Content
- 1 The benefits of chromium and its role in the human body
- 2 Products containing chromium
- 3 Indications for the use of drugs with chromium
- 4 The use of chromium for weight loss
- 5 Chromium daily allowance
- 6 What affects the absorption of chromium by the body
- 7 Symptoms of a lack of chromium in the body
- 8 Why is excess chromium in the body dangerous?
- 9 Conclusion
- 10 Reviews of doctors
- 11 Reviews of losing weight
Chromium is not just a chemical element known from school, but also a substance vital for human health, although not many people know about it. What are the benefits and harms of chromium for the body and how this metal is associated with a disease such as diabetes - will be discussed further.
The benefits of chromium and its role in the human body
As a chemical element of Mendeleev's periodic system, a metal that paints its compounds in different colors (which is why it was called "chromium", or color), chromium is extremely necessary for man, albeit in a small amount.
The discovery of this substance in the 18th century. is associated with the name of the French professor of chemistry Louis Vauquelin, and the American physician Walter Mertz has already studied the effect of a trace element on the human body in our time.
Research has revealed the importance of chromium in the control of carbohydrate metabolism: by activating enzymes, it helps glucose more easily enter the cell, thereby increasing the effect of insulin and reducing the body's need for it. Metabolism is accelerated and blood glucose levels are thus regulated.
In addition, the element is able to increase the level of good cholesterol (HDL), which cleans the vascular walls from excess "bad" (LDL), which can be deposited on the walls of blood vessels. This balancing of cholesterol levels prevents the development of harmful myocardial infarction and strokes. Chromium has the ability to accelerate the absorption of 4 amino acids such as glycine, serine, methionine and aminobutyric acid in the heart muscle.
Thus, preparations with its content are recommended not only for those suffering from diabetes (primarily type 2), but also for people with cardiovascular diseases.
Another useful property of chromium, revealed through research: obtaining energy for the body - by stimulating the conversion of complex substances into simple ones (catabolism). This property, combined with improved transport of glucose and amino acids into cells, including muscle tissue, is appreciated by athletes and people with high physical activity.
The trace element is also important in lipid metabolism: it promotes the processing of fat in our body and thus helps to maintain normal weight.
Another useful property of chromium is its ability to replace iodine in the human body, which has an important effect on thyroid diseases.
The benefits are also great in strengthening bone tissue, which is important in the prevention of osteoporosis.
At the genetic level, the participation of the mineral in the preservation of hereditary information, regeneration and growth of body tissues is important.
Chromium stores in the body help to cope with stress more effectively.
Products containing chromium
It is best to choose foods that are rich in organic chromium: they are easily absorbed by the human body.
These include:
- nuts (its high content in brazil nut);
- seafood (mainly shrimp, mussels, oysters);
- pork;
- fresh legumes;
- fruits and berries (apples, bananas, grapes, sea buckthorn, spinach, broccoli and artichokes);
- cereal grains: wheat, barley.
River or sea fish, molluscs and crustaceans are able to replenish the required daily chromium balance. These include: tuna, capelin, mackerel, flounder, crucian carp, carp, shrimp and oysters.
The element was also found in the organic complex of brewer's yeast, which is maximally assimilated by the body, while in the composition of mineral salts its assimilation takes place only by 3%.
Its lowest content is found in dairy products (butter, margarine, milk) and sugar.
Indications for the use of drugs with chromium
Check with your healthcare professional before using chromium supplements.
Chromium preparations in combination with other ingredients such as B vitamins, yeast, fiber or green tea extract have become widespread on the market.
Chromium preparations are prescribed for people who play sports or work related to physical activity, as well as those who want to reduce body fat.
Due to its beneficial properties, chromium is used to treat hypoglycemia, diabetes in conditions of too high cholesterol levels.
Medicines containing chromium are prescribed for both prevention and treatment of diseases:
- kidney and liver;
- allergic reactions;
- immunodeficiency;
- heart failure.
The need for a trace element increases so much during pregnancy that there is even so-called pregnancy diabetes with its deficiency.
