Chromium is a chemical element present in many foods and diet supplement products. Chromium forms compounds, such as chromium picolinate, when reacting with other elements or chemical substances. The compound chromium picolinate, for instance, is the result of a reaction between chromium and picolinic acid. Chromium picolinate does not occur naturally, and it is only synthesized in a laboratory. It is mainly found in nutritional supplements used to prevent or treat chromium deficiency for long-term hospital patients under intravenous liquid diets. Some studies have pointed out the potential heath risks of taking this form of chromium for long periods of time.
Mutagenicity
Although some laboratory tests using chromium picolinate in cells showed mutagenicity, which means that the substance could alter DNA causing cancer, the substance is not actually related as a cause of the disease. According to the U.K. Department of Health, the evaluation of the mutagenicity of chromium picolinate is complex, but in-vivo tests in mammals with chromium picolinate presented negative results for mutagenicity and cancer.
Renal Failure
According to the U.K. Food Standards Agency, in 1998, a patient taking a supplement of up to 2.4 mg a day of chromium picolinate for five months presented liver dysfunction and renal failure. Another reported case concerned a patient taking a daily doses of 0.6 mg chromium picolinate for six weeks who also presented renal failure.
Drug Interactions
According to the Linus Paulling Institute, little information exists about drug interactions with chromium compounds in humans. In studies performed in rats, calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide decreased chromium absorption, while aspirin increased chromium absorption. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, chromium supplements can also enhance the effectiveness of diabetes medications, such as Glucophage.
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