Chromium picolinate

What is it? Chromium is an essential trace mineral for human nutrition. Chromium picolinate is a highly available form of this mineral consisting of chromium bonded to an organic acid.

How does it work? Chromium is required to make Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF), which in turn helps insulin in the body to work efficiently. Insulin is the hormone that drives blood glucose into cells, and by doing so helps the absorption of amino acids, making it an important anabolic or muscle building hormone.

How strong is the evidence that it does what it's claimed to do? Although touted as a miracle muscle builder, the scientific literature suggests that unless you have a low or borderline chromium status, taking extra chromium (even when given as the popular supplement chromium picolinate) may have little or no effect on body composition.

There have recently been concerns raised about the safety of high doses of chromium picolinate and, since it's the chromium that's required for GTF rather than the picolinate, it's probably a better bet to supplement with (much cheaper) chromium chloride or (expensive but well-absorbed) chromium polynicotinate, both of which may be found in good quality multi-vitamin/mineral supplements anyway. I'd forget taking fancy chromium picolinate supplements. Switch to an unprocessed diet and take a daily multi vitamin/mineral that contains chromium as chloride or polynicotinate.