1er February 2007 – A supplement made with chromium and vitamin B8 (biotin) may help people with type 2 diabetes better regulate their blood glucose levels.
U.S. researchers at Yale University School of Medicine just published pilot trial results1 conducted among 43 type 2 diabetics. Participants were unable to control their blood sugar levels despite conventional anti-diabetic medication. For 30 days, the subjects took 600 µg of chromium picolinate and 2 mg of biotin or a placebo. The authors report an improvement in blood glucose levels and lipid profile in patients who took the supplement.
Chromium is a trace element whose deficiency is associated with glucose intolerance and lipid imbalance in the blood. It is believed that daily intake of chromium is often insufficient in the United States2. As for vitamin B8, it would play a role in regulating glucose metabolism.
Although the results reported here are from a preliminary trial, the observed effect is so clinically important that further research is contemplated. The combination of chromium and biotin could complement the standard treatment of patients in whom antidiabetic drugs are not sufficient to control blood sugar and who have lipid profile disturbances. Note that the regulation of blood sugar and blood lipid levels in diabetics helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications and death.
In August 2005, the US Food and Drug Administration refused to authorize a health claim to the effect that chromium picolinate could prevent diabetes or the disorders associated with it.3. The results of this new study could reignite the debate on the usefulness of chromium for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Pierre Lefrançois – HealthPassport
1. Singer GM, Geohas J. The effect of chromium picolinate and biotin supplementation on glycemic control in poorly controlled patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized trial. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2006 Dec; 8 (6): 636-43.
2. Cefalu WT, Hu FB. Role of chromium in human health and in diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2004 Nov; 27 (11): 2741-51. [Pas de résumé dans Medline]. Full text: http://care.diabetesjournals.org
3. US Food and Drug Administration. Qualified Health Claims: Letter of Enforcement Discretion – Chromium Picolinate and Insulin Resistance (Docket No. 2004Q-0144). CFSAN / Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements August 25, 2005. [Consulté le 26 janvier 2007]. www.cfsan.fda.gov
