Chromium excretion is increased by consumption of refined grains and sugar. Refined grains and sugar also have most of their chromium content removed during processing.
Chromium is an essential trace mineral required for human health. Chromium functions as a cofactor in the insulin receptor and facilitates the correct transport of glucose into cells. Evidence suggests that chromium deficiency causes glucose intolerance and may therefore increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Chromium is generally found in foods such as grains, but increasingly soils are becoming depleted in chromium which is producing chromium deficient plants. This problem is exacerbated by consumption of refined grains, which are not only stripped of their chromium, but also cause higher chromium excretion rates. Long term use of refined grains therefore depletes chromium stores and causes deteriorations in insulin sensitivity. Consumption of such diets may therefore necessitate higher chromium intakes than are currently recommended. The difficulty in obtaining enough chromium in the diet had lead to suggestions that chromium supplements may be necessary.
The chromium intake in developed nations has been estimated and measured in a number of studies and generally found to be inadequate for health. For example, in one study1, researchers investigated the chromium intake of 10 healthy male and 22 healthy female subjects. The participants collected samples of their self selected foods every day for a week and provided the food for analysis by the researchers. Food analysis showed that the mean intake of chromium in the male subjects was 33 μg per day with a range was between 22 and 48 μg per day. The intake of chromium in the female subjects was lower as might be expected from a smaller calorie intake at 25 μg per day with a range of 13 to 36 μg per day. Over 90 % of the diets analysed were below the United States recommended 50 μg per day of chromium that was in place at the time of the study (1985). The chromium intake was approximately 15 μg per 1000 calories which suggests that the foods eaten by the subjects were not rich sources of the mineral.
Therefore the chromium intakes on self selected diets are unlikely to be able to supply adequate chromium for normal metabolic function, especially if refined grains and sugar are frequently consumed. Other studies have shown similar results (here) supporting the view that most Westernised diets are deficient in chromium. However, more recently the recommended intakes for chromium have been lowered. Cynics amongst us may conclude that this resulted from a realisation that our foods do not provide enough chromium for optimal health and there is little incentive to improve the situation. Moving the goal posts is therefore the easiest solution for the bureaucrats. The current recommended intake is 35 μg per day, which is closer to the measured self selected dietary intake reported in many studies. The widespread prevalence of blood sugar disorders and the high rates of cardiovascular disease may therefore at least in part be explained by widespread chromium deficient diets in Westernised populations.
