✓ No active regulatory warningsFDA MedWatch, EMA EudraVigilance, WHO VigiBase, WADA Prohibited List · 2026-05-29
📰Read the full Chromium evidence review on GMJ News →Complete clinical article, references and updates on news.gmj.ge. This page is the structured safety summary.⚠ Patient with glucose intolerance on prolonged TPN — consider chromium among trace element supplementation [1]
⚠ Chromium supplement user on diabetes medications — theoretical hypoglycemia risk, though clinical significance uncertain [3]
⚠ Distinguish Cr³⁺ (dietary, low toxicity) from Cr⁶⁺ (industrial carcinogen) — entirely different toxicological profiles [2]
🥗 Food first — build your daily 35 mcg/ 25 mcg
Check the foods you regularly eat — the bar fills toward your daily target.
Broccoli (½ cup)11 mcg
Grape juice (1 cup)8 mcg
Whole wheat bread (2 slices)2 mcg
Garlic (1 clove)1 mcg
Turkey breast (85g)1.7 mcg
Check your regular foods above
🔬 Lab interpreter
Recommended test
No reliable clinical test for chromium status
No reliable clinical test for chromium status
Reference range / target
N/A
N/A
Serum and urinary chromium reflect recent intake, not tissue status. Contamination during collection is a major issue. There is no validated clinical biomarker [1].
Full lab monitoring ↓⚕ For professionals — confirm ranges against your local laboratory.
Clinical verdict
1 How much do I need?
👤 Adults: Specific dosage data under clinical review
👴 Elderly: Specific dosage data under clinical review
🤰 Pregnancy: See guidance
AI 29 µg/day. No evidence for supplementation beyond diet. Safety of high-dose chromium picolinate in pregnancy is unstudied [1].
👦 Pediatric: See guidance
🏃 Athletes: Standard dose
⚖️ Obesity: Standard dose
Fat-soluble compounds may require dose adjustment in obesity.
🩺 Renal: Consult specialist
Dose adjustment may be needed in renal impairment.
🌱 Vegan: Standard dose
How to take
🍽 Timing: Can be taken at any time. Some recommend with food to reduce GI upset [3].
💊 With food: Vitamin C may enhance chromium absorption [3].
2 Which form?
| Form | Bioavailability | Vegan | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ['Chromium picolinate', 'common', 'Most studied form. ~2.7% bioavailability. Subject of an FDA-qualified health claim for insulin resistance (with significant disclaimers) [3].'] | Standard | Check label | |
| ['Chromium polynicotinate', '', 'Niacin-bound chromium. Marketed for enhanced absorption. Limited head-to-head comparison data [3].'] | Standard | Check label | |
| ['Chromium chloride', '', 'Simple inorganic form. Lower bioavailability than organic forms. Used in early research [1].'] | Standard | Check label | |
| ['Chromium-enriched yeast', '', 'Organic form with chromium incorporated into yeast proteins. Some evidence for better bioavailability [3].'] | Standard | Check label |
3 Common questions
Does chromium help with diabetes? ▼
The evidence is mixed. Some meta-analyses show modest HbA1c reduction (−0.6%) with 200–1,000 µg/day chromium picolinate in type 2 diabetes, but many trials are low-quality and effects are inconsistent [5]. It is NOT a substitute for standard diabetes medications. The ADA does not recommend chromium supplementation for diabetes management.
Is chromium essential for humans? ▼
This is genuinely debated. The IOM set an Adequate Intake in 2001 [1], but EFSA declined to establish one in 2014, concluding that human essentiality was not proven [4]. About 20 cases of chromium-responsive glucose intolerance in TPN patients provide the strongest evidence for essentiality, but some researchers argue these cases had confounding factors.
Is chromium picolinate safe? ▼
At standard supplemental doses (200–1,000 µg/day), chromium picolinate appears safe in short- to medium-term studies. Concerns about mutagenicity (picolinate ligand generating hydroxyl radicals in vitro) have not been confirmed in vivo [3]. Long-term safety data at high doses are limited.
Does chromium help with weight loss? ▼
No — despite widespread marketing, randomized trials have not demonstrated clinically meaningful weight loss from chromium supplementation [3]. Any effects on body composition are small and inconsistent.
