The prevalence of obesity in western countries has risen dramatically over the past 25 years. Due to the large number of life threatening health problems associated with obesity, there is an increasing demand for dietary supplements to assist weight loss. Unfortunately, although there are many such supplements available, the majority of them have very little real scientific evidence to back up their claims. Chromium picolinate (CrPic) has been purported as an effective aid for weight loss in overweight individuals and has been shown to slow down weight gain. The results of a new study provide a potential mechanism for these effects, suggesting that CrPic may play an important role in food intake regulation.
The study involved 42 overweight, non-smoking, healthy adult women who reported intense cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods. Over an 8 week period half of the women were given daily supplements of 1000mcg of CrPic and the other half were given a placebo. Women receiving CrPic were found to significantly lower their food intake over the 8 week trial period as compared to those receiving a placebo. Despite lowering their calorie intake, women taking CrPic did not report increased hunger levels, while women receiving a placebo reported increased hunger levels 4-4.5 hours after lunch, even though they had not greatly reduced their food intake. Finally, individuals taking CrPic lost a small amount of weight (0.5kg) while those taking the placebo gained 0.5kg, suggesting that CrPic may assist small levels of weight loss and/or attenuate weight gain.
Overall, the results of this study suggest that CrPic supplementation may decrease food intake, increase satiety and may also help reduce food cravings. The results were further supported by a concurrent study examining the effect of CrPic on food intake in rats. It was found that CrPic had the same effect in rats as in humans; significantly decreasing food intake. The rat studies also suggested that CrPic’s action is through a direct effect on the brain, possibly impacting physiological satiety signals.
Anton SD, Morrison CD, Cefalu WT, Martin CK, Coulon S, Geiselman P, Han H, White CL, Williamson DA. Effects of Chromium Picolinate on Food Intake and Satiety. Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics. 2008; 10(5): 405-411.
For more information see Chromium Picolinate
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