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Research · Supplements

Chromium

In type 2 diabetes, three meta-analyses found HbA1c 0.55 to 0.71 points lower on chromium, from mostly poor-quality trials. Fasting insulin fell in overweight adults and in polycystic ovary syndrome. People without diabetes showed no glucose change. Weight fell 1.1 kg more than placebo. Case reports describe kidney and liver failure and muscle breakdown at high doses.

Add to Bio HackChecked 2026-11-09
Status
Dietary supplement in the US. In 2005 FDA allowed one qualified health claim for chromium picolinate and insulin resistance, stating the evidence is highly uncertain.
Also called
chromium picolinate, chromium chloride, chromium polynicotinate, chromium nicotinate, chromium yeast, trivalent chromium, chromium III, Cr, glucose tolerance factor
Taken for
blood sugar, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, PCOS, weight loss, appetite, sugar cravings, muscle gain, body composition

Strong several reviews agree · Moderate one review or consistent trials · Limited one or a few small studies · Untested no study in people, listed with what it rests on

Shown to help3

Reported risks3

What people take it for, and what was found

Shown to help3

Strong

Blood sugar in type 2 diabetes

Shown to lower HbA1c by about 0.6 points and lower fasting glucose in people with type 2 diabetes, with larger effects in poorer-quality trials.

The numbers and sources
Effect
HbA1c fell 0.6 points (95% CI -0.9 to -0.2) and fasting glucose 1.0 mmol/L (95% CI -1.4 to -0.5) on chromium [1]. A 2014 analysis found HbA1c -0.55 points (95% CI -0.88 to -0.22) and fasting glucose -1.15 mmol/L [2]. A 2020 analysis found HbA1c -0.71 points (95% CI -1.19 to -0.23) and fasting glucose -19.0 mg/dL (95% CI -36.2 to -1.9) [3].
Population
41 trials, almost half poor quality [1]; 25 trials in diabetes [2]; 28 trials in type 2 diabetes [3].
Sources
[1], [2], [3], [4]
Caveats
Sources disagree on what this means. Larger effects came more often from poor-quality trials [1]. Heterogeneity for fasting glucose was 99.8% [3]. A 2016 review found few of 20 trials reached clinical treatment goals, with HbA1c falling 0.5 points or more in 5 of 14 [4]. FDA ranked the evidence for preventing insulin resistance or diabetes at its lowest level for a qualified claim [5].
ModerateStudied in women

Insulin resistance

Shown to lower HOMA-IR and fasting insulin slightly in overweight adults and women with PCOS. Fasting glucose and HbA1c did not change significantly.

The numbers and sources
Effect
In 20 trials in overweight and obese adults, HOMA-IR fell 0.26 (95% CI -0.48 to -0.03) and fasting insulin 12.55 pmol/L (95% CI -23.62 to -1.47). Fasting glucose (-1.60 mg/dL, 95% CI -3.28 to 0.07) and HbA1c (-0.05 points, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.07) did not change significantly [6]. In 10 RCTs in 683 women with polycystic ovary syndrome, chromium lowered fasting insulin (p 0.01) and raised the insulin sensitivity index QUICKI (p 0.02) against placebo. Against metformin, HOMA-IR fell more on chromium (p < 0.00001) [7].
Population
Overweight and obese adults, with trial sizes of 1 to 137 [6]; women with polycystic ovary syndrome [7].
Sources
[6], [7]
Caveats
The two reviews studied different populations. The PCOS abstract gives p-values without effect sizes [7]. The overweight analysis abstract calls the fasting glucose fall significant though its interval crosses zero [6]. In 2005 FDA ranked the evidence for chromium picolinate and insulin resistance at its lowest level for a qualified claim [5].
Strong

Weight loss

Shown to lower body weight by about 1.1 kg over placebo after 12 to 16 weeks in overweight or obese adults, on low-quality evidence.

The numbers and sources
Effect
After 12 to 16 weeks, body weight was 1.1 kg lower on chromium picolinate than placebo (95% CI -1.7 to -0.4). No dose gradient was found across 200 to 1,000 µg a day [8]. An earlier analysis also found -1.1 kg (95% CI -1.8 to -0.4), and the effect lost significance without one trial (-0.9 kg, 95% CI -2.0 to 0.2) [9].
Population
392 overweight or obese adults in 6 trials pooled, 9 trials with 622 people reviewed [8]; 489 people in 10 trials [9].
Sources
[8], [9]
Caveats
The Cochrane authors rated the evidence low quality and called the effect of debatable clinical relevance [8]. The earlier analysis asked manufacturers for unpublished studies [9].

Not shown to help2

Moderate

Blood sugar in people without diabetes

Not shown to change glucose or lipid metabolism in people without diabetes.

The numbers and sources
Effect
Chromium did not change glucose or lipid metabolism in people without diabetes [1].
Population
Trials of people without diabetes within a 41-trial review [1].
Sources
[1]
Caveats
The review notes no consensus on how to measure chromium status [1].
ModerateStudied in men

Strength and muscle with resistance training

Not shown to add to strength or muscle gains from resistance training in men, in two small trials.

The numbers and sources
Effect
Over 8 weeks, strength, fat-free mass and muscle mass rose with training, and chromium chloride or picolinate did not add to the gains [10]. Over 12 weeks in older men, 924 µg a day did not add to strength, muscle size or lean mass. The placebo group gained more knee-extension power [11].
Population
36 men [10]; 18 men aged 56 to 69 [11].
Sources
[10], [11]
Caveats
Both trials were small.

