GTF Chromium - Essential for All Aspects of Health

 

Chromium is an essential nutrient; in particular it has an important role in stabilising blood sugar levels. It also is important for cardiovascular disease, to help to prevent obesity, promote skin health, reduce negative effects of stress, and promote muscle health.

 

GTF Chromium helps maintain stable blood sugar levels

If you have problems maintaining stable blood sugar levels you are likely to find taking a supplement of GTF (Glucose Tolerance Factor) Chromium helpful. High blood sugar levels cause serious damage to the body, particularly the blood vessels; in the extreme high blood sugars can kill. Diabetes results when the body is unable to lower blood sugar levels which are too high.

 

On the other hand, very low blood sugar levels can also be a problem; people with diabetes can get low blood sugar levels in reaction to medication. This is called hypoglycaemia. Some people have a tendency to get low blood sugar levels even though they don’t have diabetes. Hypoglycaemia causes symptoms such as hunger, shakiness, nervousness, sweating, dizziness or light-headedness, sleepiness, confusion, difficulty speaking, anxiety, weakness, nightmares, and waking up feeling tired, irritable, or confused.

 

GTF Chromium helps regulate your blood sugar levels, this means it can either lower or raise blood sugar levels depending on the needs of your body. It is necessary for insulin to work properly. Insulin, a powerful hormone involved with protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism, plays a major role in reducing high blood sugar levels. But without biologically active chromium, insulin is ineffective.

 

In Type 1 diabetes the body no longer produces insulin; in Type 2 diabetes insulin is not produced in adequate amounts. Diabetics are likely to be deficient in chromium [1], it is an important nutrient for all diabetics; most studies so far have shown that people with Type 2 Diabetes [2], or Pre-Diabetes, need GTF Chromium [34]. Although a study this year found children who had just been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes also had very low levels of Chromium. The scientists suggested supplementation of chromium with insulin may be necessary for people with type 1 diabetes [5].

Chromium alone has been shown to help stabilize blood sugar levels [6]. Food State GTF Chromium reduced blood sugar levels by 16.8%, compared to only 6% with chromium chloride [4].

 

Other Nutrients which help GTF Chromium work

Chromium is very effective when combined with other nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E [7], Zinc [89]. The antioxidants in this formulation are crucial to preventing the damage from diabetes [1011121314151617]. Food State Vitamin C has been found to be effective in reducing signs that the body is developing complications of diabetes [18, 19].

Another important antioxidant is selenium which can be low in diabetics [2017]. In New Zealand we do have particularly low levels of selenium [21], so it is likely to be needed for diabetics here.

 

GTF Chromium Improves Cholesterol, supports the Heart and Circulation

GTF Chromium is also important in Cardiovascular disease. It improves cholesterol levels, helps reverse atherosclerosis damage (atherosclerosis can occur as a result of chromium deficiency), helps regulate blood pressure, chromium improves blood circulation and is beneficial for the treatment of congestive heart failure. 

 

GTF Chromium helps to prevent Obesity

GTF Chromium helps to prevent obesity (by improving the body's utilization of Glucose) and can stimulate weight loss in people afflicted with obesity.

 

Help for skin health

Chromium is found in the skin and helps skin health including acne.

 

Stress depletes your body of Chromium

Chromium normally occurs in high amounts in the adrenal glands and brain. Excessive stress reduces the body's absorption of Chromium.

 

Chromium for Optimum Muscle Strength

Chromium stimulates muscle growth, increases muscle strength, can increase lean body mass, and enhances the uptake of creatine into the muscles. Excessive or highly strenuous exercise depletes chromium.

If I do use supplements, I recommend the Entire Katoa Food State range for the optimum absorption, low dose and low toxicity.

 

In previous articles I have talked about important foods to include, foods to avoid, and exercise, so here we will look more at the nutrients. Remember getting the food right is vital; so be focused. If you are with anybody who has diabetes trying to tempt them with foods that will damage them is like tempting someone with cancer to smoke cigarettes. So do all you can to support and encourage them, at the same time you will be decreasing your chances of getting Type 2 diabetes.

