Chromium Has No Benefits for Obese Westerners With Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes

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Chromium treatment has no effect in patients with poorly controlled, insulin-treated type 2 diabetes in an obese Western population: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, by N. Kleefstra and colleagues. Diabetes Care 29:521–525, 2006.

What is the problem and what is known about it so far?

Some studies have shown that taking chromium tablets can help control blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. But these studies were performed a long time ago and in people from Asia. There have been very few studies that have looked at the effects of chromium in people from Europe and North America, and those studies haven't provided conclusive results.

Why did the researchers do this particular study?

The researchers wanted to see if taking chromium tablets can help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood glucose levels. In particular, they wanted to see if chromium helped obese people from Europe who took insulin to treat their diabetes.

Chromium is a mineral found in various foods, including whole-grain cereals, prunes, nuts, and seafood.

Who was studied?

Forty-six people with type 2 diabetes who took insulin to treat their diabetes. The patients were from the Netherlands. They were all obese and around 60 years old.

How was the study done?

The patients were put into one of three groups. One group took a small amount of chromium each day; another group took a large amount of chromium each day; and the third group took a placebo (or a pill that has no effect) each day. After six months, the researchers measured the patients' blood glucose levels and compared the results among the three groups.

What did the researchers find?

After six months, there were no significant differences among the three groups. Each group had a very small decrease in their blood glucose levels, and there were no changes in their blood pressure, the amount of fats in their blood, their weight, or the amount of insulin they had to take.

What were the limitations of the study?

Studies in Chinese and Indian populations showed that taking chromium helped people with type 2 diabetes control their blood glucose levels. This study didn't show the same benefits as those studies. The authors think the differences in results might be because the people in this study may have already consumed a lot of chromium in their everyday diet, as compared with the people in the Asian studies. It may also be because the people in this study were much heavier than the people in the Asian studies. It may also be because the people in this study needed to take large amounts of insulin each day to treat their diabetes. Therefore, the authors state that the results found in their study groups may not apply to other types of groups, such as lean people with type 2 diabetes, people who don't require insulin to treat their diabetes, or people of a different ethnicity.

What are the implications of the study?

There is no evidence that taking chromium supplements helps people with type 2 diabetes who are obese, who are of European descent, and who take insulin to treat their diabetes.

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