Chromium (Nicotinate)

Studies link the level of the mineral Chromium in the body to the risk of heart attack, especially, although not exclusively, in men. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have shown that a low level of chromium in the body indicates an increased risk of heart attack.

It had been previously demonstrated that chromium intake influences the factors that benefit the health of the heart (it increases insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, the ratio of high density lipoprotein cholesterol to low density lipoprotein cholesterol).

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Produced Clinical Studies
Chromium (Nicotinate)

John Hopkins University/Harvard University study

The research was performed on 684 male patients, selected from hospitals in eight different European countries and Israel, who had had myocardial infarction. Chromium was measured in toenail samples of the participants, as toenail clippings contain evidence on the levels of chromium over the long-term.

Results were compared to those of a control group of men who had never had a heart attack. It was noted that the study group had an average of 1.10 mug/g of chromium, as compared to 1.30 mug/g on average in the control group, which means a 15% lower level of chromium in the study group.

Researchers also found that men with the highest levels of chromium in the study group were 35 per cent less likely to have a heart attack than those with the lowest levels. Their study is important because it shows the importance of chromium for cardiovascular health.


Niacin-bound chromium enhances myocardial protection from ischemia-reperfusion injury

Thirunavukkarasu M, Penumathsa SV, Juhasz B, Zhan L, Cordis G, Altaf E, Bagchi M, Bagchi D, Maulik N.
Department of Surgery, Molecular Cardiology and Angiogenesis Laboratory, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030-1110, USA.

A novel niacin-bound, chromium-based energy formula (EF; InterHealth Nutraceuticals, Benicia, CA) has been developed in conjunction with D-ribose, caffeine, ashwagandha extract (containing 5% withanolides), and selected amino acids. We have assessed the efficacy of oral administration of EF (40 mg x kg body wt(-1) x day(-1)) in male and female rats over a period of 90 consecutive days on the cardiovascular and pathophysiological functions in an isolated rat heart model. After 30, 60, and 90 days of treatment with EF, the hearts of male and female rats were subjected to 30 min of global ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion and were measured for myocardial ATP, creatine phosphate (CP), phosphorylated AMP kinase (p-AMPK), and heat shock proteins. Myocardial ATP and CP levels were increased in both male and female rats after EF treatment compared with the controls. Western blot analyses were performed to quantify the expression of stress-related proteins such as heat shock proteins (HSP-70, -32, and -25) and are found to be increased in both male and female rats after EF treatment. The p-AMPK level, which is a sensor for the energy state in various cell types, was also found to be increased after treatment with EF in both male and female rats. Aortic flow, maximum first derivative of developed pressure, left ventricular developed pressure, and infarct size were observed after ischemia-reperfusion and found to be significantly improved in EF-treated rats compared with control animals. Thus EF demonstrated long-term safety as well as exhibiting significant cardioprotective ability during ischemia and reperfusion injury by increased energy production, improved cardiac function, and reduced infarct size.

PMID: 16840737 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE


Effect of chromium niacinate and chromium picolinate supplementation on lipid peroxidation, TNF-alpha, IL-6, CRP, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels in blood of streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats

Jain SK, Rains JL, Croad JL.
Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA.

Chromium (Cr(3+)) supplementation facilitates normal protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism, and is widely used by the public in many countries. This study examined the effect of chromium niacinate (Cr-N) or chromium picolinate (Cr-P) supplementation on lipid peroxidation (LP), TNF-alpha, IL-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1)), cholesterol, and triglycerides (TG) in diabetic rats. Diabetes (D) was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by streptozotocin (STZ) (ip, 65 mg/kg BW). Control buffer, Cr-N, or Cr-P (400 microg Cr/kg BW) was administered by gavages daily for 7 weeks. Blood was collected by heart puncture using light anesthesia. Diabetes caused a significant increase in blood levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, glucose, HbA(1), cholesterol, TG, and LP. Compared with D, Cr-N supplementation lowered the blood levels of TNF-alpha (P=0.04), IL-6 (P=0.02), CRP (P=0.02), LP (P=0.01), HbA(1) (P=0.02), TG (P=0.04), and cholesterol (P=0.04). Compared with D, Cr-P supplementation showed a decrease in TNF-alpha (P=0.02), IL-6 (P=0.02), and LP (P=0.01). Chromium niacinate lowers blood levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6, CRP), oxidative stress, and lipids levels in diabetic rats, and appears to be a more effective form of Cr(3+) supplementation. This study suggests that Cr(3+) supplementation can lower the risk of vascular inflammation in diabetes.

PMID: 17854708 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Effects of different chromium compounds on blood pressure and lipid peroxidation in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Preuss HG, Grojec PL, Lieberman S, Anderson RA.
Dept. of Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 2007, USA.

In a previous study, we found that oral chromium nicotinate overcame sucrose-induced hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Accordingly, we examined more chromium compounds to determine if others were more or less effective in regulating blood pressure (BP) of SHR. Since chromium is postulated to be an antioxidant, we also assessed the ability of different chromium compounds to alter free radical formation measured by determining thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The control group of SHR ingested a diet low in chromium, and 5 other groups ate the same diet with various chromium compounds added at 5 ppm-chloride, acetate, nicotinic acid-glycine-cysteine-glutamic acid (NA-AA), picolinate, and nicotinate. Following this, the rats were challenged with drinking water containing 5% and 10% w/v sucrose. Except for NA-AA, all chromium compounds inhibited the sucrose-induced elevation of systolic BP; and acetate, picolinate, and nicotinate chromium compounds lowered HbAIC below control. Only chromium acetate and nicotinate significantly lowered both hepatic and renal TBARS. Chromium picolinate lowered hepatic TBARS, and chromium chloride and NA-AA lowered neither. We conclude that chromium, rather than a specific ligand, plays a major role in ameliorating sucrose-induced BP elevations and can act as an antioxidant.

PMID: 9181280 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Effects of chromium and guar on sugar-induced hypertension in rats

Preuss HG, Gondal JA, Bustos E, Bushehri N, Lieberman S, Bryden NA, Polansky MM, Anderson RA.
Department of Medicine (Nephrology), Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA.

Ingestion of sugars (sucrose, fructose, glucose) by various rat strains is associated with perturbations in the glucose/insulin system and higher systolic blood pressure (SBP). The association suggests causality, because alterations in insulin metabolism have been found in essential hypertension and many experimental forms of hypertension. To test the hypothesis that sugar-induced SBP elevation is secondary to perturbed insulin metabolism, we examined in 2 experiments effects of chromium and guar, substances known to affect insulin metabolism, on SBP of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR). In both studies, sucrose compared to starch ingestion caused significant elevation of SBP; but addition of 2 chromium nicotinate complexes and guar prevented development of sugar-induced SBP elevations. The basal, genetic hypertension of the SHR was not affected by either nutrient. An additional finding in the first study was that sugar-consuming SHR supplemented with chromium had greater BW and increased organ weight (kidney, spleen, and liver) than nonsupplemented SHR. Accordingly, we have shown that two different mechanisms known to ameliorate insulin perturbations, use of chromium and guar, prevent sugar-induced SBP elevations. Since essential hypertension may be due to insulin perturbations and high dose chromium supplementation seems nontoxic, this may prove to be a useful means to lower blood pressure (BP) in some essential hypertensives, as well as diabetic hypertensives. Soluble fiber in the form of guar is also quite effective in favorably influencing sugar-induced SBP elevations.

PMID: 8556833 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]