Carbohydrate Cravings, Depression, and Chromium Supplements

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Carbohydrate Cravings, Depression, and Chromium Supplements

JoAnn Guest

Nov 02, 2006 07:36 PST

 

 

 

http://www.willner.com/article.aspx?artid=42

The following is an excerpt from The Willner Window radio program,

which can be heard every Sunday on WOR (710 AM) from 2 to 4 pm, or

over the internet at www.wor710.com.

 

Sam: Good afternoon everyone, this is .... Welcome to The Willner

Window. For those of you who might be first-time listeners, the

focus of this show is nutritional supplements–vitamins, herbs,

homeopathic remedies–and their proper usage. With me this afternoon

is . . Don, why don't you get us started?

 

Don: I want to start off today's program with some comments on

depression, and carbohydrate cravings. Some of you might be

surprised that there is a connection.

 

Dr. Podell: Well, there is a connect. Carbohydrate cravings, weight

gain and unexplained fatigue are hallmark symptoms of atypical

depression, a common, but frequently undiagnosed, depressive

disorder estimated to affect as many as one-third of depressed

patients.

According to a 1990 World Health Organization study, depression is

ranked as the fourth most deadly disease worldwide and is expected

to be second only to heart disease by 2020.

 

Sam: Now, as far as conventional medicine is concerned, there is

currently no recognized treatment for carbohydrate cravings.

But a new study, presented at the 24th International

Neuropsycho-pharmacology Congress in Paris found that nutritional

supplementation with chromium in the form of chromium picolinate

significantly improved carbohydrate cravings, in addition to other

distinct symptoms of atypical depression.

 

Dr. Podell: This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical

trial in 113 patients diagnosed with atypical depression. As Sam

said, they found that daily supplementation with chromium picolinate

had significant anti-depressant effects in a patient sub-group with

high levels of carbohydrate cravings.

 

People with the highest levels of carbohydrate cravings at baseline

experienced the most significant clinical response to the chromium

picolinate.

 

Sam: This study seems to correlate with the findings of another

study, a pilot study published in the Journal of Biological

Psychiatry. The study was conducted at the Duke University Medical

Center Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

 

According to Dr. Malcolm McLeod, a practicing psychiatrist, who

collaborated on the Duke University study " We've seen remarkable

improvements in depressed patients after supplementing with chromium

picolinate, " He goes on to say " Chromium picolinate is a real

breakthrough in providing safe and simple relief of atypical

depression symptoms, many of which currently go untreated. "

 

Don: Now, let's point out a couple of things. First, the results of

these studies are being circulated widely by Nutrition 21, the folks

who make chromium picolinate. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

 

In fact, we should all salute Nutrition 21 for spending the money

to support studies that provide us with proof that these supplements

work. This is what we need.

 

On the other hand, we have to keep a proper perspective. It's like

that book that come out touting the benefits of a combination of

glucosamine and chondroitin in treating joint pain. That combination

did work. It does work. But the research supporting it did not

compare the combination to each item alone. In other words, they

didn't show that the combination was more effective than glucosamine

alone. Or chondroitin alone.

 

The supplement that they used happened to be supplied

to the researchers by a company that marketed a combination. So

that's what they used.

And, again, there's nothing wrong with that. It's wonderful to see

proof that a certain supplement works. But it's important to avoid

reading more into such information than we should.

 

Sam: So in the case of chromium picolinate and its relationship to

carbohydrate cravings and depression, you are saying that we can

conclude that this particular form of chromium is effective. It does

not mean, on the other hand, that this is the only form of chromium

that will have this action.

 

Don: Exactly, Sam. How you utilize this data is up to you. If you

happen

to be a person who falls into this category, and who has not

supplemented with chromium, I suspect you would feel most

comfortable

buying a chromium supplement using the picolinate form. On the other

hand, I don't recommend you run to the medicine cabinet and toss any

non-picolinate chromium that you might have in the trash can!

 

Sam: What about dosage? How much chromium was used in the study?

 

Don: Well, that leads to the other comment I want to make, Sam. The

were using 600 mcg of chromium.

Now this is a level that should probably be used only under a

doctor's supervision. Most supplements have up to 200 mcg chromium, including

most multivitamin products. The general feeling is that up to 300

mcg is harmless.

Evidence of danger with higher doses is spotty at best, but prudence

dictates caution. What you need to do is first look at your

multivitamin. See how much is there. Probably 200 mcg. Then, look at

your other supplements. If you are taking weight loss products,

blood sugar control products, low-carb supplements–you may be getting extra

chromium there, and that has to be added to what is in your

multivitamin.

 

Sam:Many appetite control, and weight loss products, contain added

chromium.

 

Don: This is not bad. It's added to products of this type for a good

reason. It works. All we are trying to point out is that you should

be sure to add up all the sources of chromium in your supplements when

determining how much your total daily level might be.

 

Dr. Podell: It does work. It is probably due to chromium`s essential

role as an insulin co-factor. And, getting back to the studies we

told you about, this may be the biological link between chromium,

carbohydrate cravings and atypical depression.

 

Insulin has effects on metabolic function that may impact serotonin

levels in the brain. Impaired insulin function, which leads to poor

glycemic control, is linked to a number of health conditions

including diabetes.

 

People with diabetes have an incidence of depression two times

greater than in normal populations.

 

Numerous clinical studies show that

supplementation with chromium, in the form of chromium picolinate,

is safe and helps improve insulin insensitivity and diabetes.

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets