Chromium

What is chromium? Is it an essential mineral?

The chromium found in foods and supplements is in the trivalent (+3) form; hexavalent (+6) chromium is a toxic byproduct of manufacturing processes such as stainless steel production and is not the subject of this guide. ^[1] According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, chromium may play a role in carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism by enhancing insulin action; the mechanism has not been definitively established, and it has been suggested that a small chromium-binding compound called “chromodulin” activates the insulin receptor. ^[1]

FNB counted chromium as an essential nutrient in 2001 on the basis of insulin action; however, according to NIH, recent research suggests that chromium is not essential because its deficiency does not produce abnormalities that are corrected by adding chromium. EFSA’s nutrition panel concluded in 2014 that there is no convincing evidence for the essentiality of chromium and that it would therefore not be appropriate to set an intake recommendation. ^[1] The summary of EFSA’s opinion states that the most convincing evidence that chromium is essential is the improvements in patients receiving total parenteral nutrition, but that the data do not provide enough information on the reversibility of deficiency and on the dose–response curve; an average requirement and population reference intake could not be defined, and it was reported that setting an AI is also not appropriate. ^[3]

The assumption that an element plays a role in metabolism does not mean that supplementing it will improve health outcomes in people without a deficiency. In this guide, “biological role,” “deficiency,” and “effect of supplements” are treated as separate questions.

How much chromium is needed daily?

The FNB 2001 values reported by NIH are at the level of “adequate intake” (AI) and are based on habitual intakes: 35 µg for men and 25 µg for women aged 19–50; 30 µg for men and 20 µg for women aged 51 and over; 30 µg in pregnancy and 45 µg in lactation. FNB has not re-evaluated chromium since 2001. ^[1] EFSA, by contrast, concluded that it could not define an average requirement, population reference intake, or AI. ^[3] The adequate intake table in TÜBER (Türkiye Dietary Guidelines) Annex 1.5.2 has no chromium column; chromium is named only in Table 2.2. ^[2]

According to NIH, data on chromium intake in the US are limited; NHANES does not include chromium intake. In a small study, mean intake was found to be about 29 µg/day in women and 54 µg/day in men, and the mean of 22 balanced diets designed by dietitians was about 27 µg per 2,000 kcal (range 17–47). ^[1]

Which foods contain chromium, and what supplement forms exist?

NIH lists meat, grain products, fruit, vegetables, nuts, spices, brewer’s yeast, beer, and wine among foods containing chromium; the amount in these foods varies greatly with local soil and water conditions and processing methods (up to a 50-fold difference among oatmeal samples), and chromium can leach into food from stainless steel equipment and cookware. Most dairy products and sugar-rich foods are poor in chromium. Absorption of food chromium is low (about 0.4–2.5%); ascorbic acid and prostaglandin inhibitors such as aspirin increase absorption, while oxalate and antacids reduce it. NIH states that determining the chromium content of foods is difficult because of laboratory contamination and that table values are only a guide. ^[1] TÜBER Table 2.2 gives the rich sources of chromium as “brewer’s yeast, shelled nuts, prunes, mushrooms.” ^[2]

According to NIH, most multivitamin-mineral products typically contain 35–120 µg of chromium; in products containing chromium alone, the amount is commonly 200–500 µg and in some up to 1,000 µg. Chromium in supplements comes in forms such as picolinate, nicotinate, polynicotinate, chloride, and histidinate; absorption of the different forms is similar (about 1.2% from picolinate, about 0.4% from chloride) and these rates are also similar to absorption from food. 12.4% of the weight of picolinate is elemental chromium; the label reports the elemental chromium amount. ^[1]

Does chromium deficiency occur?

NIH states that chromium deficiency has not been reported in healthy populations and that definite deficiency symptoms have not been defined; there is no validated method for determining chromium status and no clinically defined deficiency state. In the 1970s and 1980s, problems such as hyperglycemia, glucosuria, weight loss, peripheral neuropathy, and confusion were reported in three patients receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition and resolved with pharmacological amounts of chromium; however, because the chromium level in the solutions was not adequately assessed in these studies, recent evaluations have concluded that these cases did not demonstrate chromium deficiency and therefore do not show that deficiency can develop in healthy people. ^[1]

TÜBER Table 2.2, on the other hand, lists the symptoms of chromium insufficiency as “glucose intolerance, elevated blood lipids and insulin levels.” ^[2] NIH and EFSA do not accept these findings as a defined deficiency syndrome; the wording of the two sources does not point in the same direction. ^{[1] [3]}

Do chromium supplements lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes?