 

Original Article August 2012

Copyright Jaine Kirtley

 

 

References

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2.             Cumurcu T, Mendil D, Erkorkmaz U: Aqueous humor and serum levels of chromium in cataract patients with and without diabetes mellitus. Ophthalmologica 2008, 222(5):324-328.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18617756

3.             Cefalu WT, Rood J, Pinsonat P, Qin J, Sereda O, Levitan L, Anderson RA, Zhang XH, Martin JM, Martin CK et al: Characterization of the metabolic and physiologic response to chromium supplementation in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism 2010, 59(5):755-762.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20022616

4.             Vinson JA, Hsaio KH: Comparative effect of various forms of chromium on serum glucose: An assay for biologically active chromium. Nutritional Reports International 1985, 32(1)

5.             Karagun BS, Temiz F, Ozer G, Yuksel B, Topaloglu AK, Mungan NO, Mazman M, Karagun GM: Chromium levels in healthy and newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic children. Pediatrics International 2012:no-no.http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-200X.2012.03696.x

6.             Vinson JA, Bose P: THE EFFECT OF A HIGH CHROMIUM YEAST ON THE BLOOD GLUCOSE CONTROL AND BLOOD LIPIDS OF NORMAL AND DIABETIC HUMAN SUBJECTS. Nutritional Reports International 1984, 30(4).https://www.realfoodnutrients.com/db/ChromiumHumanStudy.pdf

7.             Lai MH: Antioxidant effects and insulin resistance improvement of chromium combined with vitamin C and e supplementation for type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Clin Biochem Nutr 2008, 43(3):191-198.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19015754

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9.             Anderson RA, Roussel AM, Zouari N, Mahjoub S, Matheau JM, Kerkeni A: Potential antioxidant effects of zinc and chromium supplementation in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Am Coll Nutr 2001, 20(3):212-218.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11444416

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11.           Wu JH, Ward NC, Indrawan AP, Almeida CA, Hodgson JM, Proudfoot JM, Puddey IB, Croft KD: Effects of alpha-tocopherol and mixed tocopherol supplementation on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in type 2 diabetes. Clin Chem 2007, 53(3):511-519.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17272491

12.           Shidfar F, Aghasi M, Vafa M, Heydari I, Hosseini S, Shidfar S: Effects of combination of zinc and vitamin A supplementation on serum fasting blood sugar, insulin, apoprotein B and apoprotein A-I in patients with type I diabetes. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2010, 61(2):182-191.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20151940

13.           Viktorinova A, Toserova E, Krizko M, Durackova Z: Altered metabolism of copper, zinc, and magnesium is associated with increased levels of glycated hemoglobin in patients with diabetes mellitus. Metabolism 2009, 58(10):1477-1482.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19592053

14.           Soinio M, Marniemi J, Laakso M, Pyorala K, Lehto S, Ronnemaa T: Serum zinc level and coronary heart disease events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2007, 30(3):523-528.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17327315

15.           Parham M, Amini M, Aminorroaya A, Heidarian E: Effect of zinc supplementation on microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes: a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Rev Diabet Stud 2008, 5(2):102-109.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18795212

16.           Wijesekara N, Chimienti F, Wheeler MB: Zinc, a regulator of islet function and glucose homeostasis. Diabetes Obes Metab 2009, 11 Suppl 4:202-214.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19817803

17.           Faure P: Protective effects of antioxidant micronutrients (vitamin E, zinc and selenium) in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Clin Chem Lab Med 2003, 41(8):995-998.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12964803

18.           Vinson JA, Staretz ME, Bose P, Kassm HM, Basalyga BS: In vitro and in vivo reduction of erythrocyte sorbitol by ascorbic acid. Diabetes 1989, 38(8):1036-1041

19.           Vinson JA, Howard TB: Inhibition of protein glycation and advanced glycation end product by ascorbic acid and other vitamins and nutrients. Nutritional Biochemistry 1996, 7:659-663

20.           Kornhauser C, Garcia-Ramirez JR, Wrobel K, Perez-Luque EL, Garay-Sevilla ME: Serum selenium and glutathione peroxidase concentrations in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Prim Care Diabetes 2008, 2(2):81-85.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18684427

21.           Thomson C, Robinson M: Selenium in human health and disease with emphasis on those aspects peculiar to New Zealand. Am J Clin Nutr 1980, 33(2):303-323.http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/33/2/303

 

 

 

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