| Results of a new
double-blind, placebo controlled clinical study show that chromium picolinate
significantly helps in the loss of body fat, without causing a loss in lean body mass. In
the study, the 122 moderately overweight individuals who took chromium picolinate lost an
average of 6.2 pounds of body fat as opposed to only 3.4 pounds in those individuals in
the placebo group.
This research, reported in the journal Current Therapeutic Research, strongly
reinforces results from an earlier clinical trial and demonstrates that chromium
picolinate supplementation can play an important role in positively altering body
composition. Body composition is determined by the ratio of fat-free mass versus the
amount of fatty tissue in the body.
"The data clearly confirm that supplementation with chromium picolinate can
lead to significant improvements in body composition resulting from fat loss, particularly
for individuals who may not be as aggressive in making lifestyle changes such as reducing
caloric intake or increasing their physical activity," said lead researcher,
Gilbert Kaats, PhD, of the Health and Medical Research Foundation in San Antonio.
Subjects involved in the study were given 400 micrograms of chromium picolinate or
placebo daily. Changes in body fat, fat-free mass and weight were measured over a 90-day
period. The results of the study demonstrated a statistically-significant
reduction in body fat in those individuals who took chromium picolinate, without losing
any valuable lean body mass.
"It has been proposed that chromium picolinate's positive effect on body
composition is through its ability to improve insulin utilization, thereby reducing fat
deposition and resulting in improving entry of glucose and amino acids into muscle
cells," the researchers write. "Although this study did not attempt to
test this assertion, the findings are consistent with this hypothesis."
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