Poor Diet and Lack of Exercise May Cause Insulin Resistance to Sneak Up on You Have you or a loved one developed football moderation resistance? It starts out fairly benign. You watch a game or two and get caught up in the excitement. Maybe you begin to admire certain players and find yourself elated when they do well, or down in the dumps when they have a poor outing. At some point you may begin to think of a team as "your" team, and start planning your weekends around kickoff time. You probably don't even notice these symptoms progressing until it's too late: You've purchased season tickets and you openly admit that a resistance to
football moderation has developed into full-blown Football Fever. I can tell you from my own experience there's no cure. (Not that I would want one if there were.) In much the same way, a poor diet and lack of exercise can sneak up on you and prompt insulin resistance in an otherwise healthy person. And as most HSI members are aware, this resistance often develops into type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, there are thousands of people who are becoming insulin resistant but have no idea they may be considered pre-diabetic. But for those who recognize the warning signs and decide to turn things around by correcting their diets and exercising regularly, there's a mineral that may significantly help their cause. And it even has the blessing of the FDA. Did I just use the word "blessing" in the same sentence with "FDA"? That might be overstating it a little. But last month, FDA officials announced they would allow a supplement company called Nutrition 21 to use a qualified health claim for chromium picolinate (CP). The claim: "One small study suggests that chromium picolinate may reduce the risk of insulin resistance, and therefore possibly may reduce the risk of Type II diabetes." Does that sound like faint praise? That's nothing. The FDA added a caveat that a link between CP intake and reduced risk of insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes is "highly uncertain." Natural Products Insider reports that a co-author of the study - William Cefalu, M.D. of Louisiana State University - put it another way, noting that research has shown that "200-1,000 mcg of chromium as chromium picolinate may play an important role in carbohydrate metabolism." Not only that, but chromium deficiency has also been linked to elevated heart attack risk. In the e-Alert "Getting Clipped" (8/1/05), I told you about a study of more than 1,400 men in which subjects with the lowest levels of chromium were 35 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack compared to subjects with the highest levels. Chromium is a trace mineral that's a component of insulin and is equired for proper metabolism of glucose, carbohydrates and fats. Picolinic acid (which is naturally produced in the body) is believed to improve absorption of trace metal ions. Studies indicate that absorption of minerals is enhanced when the minerals are in picolinate form. Nutrition 21 owns the patent on chromium picolinate, and the company has developed a product called Diachrome that contains CP and biotin, a member of the B vitamin complex that's been shown to help metabolize fats, proteins and carbohydrates. According to the Linus Pauling Institute (LPI), biotin research on rats indicates that this vitamin may stimulate insulin secretion in the pancreas. And one study - cited on the LPI web site - showed that a group of 43 type 2 diabetics had significantly lower biotin levels compared to non-diabetic subjects. I suspect that the "one small study" mentioned by the FDA is a study I told you about in the e-Alert "Mineral Rights" (6/16/04). For 30 days, half of a group of 24 type 2 diabetics took a daily dose of 600 mcg of CP and 2 mg of biotin, while the other half took a placebo. All of the subjects had previously taken antidiabetic drugs, but still had difficulty managing sugar levels. The CP/biotin formula produced these results: - Fasting blood glucose was reduced, on average, by more than 26 mg/dL
- More than 70 percent of the supplement group experienced significant drops in fasting blood glucose
- LDL cholesterol levels decreased by more than 10 mg/dL on average
- LDL increased in the placebo group, and less than 30 percent of the placebo subjects recorded appreciable drops in fasting blood glucose.
Chromium is fairly easy to incorporate in the diet: Broccoli is particularly rich in chromium, as is turkey meat, liver (and other organ meats), seafood, whole grains, oysters, eggs and cheese. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for chromium is 25 mcg per day for women and 35 mcg per day for men. For most people, however, a daily supplement of 600 mcg is well tolerated. As always, consult with your doctor or a healthcare professional before beginning any new supplement regimen. Sources:
"FDA Approves Qualified Health Claim for Chromium" Natural Products nsider, 8/31/05, naturalproductsinsider.com | 
