Vitamins

What is it:

"Chromium is involved in the functioning of skeletal muscle. It's thought to influence how insulin behaves in the body, so chromium may affect the amount of energy we get from the food we eat.

What does it do:

Chromium is important in maintaining a glucose balance in the body. As a valuable aid in transferring glucose from the blood to the cells and the regulation of insulin activity, it may be of immense worth to those suffering adult onset diabetes or hypoglycaemia. High fat, sugary diets can actually rob our bodies of chromium. Chromium is also useful for reducing high blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and assisting where wounds are slow to heal. The actual functional basis for the chromium requirement in the diet is not very well understood.

Symptoms of deficiency:

Deficiency of Chromium may lead to Confusion; Depression; Irritability; Weakness. A deficiency of chromium can cause impairment of glucose tolerance, which can lead to diabetes . It is also a suspected factor in arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). In some areas, protein-energy malnutrition appears to be associated with chromium deficiency. Chromium deficiencies can affect the potency of insulin in regulating sugar balance.

Overdose/Cautions:

The US Food and Drug Authority advises against taking chromium picolinate supplements because there is a chance that this form of chromium could cause cancer. Other forms of chromium are available, but there is little evidence to know what the effects might be of having more than 10 mg each day.

Natural food sources:

Cereals Cheese Fresh fruit Meat Nuts Wholemeal flour Some Herbssuch as catnip, horsetail, licorice, nettle , oat straw, red clover, sarsaparilla, wild yam