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Chromium…Is it the Mineral You’re Missing?
A Bite-Sized Read for Your Health and Waistline
Often overlooked and yet critical for health, chromium is an essential mineral. Not just because of the myriad of uses for it in the body but whenever we hear the word “essential” in connection to a nutrient, it means our bodies can’t make it; it is essential we get it through our nutrition or supplementation. In my world, as a health coach with a specialty in weight management, I mostly talk about chromium supporting metabolic health, specifically insulin. The type of chromium in a supplement is chromium picolinate, as studies show it’s safest.
Let’s start with why chromium is important and what happens if we’re deficient in chromium. A chromium deficiency can lead to an increase in your blood sugar, triglycerides, and high cholesterol, which can all lead to more health risks. Without chromium, there’s a lack of protein synthesis and energy production; increasing risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. We don’t hear about this much as many say chromium deficiency isn’t an issue in developed nations because you can get it through food. Personally, when I put the dots together of what can cause chromium deficiency, I am not sure about that conclusion, because we see chromium loss in people consuming higher quantities of refined foods, sugars, and in times of stress (which includes…
