals that regulate mood.

I have the symptoms your book describes. What should I do?
There is hope. First, obtain a complete physical examination from your physician to rule out medical conditions that often masquerade as primary depression. If no cause for your depression can be found, take between 3 to 5 micrograms of chromium picolinate per pound of body weight each day under the careful supervision of your healthcare provider.

I've been depressed for a long time. Will this really help me?
Some of my patients who had been depressed for 30 years responded dramatically to chromium and have been free of depression for a decade.