Chromium Deficiency
What Is Chromium?
Chromium is a mineral that the body absolutely requires in trace amounts for normal metabolism, meaning the physical and chemical processes by which energy is produced and used.
Chromium is especially involved in the use of glucose sugar and lipids such as cholesterol and the effectiveness of insulin hormone.
Q: How is chromium involved in the use of glucose?
A: Very small amounts of chromium are required to enable insulin to move glucose from the bloodstream into cells for use as energy.
Insulin is a hormone that controls the use and storage of glucose in two ways: 1) lowers a rise of glucose in blood after meals by moving it out of the bloodstream into body cells, especially muscle cells and 2) limits the release of glucose from the liver between meals. Insulin is produced by beta cells on the surface of the pancreas.
To date, the molecular mechanism by which chromium affects glucose and lipid metabolism is still unclear.1
What Is Chromium Deficiency In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
Sources:- Lewicki S, Zdanowski R, Krzyżowska M, Lewicka A, Dębski B, Niemcewicz M, Goniewicz M. The role of Chromium III in the organism and its possible use in diabetes and obesity treatment. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2014 Jun 10;21(2):331-335. [↩]
