Chromium For Diabetes


by Christoffer X Altesino - Date: 2009-10-27 - Word Count: 409 Share This!

Most often, diabetics consume far too little micronutrients for successfully treating their diabetes and helping them cope with the condition. Among the insufficient micronutrients is chromium. This micronutrient has a huge impact on insulin response.
So what exactly is the role of insulin in response to diabetes and how does chromium help diabetes? The hormone responsible for modifying the body's response to carbs, proteins and fats is the insulin produced in the pancreas. After meals, the pancreas releases insulin into the bloodstream, usually as glucose or blood sugar. The blood sugar levels then begin to rise from the digested meal. Glucose is the primary fuel for energy production within the body and the brain. Without the help of insulin, it cannot get into cells properly.
When excessive sugar enters the blood stream, more insulin is required to transport into the cells. When one ingests sugary foods, glucose levels raises quickly, causing harmful effects to anyone with blood sugar imbalances, such as diabetes.
Chromium's main function is to increase insulin's efficiency in regulating blood sugar levels. So how can a diabetic begin using chromium to start benefiting their diabetes? Healthy individuals should consume at least 80mcg per day.
Individuals with diabetes or hypoglycemia should consume at least 200 mcg two to three times a day and individuals with cardiovascular disease , at least 200 mcg twice daily.
Those who exercise regularly or are under a lot of stress should consume 200 mcg daily. Pregnant or nursing women, 200 mcg daily. In clinical trials, after 2 months, individuals taking 1000 mcg of chromium daily showed significant improvements in insulin response. The number of insulin receptors and levels of blood lipids such as fats and cholesterol in the body also showed significant improvements. In the group of individuals who took 400 mcg chromium daily it took up to four months to show improvement in their insulin response levels. However, all individuals in the clinical trials showed measurable improvements in their diabetes-related symptoms.
A minimum of 200 mcg of chromium daily is needed for at least three months to have a noticeable positive effect on insulin response. While government recommended daily doses of 80 mcg might have a healthy effect on most individuals, research suggests that this daily dosage is far too low to have any positive therapeutic effects on insulin levels in diabetics. No toxicity in patients with diabetes has been reported with high doses of chromium. When taken daily, chromium is a great supplement to help treat diabetes.

Related Tags: diabetes, glucose, blood sugar, chromium

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