COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF VARIOUS FORMS OF CHROMIUM ON SERUM GLUCOSE: AN ASSAY FOR BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE CHROMIUM

This study was undertaken to develop an assay for biologically active chromium suitable for determining the best form of chromium for human supplementation studies. The assay involved monitoring the decrease in fasting serum glucose for 1-3 hours in normal human subjects following ingestion of 100 mg of chromium. The maximum decline occurred 1-2 hours after taking the chromium. The average maximum per cent decrease for 7 subjects was 6.0 % for inorganic chromium, 5.7 % for conventional brewer’s yeast chromium and 16.8 % for a high chromium yeast. A chromium-EDTA complex decreased serum glucose an average of 19.6 % in 3 subjects. A placebo yeast and dose-response study demonstrated that the chromium in the high chromium yeast was the factor responsible for the serum glucose lowering effect. The high chromium yeast and CrEDTA had a significantly greater biologically active chromium than inorganic chromium. These findings demonstrate that inorganic chromium is biologically active in man, but chromium in the form of synthetic complexes or high chromium yeast is much more active