Regular consumption of chromium in tablet form reduces urinary calcium excretion, which may prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
The benefits of chromium for men are manifested in its ability to prevent the occurrence of problems with potency.
The use of chromium for weight loss
Information about the miraculous effect of chromium on weight loss has gained widespread acceptance - especially in weight loss techniques.
Indeed, by regulating blood sugar levels, it significantly reduces the need for sweets and attacks of "wolfish appetite".
It is also able to speed up metabolism, so it can be an excellent ally in the fight against excess weight, but not a "magic pill" that will solve the problem for a person.
The use of chromium for weight loss should be accompanied by constant strength loads: then a useful trace element will help build muscle and break down fats.
In addition, chromium-containing preparations without the use of special diets help prevent the harm of fat deposition and eliminate dangerous carcinogens.
Another useful property of the trace element for metabolism is the normalization and restoration of the functions of the thyroid gland.
Chromium also acts to stimulate reproductive function in a woman's body.
Chromium daily allowance
A properly balanced diet should provide us with the required amount of chromium - for an adult it will be 0.05 - 0.2 mg per day.
For children, 0.02 mg will be a sufficient norm, adolescents are shown to consume from 0.02 to 0.03 mg of a trace element, and for people with a sedentary lifestyle, it will be necessary to provide a lower daily rate of 0.05 mg.
For nursing mothers, it is necessary to increase the content of the beneficial substance, since the baby will be able to receive the beneficial trace element only with breast milk: this will require 0.05 - 0.2 mg of its intake into the body daily. This norm is comparable to the need for chromium in athletes - from 0.15 to 0.2 mg.
What affects the absorption of chromium by the body
Our body receives chromium, which is important for health, in compounds in food, water and air.
The absorption of the microelement is carried out mainly by the jejunum, and excretion - mainly by the kidneys - up to 80%, as well as by the lungs, skin (including those with hair loss) and intestines. Bile contains a lot of chromium.
When using supplements with a trace element, it is necessary to take into account the list of drugs that can enhance its absorption by the body.
These include:
- vitamin C;
- aspirin;
- a nicotinic acid;
- naproxen other.
Symptoms of a lack of chromium in the body
Chronic fatigue, irritability, frequent headaches, and increased cravings for sweets may indicate that our body is “asking for” this beneficial trace mineral.
It should be borne in mind that more frequent cravings for sweets and "ravenous appetite" than ever can be caused by stress - and then even the use of supplements of the element in tablets will not be beneficial.
Increased consumption of simple carbohydrates: sugar, carbonated drinks, refined wheat flour products can lead to the loss of chromium along with urine and reduce its benefits for the body.
Heat treatment also reduces the beneficial micronutrient content of foods.
In the course of experiments on animals, it was found that chromium deficiency threatens with harm to growth retardation, neuropathies and disorders of the nervous system, as well as a decrease in the properties of fertilization in spermatozoa.
In addition, the lack of an element in the body can manifest itself:
- perforation of the nasal septum;
- allergic diseases, including asthmatic bronchitis, bronchial asthma;
- astheno-neurotic disorders;
- increased harm to the development of cancer.
Indicators of chromium imbalance in the body will be the following manifestations:
- constant thirst;
- insomnia;
- tiredness, irritability;
- disorders of the nervous system;
- the risk of developing female infertility and male impotence.
Why is excess chromium in the body dangerous?
If you consume products containing organic chromium every day, then the harm of an overdose of the element is not threatened. The risk arises only if too high doses of supplements are used systematically.
In this case, the absorption of chromium antagonists - iron and zinc - by the body will decrease, and insulin production will also be impaired.
An excess of a trace element is manifested by the harm of a toxic effect on the body in the form of:
- dizziness, nausea, tendency to fainting;
- dermatitis;
- stomach ulcers, liver and kidney problems.
Conclusion
Now that it has become known what the benefits and harms of chromium are, interest in it is returning not only in the context of combating excess weight and burning excess fat. If you use its properties of normalizing metabolism, strengthening the work of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, bone tissue, cleansing the body, then this element will cease to be one of the many abstract chemical elements and will turn into a means of protecting human health.
