Chromium
Mineral ·Exploratory record · not publication-reviewed ·Updated July 13, 2026
Trace mineral that enhances insulin sensitivity and supports healthy blood sugar metabolism. Popular supplement for glucose management and body composition.
Exploratory record, not a reviewed medical publication.
See the editorial and medical-review policies for the publication gate.
This generated database record has not completed a claim-level review by a qualified human medical reviewer. Bibliography links and evidence labels are not approval. The page remains available for reference and is excluded from search indexing.
What the research says.
A quick, data-only summary. The full evidence, dosing, and sources are below.
Chromium is a mineral most often used for blood sugar support, insulin sensitivity, appetite control. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as emerging. A typical adult dose is 200–1,000 mcg daily, commonly taken as chromium picolinate (most studied form). This profile indexes 17 sources.
The bottom line
Evidence rating emerging. Most-documented uses: blood sugar support, insulin sensitivity, appetite control. 17 sources indexed (2004–2024), with 0 interaction records on file.
How it works, mechanistically.
Core mechanism
Potentiates insulin action by enhancing insulin receptor signaling via chromodulin (low-molecular-weight chromium-binding substance). Increases GLUT4 transporter translocation to cell membranes, facilitating glucose uptake.15,6
Dosing & protocol.
Take with meals; picolinate form has best bioavailability1,2
What it actually costs.
Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Chromium Picolinate.
Assumes 200-500 mcg/day from goal dosage. Vendor basis: NOW/iHerb, Vitacost, Life Extension, and Amazon marketplace; standalone chromium remains low cost. Updated 2026-05-28.
The same dose, as food.
How much you'd eat to match a supplemental dose.
Food chromium content is variable and hard to estimate precisely.
The AI is far lower than common supplement doses.
Full safety detail.
Sources, by evidence tier.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Meta-analyses & systematic reviews
14- 1Effects of chromium supplementation on body composition in patients with type 2 diabetes: A dose-response systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsPMIDVajdi M, Khajeh M, Safaei E et al. · Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) · 2024
Vajdi M, Khajeh M, Safaei E et al.. Effects of chromium supplementation on body composition in patients with type 2 diabetes: A dose-response systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS). 2024
- 2Effects of Chromium Supplementation on Lipid Profile: an Umbrella of Systematic Review and Meta-analysisPMIDVajdi M, Musazadeh V, Karimi A et al. · Biological Trace Element Research · 2023
Umbrella review of 8 meta-analyses found no significant effect of chromium on TG, TC, LDL-c, or HDL-c. Subgroup analysis suggested chromium at doses >500 µg/day could significantly decrease triglycerides.
- 3Effect of Chromium Supplementation on Blood Glucose and Lipid Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysisPMIDZhao F, Pan D, Wang N, Xia H, Zhang H, Wang S, Sun G · Biological Trace Element Research · 2022
In 10 RCTs with 509 patients, chromium supplementation significantly reduced HbA1c but did not significantly improve fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL, or HDL in type 2 diabetes patients.
- 4The effect of chromium intake on oxidative stress parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysisPMIDMorvaridzadeh M, Estêvão MD, Qorbani M et al. · Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) · 2022
Morvaridzadeh M, Estêvão MD, Qorbani M et al.. The effect of chromium intake on oxidative stress parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS). 2022
- 5Effects of dietary chromium picolinate supplementation on broiler growth performance: A meta-analysisPMIDFeng C, Wuren Q, Zhang X et al. · PloS one · 2021
Feng C, Wuren Q, Zhang X et al.. Effects of dietary chromium picolinate supplementation on broiler growth performance: A meta-analysis. PloS one. 2021
- 6Effects of chromium supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsPMIDAsbaghi O et al. · Pharmacol Res · 2020
Chromium supplementation significantly reduced FPG (-19 mg/dl), insulin (-12.35 pmol/l), HbA1C (-0.71%), and HOMA-IR (-1.53) in T2D patients
- 7A meta-analysis of the effect of chromium supplementation on anthropometric indices of subjects with overweight or obesityPMIDTsang C et al. · Clin Obes · 2019
Significant reductions in weight (-0.75 kg), BMI, and body fat percentage, particularly for durations <=12 weeks and doses <=400 ug/d
- 8Systematic Review of the Effects of Chromium(III) on ChickensPMIDWhite PE, Vincent JB · Biological trace element research · 2019
White PE, Vincent JB. Systematic Review of the Effects of Chromium(III) on Chickens. Biological trace element research. 2019
- 9Chromium supplementation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: Systematic review and meta-analysisPMIDTang XL, Sun Z, Gong L · The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research · 2018
Tang XL, Sun Z, Gong L. Chromium supplementation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: Systematic review and meta-analysis. The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research. 2018
- 10Chromium supplementation and polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysisPMIDFazelian S, Rouhani MH, Bank SS et al. · Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) · 2017
Fazelian S, Rouhani MH, Bank SS et al.. Chromium supplementation and polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS). 2017
- 11Systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of chromium supplementation in diabetesPMIDSuksomboon N et al. · J Clin Pharm Ther · 2014
Chromium supplementation significantly improved glycemic control with HbA1c reduction of -0.55% and FPG reduction of -1.15 mmol/L, especially with chromium picolinate
- 12Chromium supplementation in overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trialsPMIDOnakpoya I et al. · Obes Rev · 2013
Chromium supplementation produced statistically significant but small reductions in body weight; clinical relevance is uncertain
- 13Chromium picolinate supplementation for overweight or obese adultsSource linkedPMIDTian H, Guo X, Wang X et al. · Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2013
- 14Systematic review of the effects of chromium(III) on glucose and lipid levels: an evidence-based reviewSource linkedPMIDBalk EM, Tatsioni A, Lichtenstein AH et al. · Diabetes Care · 2007
Reviews & position papers
1- 15A scientific review: the role of chromium in insulin resistancePMIDCefalu WT, Hu FB · Diabetes Educ · 2004
Chromium potentiates insulin action by enhancing insulin receptor signaling and GLUT4 transporter activity via chromodulin
Reference material
2- 16Georgaki MN, Tsokkou S, Keramas A et al.. Chromium supplementation and type 2 diabetes mellitus: an extensive systematic review. Environmental geochemistry and health. 2024Source linkedPMID
- 17Maret W. Chromium Supplementation in Human Health, Metabolic Syndrome, and Diabetes. Metal ions in life sciences. 2019Source linkedPMID
Common questions.
Quick answers about Chromium, drawn from the data on this page.
What is Chromium?
Trace mineral that enhances insulin sensitivity and supports healthy blood sugar metabolism. Popular supplement for glucose management and body composition.
What is Chromium used for?
Commonly cited benefits of Chromium include: Blood sugar support; Insulin sensitivity; Appetite control; Body composition. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as emerging.
What is a typical dose of Chromium?
A typical adult dose of Chromium is 200–1,000 mcg daily. The commonly recommended form is Chromium picolinate (most studied form). These are general ranges, not personalized advice; confirm the right dose with a clinician.
What are the side effects of Chromium?
Reported side effects include gi discomfort, headache, rare kidney issues at very high doses. This is educational information; check with a healthcare professional before use.
How strong is the evidence for Chromium?
NutriStack rates this as Emerging, meaning early RCT signal, mechanistic data, or limited human evidence. Full tier criteria are at https://nutristackapp.com/methodology/evidence-tiers.
Use this with your stack
Chromium in NutriStack.
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