AOR Chromium Picolinate
AOR Chromium Picolinate is trivalent chromium in a bidendate chelate with
picolinic acid,
an intermediary in the biosynthesis of nicotinamide from tryptophan.
Research suggests that chromium picolinate – rather than a
polynicotinate form or an ill-characterized niacin-containing “Glucose
Tolerance Factor (GTF)” – is the natural chelate of chromium in living
things. Chromium picolinate supports healthy glucose metabolism.
| Supplement Facts
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| Serving Size: 1 Capsule
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|
Amount Per Serving
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| Chromium (III) (Picolinate)
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600mcg
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| Other ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose. Capsule: hypromellose, water.
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AOR™ guarantees that
no ingredients not listed on the label have been added to the product.
Contains no wheat, gluten, corn, nuts, dairy, soy, eggs, fish, shellfish
or any animal byproduct.
Suggested Use:Take one capsule daily, or as directed by a qualified health practitioner.
Caution
Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you have a kidney disorder or for use beyond 6 months.
Pregnancy/Breastfeeding
Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
An essential trace mineral, chromium is needed by the body in only
small amounts. Nonetheless, it plays a significant role in nutrition.
While vital for a number of different bodily processes, chromium is most
valuable in controlling glucose levels. Due to this fact, chromium has
found significant favor among those looking to improve the blood sugar
levels of diabetics. It has even been suggested that chromium may be
beneficial in the prevention of heart disease. A superior form of
chromium picolinate is a bidendate chelate with picolinic acid. This is
because research has suggested that chromium picolinate is the natural
form of chromium in living things. If chromium picolinate is the form
your body uses, it only makes sense for you to take that form.
Glucose Regulator
Part of the reason that
chromium is labeled an essential mineral is the vital role it plays in
the regulation of blood sugar levels. Chromium works like a key to
unlock the hormone insulin, allowing it to travel throughout the body
controlling blood sugar, building proteins, and performing all of its
other duties. Insufficient quantities of chromium in your body -a
condition that affects most North Americans- may cause some of the
scourges of modern living: high blood sugar and high cholesterol.
Insulin itself plays a vital role in the process of glucose
regulation. Without insulin, glucose cannot exit the bloodstream and
enter the body's cells. Chromium helps the process along by acting as a
cofactor to insulin, "unlocking the door" to the cell member, thus
allowing glucose to cross the cell membrane and enter the cell. How
chromium does this isn't necessarily known, but we do know that previous
models are inaccurate. It used to be thought that chromium was first
converted into a chemical called glucose tolerance factor (GTF).
However, it was later discovered that GTF was inadvertently created
during the process of chemical analysis -and that there is actually no
such thing as GTF. Effectively, some foods that were previously thought
to be superior sources of chromium due to their supposed quantities of
GTF are not necessarily better foods for obtaining chromium.
Chromium's Role In Diabetes
As chromium
picolinate has been shown to have a beneficial effect on glucose
regulation, some studies have tested whether it can have similar
benefits for those suffering from diabetes, abnormal blood sugar levels,
or some other sort of impaired insulin function. The results of these
studies have been positive. Several small, double-blind trials have
suggested that chromium picolinate supplementation may help those with
type II diabetes or abnormal blood sugar. One such trial studying
overweight people at risk of developing diabetes found that chromium
helped the body respond better to insulin. Another randomized,
placebo-controlled trial found that chromium supplementation shortens
QTc interval which, when prologned, is a powerful predictor of total
mortality, cardiac death, and future stroke in patients with type 2
diabetes mellitus. Multiple studies have been carried out on those with
diabetes, showing marked improvements in blood sugar levels.
• In a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 180 people with
type II diabetes were given a daily regime of either a placebo, 200 mcg
of chromium picolinate or 1000 mcg of chromium picolinate. Both groups
taking chromium showed improvement in blood sugar, with those in the
higher dosage group showing significantly more. The placebo group showed
no improvement.
• A placebo-controlled study of 30 women with pregnancy-related
diabetes found that supplementation with 4 or 8 mcg of chromium
picolinate for each kilogram of body weight resulted in significantly
improved blood sugar control.
• Chromium may also be helpful for treating diabetes caused by corticosteroid treatment.
Heart Disease Prevention
Since insulin resistance
and elevated blood sugar levels appear to be risk factors for heart
disease, some scientists have found that higher chromium intake lowered
the risk of heart attack. These studies coincide with some authorities'
characterization of "metabolic syndrome X." Syndrome X is the
combination of impaired blood sugar control, high cholesterol, weight
gain, and high blood pressure, all of which contribute heavily to heart
disease. While the existence of syndrome X is itself controversial,
chromium picolinate has been indicated as a partial remedy for at least
the first condition. However this first condition, namely stabilized
blood sugar levels, is arguably the single most important factor of
syndrome X due to its intrinsic effects on the other factors of
cholesterol, weight gain, and blood pressure.
Safety
Even though chromium is an essential
mineral, we still do know exactly how large an amount we can take before
toxicity becomes an issue. This is of particular concern because
chromium, despite being needed by our bodies, is a heavy metal and rare
cases associated with excess intake have been reported at doses as low
as 600 mcg. However, these problems are quite rare, and can possibly be
attributed to other health factors, such as liver or kidney disease,
which may have predisposed the affected individuals towards such a
reaction. One last concern with chromium supplementation lies in
preliminary, in vitro studies that found chromium picolinate to cause
genetic damage to cells. While nothing conclusive has been proven
against chromium regarding toxicity levels, it is nonetheless important
to be forewarned about its possible risks.
Chromium has only recently been classified as an essential mineral
and it's functions in the body are still being studied. Even so,
chromium picolinate is essential for proper glucose function and has
been shown to provide significant assistance to those struggling to
regulate their blood sugar levels. Finally, the connotations for weight
loss are also quite overt, making chromium picolinate a useful tool for
aesthetic as well as medical purposes. Pursuant to this, chromium
picolinate has also been examined by athletes as well, both recreational
and competitive. This is due to the fact that maintaining a stable
glucose level is paramount in any endurance sport, especially one
requiring periodic bursts of anaerobic activity.
AOR Chromium Picolinate is trivalent chromium in a bidendate chelate with picolinic acid, an intermediary in the biosynthesis of nicotinamide from tryptophan. Research suggests that chromium picolinate - rather than a polynicotinate form.
Diabetes, Blood Sugar Balance
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