Chromium Guide: A Mineral That Does Many Great Things
1. What is it and where does it come from?
Chromium, a trace mineral, is essential to the body's production of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that stabilizes the body's blood sugar level.
Brewer's yeast is considered the best source of chromium; however, foods such as corn-on-the-cob, buckwheat, apples, beets, tomatoes, wheat germ and bran, and sweet potatoes are excellent sources as well. Bodybuilding.com provides high quality chromium supplement also.
2. What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Research shows that chromium is an essential part of our diet. It can have many beneficial results when supplemented. It enhances insulin's effect in the body, improving the uptake of glucose, thereby causing better blood circulation and maintenance of blood sugar level. Gaining energy, burning fat, and building muscle with greater ease are attributed to chromium, to name a few. It assists the body in losing weight by helping it to build muscle to replace fat. Lowering body fat and increasing lean body mass are just a few of the positive properties that chromium exhibits on the body. Whoa, that is powerful!
3. Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?
Specific people have been shown to dramatically gain from ingesting chromium. Research indicates that the majority of people in the United States are chromium deficient. Most people could use chromium in their diets. As chromium levels decrease with age and deficiencies occur with people who do not eat a good balanced diet, chromium supplementation can be very beneficial. Because processed foods have much of the chromium removed, increasing ones chromium content is recommended to sustain proper glucose levels and gain energy. Anyone who likes to live with energy, burn fat, and increase strength and muscle mass would also do well to supplement with chromium... bodybuilders, that's you!
4. How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?
Research and most literature suggest supplementation of between 50 and 100 mcg to compliment a 2,000-calorie diet is adequate. When taken in such doses, chromium has not been shown to cause toxicity in humans.
NOTE: Chromium Picolinate products are different and are not listed on this page. Click here to check them out.
