Pilot Study Indicates Chromium Picolinate May Be Useful Treatment For PCOS

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Pilot Study Indicates Chromium Picolinate

May Be Useful Treatment For PCOS

JoAnn Guest

Dec 23, 2003 16:12 PST

 

Pilot Study Indicates Chromium Picolinate May Be Useful Treatment

For

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

San Antonio TX, 15 October 2003

 

Results of a new pilot study funded by the National Institutes of

Health

(NIH) showed that daily supplementation with 1,000 mcg of chromium

as

chromium picolinate significantly enhanced insulin sensitivity.

 

These initial results offer a potential new nutritional therapy for

approximately 2 million American women suffering from Polycystic

Ovarian

Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a little-understood hormonal condition that

is

a leading cause of infertility, and is associated with insulin

resistance, gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

 

Promising Nutritional Therapy for 2 Million American Women Presented

at

American Society for Reproductive Medicine Conference (ASRM)

This study was presented at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American

Society for Reproductive Medicine Conference (ASRM) in San Antonio,

Texas and appears in a supplement to Fertility and Sterility,

September

2003.

 

In an effort to build on limited PCOS treatment options, researchers

at

the State University of New York (SUNY), Stony Brook, analyzed the

effects of nutritional supplementation with chromium in the form of

Chromax® chromium picolinate on six women with PCOS. Results

showed

that glucose disposal rate (insulin sensitivity) was significantly

increased by an average of 35% after two months of treatment, and

baseline insulin levels decreased by 22%.

 

" Chromium picolinate, which has positive effects on insulin

sensitivity

in people with type 2 diabetes, looks like it has great potential as

a

safe, effective long-term therapy to fill a void in treating PCOS, "

said

Michael L. Lydic, MD, assistant professor at SUNY Reproductive

Endocrinology Division, who led the study. " If larger, controlled

trials

confirm chromium picolinate's efficacy, PCOS patients could

potentially

take the supplement every day to decrease their risk of diabetes and

possibly improve other physical and symptomatic effects of PCOS. It

also

has potential to be used in combination with prescription

insulin-sensitizing drugs. "

 

Today there is no FDA-approved drug specifically to treat PCOS. Some

doctors prescribe insulin-sensitizing agents, such as metformin.

However, many women experience unwanted side effects such as nausea,

diarrhea, and loss of appetite, making ongoing treatment for insulin

resistance prohibitive. Dr. Lydic added, " Our goal is to explore

potential long-term therapies to bring insulin resistance under

control

and decrease risk of diabetes. Ideally, we hope to compare chromium

picolinate with metformin in a clinical setting. "

 

" An emerging body of research continues to confirm the hypothesis

that

chromium insufficiency is an important nutritional factor in insulin

resistance which is strongly associated with the type 2 diabetes

epidemic, " said Gail Montgomery, President and CEO. " It is rewarding

to

see that Chromax supplementation shows promise as an affordable,

convenient therapeutic option for women suffering from PCOS. "

 

Clinical Design

The study was a non-randomized, prospective study, which included

six

women of reproductive age (18-42 years old) with PCOS and signs of

insulin resistance. Hyperinsulinemic, euglycemic clamp tests, the

most

accurate measure of insulin sensitivity, were used on all subjects.

 

Researchers measured hormonal, physical and symptomatic effects of

improved insulin function. They reported that one subject without

menstrual cycles, who had the largest change in glucose disposal

rate,

had a spontaneous menstrual period after 2 months. No adverse side

effects were reported among the study participants.

 

The study was funded by NIH grant (#M01RR10710), and product was

supplied by Nutrition 21, Inc.

 

About Chromium

Chromium is an essential mineral that is needed for insulin activity

in

carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. Numerous clinical trials

have

shown that chromium as chromium picolinate reduces insulin

resistance,

improves blood sugar control and may help reduce the risk of

cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

 

About Nutrition 21

Nutrition 21 is an industry leader in using pharmaceutical quality

research to substantiate the health benefits of nutritional

supplements.

It holds 22 patents for chromium compounds and their uses, and 13

other

nutrition patents. The Company's proprietary technologies focus on

chromium picolinate and its relationship to insulin resistance, a

condition implicated in type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease,

obesity

and depression. Nutrition 21 markets Chromax® chromium picolinate,

the

leading chromium ingredient used in supplements. The Company is

developing its first branded product, Diachrome, for people with

type 2 diabetes intended to be marketed through healthcare channels.

 

More information is available at www.nutrition21.com,

www.chromax.com,

and www.diachrome.com.

 

Source

Nutrition 21, Inc.

 

http://www.supplementquality.com/efficacy/chromium_PCOS.html

 

JoAnn Guest

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DietaryTi-

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