Results are mixed. The most frequently cited study is the randomized, placebo-controlled trial published in 1997 in 180 people receiving treatment for type 2 diabetes (ages 35–65 according to NIH): participants received placebo, 100 µg of chromium (picolinate) twice daily, or 500 µg of chromium twice daily. At month 4, HbA1c was 8.5% in the placebo group, 7.5% in the 200 µg/day group, and 6.6% in the 1,000 µg/day group; fasting glucose was 8.8 mmol/L in the placebo group and 7.1 mmol/L in the highest-dose group. ^[5] In a six-month randomized, double-blind study in insulin-treated obese Western people with type 2 diabetes with HbA1c above 8% using more than 50 units of insulin per day (500 or 1,000 µg of chromium picolinate per day), in the per-protocol analysis (n = 46) the HbA1c fall was about 0.4% in all three groups and no difference was found in secondary endpoints; the authors concluded that there is no evidence that high-dose chromium is effective in obese Western patients. ^[6]

A 2016 review written by NIH Office of Dietary Supplements staff surveys 20 randomized controlled trials examining chromium supplementation in people with type 2 diabetes: only a few reached clinically meaningful targets for fasting plasma glucose (5 of 20 trials), HbA1c (3 of 14), or both (1 of 14); HbA1c fell by ≥0.5% in 5 of 14 trials. The authors conclude that the strength of the evidence is low, that chromium supplements have limited efficacy, and that there is very little justification for recommending their use for glycemic control in existing type 2 diabetes. ^[7] The NIH fact sheet also reports that a 2019 review covering 8 meta-analyses and systematic reviews (58 clinical trials) found that chromium as an adjunct treatment slightly lowered fasting glucose and HbA1c, but that the clinical meaning is uncertain. ^[1]

NIH also reports that the FDA permits only the following qualified health claim for chromium picolinate: a statement that one small study suggests that chromium picolinate may reduce the risk of insulin resistance, but that the FDA concluded that such a relationship is “highly uncertain.” NIH reports that the American Diabetes Association concluded in its 2010 diabetes guideline that it could not recommend supplementation because studies did not conclusively show a benefit of chromium in diabetes or obesity, and in its 2015 position statement that the evidence is insufficient to support routine use of chromium-containing supplements for glycemic control. ^[1]

Does chromium help with weight loss?

A 2019 meta-analysis pooled 21 randomized trials from 19 studies (1,316 participants) examining oral chromium supplementation in overweight or obese adults. Compared with placebo, weight fell by a mean of 0.75 kg (95% CI −1.04 to −0.45) more, body mass index by 0.40 (−0.66 to −0.13) more, and body fat percentage by 0.68 points (−1.32 to −0.03) more. In subgroup analysis, improvements in weight and fat percentage were significant particularly in studies lasting ≤12 weeks and using doses of ≤400 µg per day; the authors describe the effect size as “moderate,” but find the clinical importance of chromium as a weight-loss aid uncertain. ^[8]

In a 2013 systematic review and meta-analysis, 20 of 39 studies were included, and in the meta-analysis of 11 studies chromium produced a mean of 0.50 kg (95% CI −0.97 to −0.03) more weight loss than placebo; statistical heterogeneity is high, and the authors state that the effect is small and its clinical importance uncertain. Reported side effects include watery stools, dizziness, headache, and urticaria. ^[9]

Does chromium work for metabolic syndrome and PCOS?