4 Clinical evidence
Strong
Distinction between trivalent (Cr³⁺, dietary, low toxicity) and hexavalent (Cr⁶⁺, industrial carcinogen) chromium [2]. Treatment of documented chromium deficiency in TPN patients (reversible glucose intolerance, neuropathy, confusion) — though only ~20 such cases are documented in the literature [1]. HIGH
Moderate
Modest improvement in glycemic parameters in type 2 diabetes: some meta-analyses suggest small reductions in HbA1c (−0.6%) and fasting glucose with chromium picolinate 200–1,000 µg/day, but results are inconsistent across trials and effect sizes are clinically marginal [5]. Body composition: limited evidence for modest fat mass reduction [3]. MODERATE
Insufficient
Weight loss: no convincing evidence for clinically meaningful weight loss [3]. Polycystic ovary syndrome: preliminary data only [3]. Athletic performance enhancement: not supported [3]. Prevention of type 2 diabetes: the Diabetes Prevention Program found no benefit from chromium supplementation [3]. Lipid improvement: inconsistent results [3]. LOW
5 Safety, toxicity & adverse events
Relative
⚠ Chromate allergy — may cross-react with chromium supplements
⚠ CKD — reduced chromium excretion; accumulation risk
⚠ Concurrent insulin or sulfonylureas — possible additive hypoglycemia (theoretical)
🚩 Red flags
● Patient with glucose intolerance on prolonged TPN without trace elements — consider chromium supplementation [1]
● Industrial worker with hexavalent chromium exposure — cancer screening and respiratory monitoring [2]
● Patient self-supplementing >1,000 µg/day chromium with rising creatinine — stop supplement and investigate [3]
6 Interactions
Drug interactions
Insulin and oral hypoglycemics (metformin, sulfonylureas) Moderate
Mechanism: Chromium may enhance insulin sensitivity. Theoretical additive blood glucose lowering. [3]
Effect: Possible hypoglycemia, though clinical significance is uncertain at standard doses. [3]
Action: Monitor blood glucose if adding chromium to diabetes regimen. Adjust medications if needed [3].
Levothyroxine Moderate
Mechanism: Chromium picolinate may reduce levothyroxine absorption through GI interaction. [3]
Effect: Elevated TSH from reduced thyroid hormone absorption. [3]
Action: Separate chromium and levothyroxine by at least 3–4 hours [3].
Supplement synergies
Vitamin C · 200–500 mg/day
Vitamin C enhances trivalent chromium absorption in the GI tract [3].
Vitamin C enhances trivalent chromium absorption in the GI tract [3].
Niacin · Per individual protocols
Chromium polynicotinate combines both nutrients. Synergistic effects on insulin sensitivity proposed [3].
Chromium polynicotinate combines both nutrients. Synergistic effects on insulin sensitivity proposed [3].
7 Regulatory
United States (FDA): Classified as a dietary supplement. FDA-qualified health claim (2005): 'one small study suggests chromium picolinate may reduce the risk of insulin resistance, and therefore possibly may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes' — with extensive disclaimers about limited evidence [3].
European Union (EFSA): Declined to recognize chromium as an essential nutrient in 2014. No authorized health claims. Chromium supplements are still sold as food supplements [4].
Japan (MHLW): No established AI. Chromium picolinate is available as a food supplement.
South Korea (MFDS): Available as dietary supplement ingredient.
8 US supplement products
2,073
on-market products containing Chromium (NIH DSLD)
Brands carrying Chromium (496)
Click a brand to see its Chromium products.
9 Frequently paired with
10 Cite this page
Vancouver: Pkhakadze G. Chromium — safety profile [Internet]. Tbilisi: PHIG; 2026 [cited 2026 Aug 31]. Available from: https://supplement.ge/ingredients/chromium/
APA 7th: Pkhakadze, G. (2026). Chromium — Safety profile. Public Health Institute of Georgia. https://supplement.ge/ingredients/chromium/
📋 Editorial information
Author: Prof. G. Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Institution: Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG)
Affiliation: David Tvildiani Medical University (DTMU)
First published: January 2026
Last reviewed: 2026-05-29
Next review: March 2027
References: 5 cited sources
COI: SupplementIndex receives no funding from supplement manufacturers. All content independently authored by PHIG.
Process: Systematic literature review
📄 License & reuse
Published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). You may share and adapt for any purpose with attribution.
Pkhakadze G. "Chromium — Safety Profile." SupplementIndex, PHIG, 2026. https://supplement.ge/ingredients/chromium/ CC BY 4.0.
GP
Prof. G. Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Professor of Public Health · Head of Department, DTMU
Editor-in-Chief, Georgian Medical Journal (ISSN 3088-4322)
Chair, Public Health Institute of Georgia · UEMS Public Health Section
Educational and public health purposes. CC BY 4.0. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Corrections: info@accreditation.ge. Publisher: PHIG