New study defends Cr picolinate in diabetes

According to US supplements firm Nutrition 21, a recent peer-reviewed analysis of clinical data, published in the January 31 edition of Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, confirms that chromium picolinate is effective in improving glycemic control and normalizing lipid levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

The review supports the mineral's benefits and refutes a previous review that analyzed its efficacy after combining results from all types of supplemental chromium, the firm stated. "The main messages are that all forms of chromium are not equivalent, and that higher doses of chromium picolinate are required for people with type 2 diabetes," said Leigh Broadhurst, lead author of the review article.

"Previous chromium reviews examined all types of chromium at widely varying doses. But separating out chromium picolinate, which yields highly consistent results in research studies, compared to other chromium supplements, shows that, at doses between 200mcg and 1,000mcg it is a superior nutritional adjunct to diabetes treatments," she added.