According to NIH, there are few clinical trials examining chromium supplementation in metabolic syndrome. In 63 adults with metabolic syndrome, 500 µg of chromium picolinate twice daily for 16 weeks increased the acute insulin response compared with placebo, but HbA1c, insulin sensitivity, weight, and serum lipids did not change; in 70 adults with metabolic syndrome and impaired glucose tolerance, 24 weeks of chromium yeast (300 µg per day) did not affect fasting glucose, HbA1c, waist circumference, blood pressure, or lipids. NIH concludes that the limited research suggests that chromium supplements do not provide a clear benefit to people with metabolic syndrome. ^[1]

In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), NIH summarizes the results of four meta-analyses: in a seven-study meta-analysis (351 participants, chromium picolinate 200–1,000 µg, 8–24 weeks), chromium did not change fasting blood glucose or total testosterone levels but slightly reduced free testosterone and fasting insulin; in another five-study meta-analysis (268 women), fasting insulin and insulin sensitivity did not change significantly, and one measure of insulin resistance fell in the data of two studies; the authors stated that the effect is small and its clinical importance uncertain. NIH states that the evidence is mixed and that drawing firm conclusions is difficult. ^[1]

Are chromium supplements safe?

NIH reports that FNB found no adverse effects that could be attributed to high intake of chromium from food and supplements and therefore did not set an upper limit (UL); however, because of limited data, caution may be needed, and FNB noted that people with kidney and liver disease may be susceptible to the adverse effects of high intake. In individual case reports, weight loss, anemia, thrombocytopenia, liver dysfunction, renal failure, rhabdomyolysis, dermatitis, and hypoglycemia have been reported with chromium supplements. ^[1] One of these is a case report describing a 33-year-old woman who took 1,200–2,400 µg of chromium picolinate daily for 4–5 months to lose weight and developed anemia, thrombocytopenia, hemolysis, liver dysfunction, and renal failure; she was managed with supportive therapy, blood product transfusions, and hemodialysis, and all laboratory values were normal one year later; it is a single case report. ^[10]

The 2025 UL summary from EFSA/SCF reports that data are insufficient to derive a UL for trivalent chromium. ^[4]

Which drugs does chromium interact with?

NIH lists three types of interaction: because chromium can increase insulin sensitivity, it may increase the risk of hypoglycemia together with insulin; there may be an additive effect and a risk of hypoglycemia with metformin and other diabetes drugs; and in a small study, taking chromium picolinate at the same time as levothyroxine was reported to reduce levothyroxine absorption for 6 hours. ^[1]

How are chromium supplements regulated in Türkiye?

For every dietary supplement to be placed on the market in Türkiye, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry approval is mandatory. ^[14] According to Article 5 of Communiqué 2013/49, as amended by 2015/44, vitamins and minerals may be used only if they appear in Annex-1 and in the forms in Annex-2; daily maximum limits are set in accordance with Annex-3 on the basis of the label declaration, and in products containing vitamins and minerals, the amount stated on the label is at least 15% of the nutrient reference value for ages 11 and over. ^[11] Statements claiming to prevent, treat, or cure disease cannot appear on labels, in presentation, or in advertising; this provision also covers claims such as “diabetes treatment.” ^[12]

The Ministry’s Restricted Substances List (September 21, 2026) contains two separate rows for chromium. The “yeast (Yarrowia lipolytica) biomass containing chromium” row has a condition of conformity with Annex-1 of the Novel Foods Regulation (Yeni Gıdalar Yönetmeliği) and a limit of “2 g/day yeast biomass not exceeding 46 µg chromium” for ages 3–9 and “4 g/day yeast biomass not exceeding 92 µg chromium” for ages 10 and over (row date September 21, 2026). The “Other sources” row (chemical synthesis and chromium-enriched Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast) gives upper limits of 180 µg/day in the ages 4–10 column and 360 µg/day in the ages 11 and over column (row date March 8, 2016) and states that if use in dietary supplements before December 31, 2025 is proven, it will not be evaluated under novel foods. The row does not specify whether the 180 and 360 µg/day values in the list refer to elemental chromium or compound weight; a direct comparison therefore cannot be made with NIH’s AI values (20–45 µg) or with the 200–1,000 µg of elemental chromium used in studies. ^[13] Because chromium is not a botanical, the Plant List does not apply.

Evidence table: claim, population, and limits

A personal dose or supplement decision for chromium is made by evaluating blood sugar status, kidney and liver function, and medications used together; this guide does not recommend personal doses.