Doses studied

Weight trials used 200, 400, 500 and 1,000 µg a day of chromium picolinate [8]. A 2014 analysis found glycemic effects mainly above 200 µg a day [2]. The training trials used 3.3 to 3.5 µmol a day [10] and 924 µg a day [11]. EFSA found no adequate data to set a tolerable upper intake level for trivalent chromium [12].

Risks

Reported risks3

LimitedHow often is not known

Kidney and liver failure

Case reports: a woman taking 1,200 to 2,400 µg a day for months developed anemia, liver injury and kidney failure needing dialysis, and recovered.

The numbers and sources
How common
How often is not known: the sources give no rate.
Effect
A 33-year-old woman taking 1,200 to 2,400 µg a day of chromium picolinate for 4 to 5 months for weight loss developed anemia, liver injury with enzymes 15 to 20 times normal, and kidney failure needing dialysis. She recovered within a year [13].
Population
One case report [13].
Sources
[13]
Caveats
A single case. Plasma chromium was 2 to 3 times normal [13].
LimitedHow often is not known

Muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis)

Case reports: a bodybuilder developed rhabdomyolysis after 1,200 µg of chromium picolinate over 48 hours.

The numbers and sources
How common
How often is not known: the sources give no rate.
Effect
A 24-year-old bodybuilder developed rhabdomyolysis after taking 1,200 µg of chromium picolinate over 48 hours. The authors describe it as the first reported case [14].
Population
One case report [14].
Sources
[14]
Caveats
Weight lifting is itself a cause of rhabdomyolysis [14].
LimitedStudied in menHow often is not known

Iron status during training

One small trial found transferrin saturation fell 24% on chromium picolinate against 10% to 13% on chromium chloride or placebo in 36 men.

The numbers and sources
How common
How often is not known: the sources give no rate.
Effect
Over 8 weeks, transferrin saturation fell 24% on chromium picolinate against 10% to 13% on chromium chloride or placebo [10].
Population
36 men in resistance training [10].
Sources
[10]
Caveats
One small trial.

Checked, no increase found1

Moderate

Side effects in trials

Adverse events were about as common on chromium as on placebo across 25 short trials in diabetes.

The numbers and sources
How common
How often is not known: the sources give no rate.
Effect
Across 25 trials in diabetes, adverse events did not differ between chromium and placebo [2]. In a weight meta-analysis, three trials reported no adverse events on chromium [9].
Population
25 trials [2]; 10 trials [9].
Sources
[2], [9]
Caveats
Trials were short. Long-term safety was not studied [2].

Claims tested and not found

  1. That chromium builds muscle or strength. Two training trials found no added gain over placebo [10][11].
  2. That chromium lowers blood sugar in people without diabetes. A 41-trial review found no change [1].

Sources

  1. Balk EM, Tatsioni A, Lichtenstein AH, et al. Effect of Chromium Supplementation on Glucose Metabolism and Lipids: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Care. 2007. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc06-0996
  2. Suksomboon N, Poolsup N, Yuwanakorn A. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of chromium supplementation in diabetes. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpt.12147
  3. Asbaghi O, Fatemeh N, Mahnaz RK, et al. Effects of chromium supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pharmacological Research. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105098
  4. Costello RB, Dwyer JT, Bailey RL. Chromium supplements for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes: limited evidence of effectiveness. Nutrition Reviews. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuw011
  5. US Food and Drug Administration. Qualified Health Claims: Letter of Enforcement Discretion, Chromium Picolinate and Insulin Resistance (Docket No. 2004Q-0144). 2005. http://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20171114183649/https://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm073017.htm
  6. Monfared V, Rashin H, Malekinejad S, et al. The effect of chromium supplementation on cardio-metabolic risk factors in overweight and obese patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemb.2025.127645
  7. Hamsho M, Ranneh Y, Fadel A. Therapeutic effects of chromium supplementation on women with polycystic ovarian syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Endocrinología, Diabetes y Nutrición. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.endien.2025.501578
  8. Tian H, Guo X, Wang X, et al. Chromium picolinate supplementation for overweight or obese adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD010063.pub2
  9. Pittler MH, Stevinson C, Ernst E. Chromium picolinate for reducing body weight: Meta-analysis of randomized trials. International Journal of Obesity. 2003. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802262
  10. Lukaski HC, Bolonchuk WW, Siders WA, et al. Chromium supplementation and resistance training: effects on body composition, strength, and trace element status of men. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1996. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/63.6.954
  11. Campbell WW, Joseph LJO, Davey SL, et al. Effects of resistance training and chromium picolinate on body composition and skeletal muscle in older men. Journal of Applied Physiology. 1999. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1999.86.1.29
  12. European Food Safety Authority. Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels as derived by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) and the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). Version 11. 2025. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/assets/UL_Summary_tables.pdf
  13. Cerulli J, Grabe DW, Gauthier I, et al. Chromium Picolinate Toxicity. Annals of Pharmacotherapy. 1998. https://doi.org/10.1345/aph.17327
  14. Martin WR, Fuller RE. Suspected Chromium Picolinate-Induced Rhabdomyolysis. Pharmacotherapy. 1998. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1875-9114.1998.tb03910.x

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