Chromium is an essential mineral required for correct blood glucose regulation. Studies have shown that chromium supplement may have antidepressant effects, although the reason for this is not known. Human studies that involved the administration of chromium picolinate to depressed subjects showed that there was an antidepressant effect for chromium. In animals experiments, rats fed chromium picolinate also show changes in behaviour that suggest improvements in mental function and mood. In one study, these antidepressant effects were accompanied by increases in brain levels of serotonin and decreases in corticosterone levels in the blood of rats. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain, and lower levels are associated with mood disorders. Corticosterone is the main stress hormone in animals, and high levels are associated with stress and mood disorders. By normalising these two parameters chromium may be able to influence mental health and be protective of mood disorders.
Chromium picolinate may have antidepressant effects in humans through its anti-stress and serotonin boosting effects.
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