Chromium is considered an essential mineral to the human body. And while Chromium is essential, it is only needed in trace amounts. For clarity’s sake, we should understand that Chromium is the essential mineral and that Picolinate is simply a “chelator” which helps Chromium with absorption into your body. Chelators are, in essence, molecules that offer up an electrical attraction to minerals, thereby changing up the chemistry and allowing them to be better utilized by the human body. The Picolinate aspect is typical of Chromium supplement ingredients and often found in the main name. Often people looking for Chromium benefits search Chromium Picolinate benefits and end up confused.
Essentially, your body will absorb maybe 2% of Chromium on a good day, the rest is excreted out.
Man, that was boring. Honestly though, that needed to be explained. Confusion over the matter runs rampant and understandably so. Now, on to the Chromium.
Chromium Health Benefits | Chromium Deficiency
One of the primary functions of Chromium supplementation is to prevent the condition of Chromium deficiency. Chromium deficiency means the body’s natural ability to utilize glucose is compromised and more insulin is required for the body to function. For this reason, it isn’t uncommon for Type 2 diabetes patients to be given Chromium supplements. Symptoms of Chromium deficiency are compromised blood sugar and sometimes confusion. There are Chromium deficiency studies that show patients improvements after Chromium supplementation.
It is important that if you suspect you might be Chromium deficient that you visit your Doctor. They can do blood work and run tests to find out if this is an issue for you. This isn’t an area that you want to make guesses in. You want real facts. You aren’t helping your weight loss goals by taking stabs in the dark. Real data leads to real results.
Chromium Health Benefits | Improved Cholesterol
High cholesterol is linked to an unhealthy heart. It increases your risk of strokes or heart attacks and general cases of heart disease. A healthy heart is certainly at the core of a healthy person, so doing everything one can to increase heart health is incredibly important. Several studies have shown that Chromium can help lower triglyceride levels and decrease the amount of cholesterol found in the blood. That’s hugely beneficial to general heart health.
Chromium Picolinate Side Effects
Chromium Picolinate is considered safe, but, you should always check with your doctor before taking any supplement. Some warnings exist that taking too much Chromium, or taking Chromium for too long, can lead to unwanted side effects. Nausea, losses in coordination, feeling dizzy, and migraines have all been reported by users. Some reports of liver damage have also been reported by users. Again, check with your Doctor first so that you can get some help monitoring your results.
Chromium Picolinate Weight Loss
Chromium Picolinate is often found in fat burner supplements. But does Chromium Picolinate help burn fat or contribute to weight loss? The answer is that it is conditional. If you are diabetic, this could be a supplement ingredient that helps you lose weight and burn fat. If you aren’t, there isn’t much to see here. I wouldn’t call Chromium Picolinate an essential ingredient in a fat burner supplement, however, I also wouldn’t say it necessarily hurts. In most cases, unless you are Diabetic or Chromium deficient, it is likely an inconsequential experience for you.
Conclusion
Well, I think in this Chromium Picolinate review, we learned a bit about the ingredient’s use in the body. But I also feel strongly we learned that it isn’t the essential fat burning ingredient. Truth be told, most fat burner supplements that possess Chromium don’t tout it as their core ingredient. It is considered just an additional piece of a very large and complex puzzle. Losing weight and burning fat is a complex process for all of us, particularly as we age. And throughout the complex process, we learn that we are individuals with specific, unique needs.
Chromium may well be just what the Doctor ordered for one person’s weight loss ambitions, but for another, it might just be a wasted endeavor. I wouldn’t exactly recommend buying it solo. I can hardly imagine that supplementing with just Chromium Picolinate for weight loss, without a Doctor’s orders, would be very beneficial at all. As stated, if you think you are Chromium deficient or Diabetic and that Chromium supplementation might help you, go get a check-up at the Doctor. Find out what bloodwork reveals. See what you may or may not be deficient in. This will save you a whole lot of time and money.
