You may have heard claims that chromium will improve blood sugar for people who have diabetes, or that chromium will help you gain muscle mass or lose weight. While chromium does play a role in the function of insulin and blood sugar regulation, researchers have shown it does not improve blood sugar unless you are deficient in chromium, which is rare. The relationship between chromium and weight loss is less clear and we can’t make conclusions about the effectiveness of chromium in these cases.
Most of us get plenty of chromium from eating a regular diet as it is found in common foods like meat, grains, fruits, spices, and some vegetables like broccoli. Taking chromium in supplement form is not necessary. Supplements are not regulated, and it is difficult to know if the product inside matches the product claims on the label. There is no official established recommendation for daily intake, but adequate intake levels are set at 35 mcg per day.
