Guest guest Posted January 21, 2007 Report Share Posted January 21, 2007 Chromium Chromium was identified in 1957 by researchers Walter Mertz and Kenneth Swartz as the active component of the " glucose tolerance factor (GTF). " Signs of chromium deficiency mirror the symptoms of Type II Adult Onset Diabetes. Read on and you will see that chromium is an extremely important nutrient, and yet it took over 30 years before chromium was listed in the 1989 edition of the RDA handbook. That RDA handbook points out that chromium is essential for normal glucose metabolism, insulin metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and muscle growth. Recent studies found that chromium helps raise HDL cholesterol, the " good " kind that escorts bad cholesterol out of your body. The 30- year delay makes chromium a good example of why you should not regard the RDA guidelines as an up-to-date source of optimal nutrition information. Many studies have been done on the muscle-enhancing and fat-reducing effects of chromium picolinate. In one study, patients were given chromium picolinate in one of the following three doses daily for 2 1/2 months: 0 microgram (placebo), 200 micrograms, or 400 micrograms. The fifteen patients taking the 200 mcg and 400 mcg dose lost an average of 4.2 pounds of fat. The group taking the placebo lost only 0.4 pounds. Even more impressive was the chromium group's muscle gain (1.4 versus 0.2 pounds) versus that of the placebo group. The results were most striking in elderly subjects and men. The men taking chromium picolinate lost more than 7 times the body fat as those taking the placebo (7.7 versus 1 pound) Another intriguing area of study is a series that was done on pigs at the Baton Rouge LSU Department of Animal Science. Pigs are unique because they tend to overeat and get fat, just like humans, and they have a similar insulin metabolism. However, pigs won't cheat or change their habits, they don't even know they are being studied! They just belly up to the trough and " pig out " as usual. The test group were fed chromium picolinate and compared with a separate control group. The chromium fed pigs increased their lean tissue mass by an average of 7% and reduced what they term " tenth-rib fat " by 21%. That's a much leaner healthier pig, and the lazy porker didn't even have to start an exercise program. The average American diet is chromium deficient. Researchers estimate that two out of every three Americans are hypoglycemic, prehypoglycemic, or diabetic. It's easy to see why since 98% of chromium is destroyed when flour is refined and the flour was already chromium deficient from being grown on depleted farm soils. The average American consuming the average diet laden with sugars and refined flour doesn't stand a chance. It doesn't take long to add up the score and see why adult onset diabetes is winning and the average American is losing. http://www.healingwithnutrition.com/mineral.html JoAnn Guest mrsjo- www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.