Chromium intake

The total body content of chromium is estimated to be 6 to 10 mg. The recommended safe limit for daily chromium intake by adult is 0.05 to 0.2 mg. 

Anderson RA, Bryden NA, Patterson KY, et al. 1993. Breast milk chromium and its association with chromium intake, chromium excretion, and serum chromium. Clin Nutr 57 519-523. 

Moukarzel A A, Song MK, Buchman AL, et al. 1992. Excessive chromium intake in children receiving total parenteral nutrition. Lancet 339 385-388. 

Table 5-11 Chromium Intake from Various Food Groups...

Anderson RA, Kozlovsky AS. Chromium intake, absorption and excretion of subjects consuming self-selected diets. Am J Clin Nutr 1985 41 1177-83. 

Chromium deficiency is of no major concern in Central Europe in either man or animals. Without exception, the chromium intake in humans of both sexes was > 25 pg per day, when averaged over a week, with the individual basic requirement indicated as < 20 pg per day. The chromium intake of German adults is below the WHO limit value of 250 pg per day, but is astonishingly high - at least for chromium-sensitive men (and women) (Anke et al. 1997b, 2000a, 2000b). 

Trivalent chromium is the most stable form in the food supply. Absorption estimates for chromium(III), based on metabolic balance studies or on urinary excretion from physiological intakes, range from 0.4 to 2.5% (Doisy et al. 1971 Bunker et al. 1984 Anderson and Kozlovsky 1985 Offenbacher etal. 1986 Anderson 1987). Because of analytical problems associated with the measurement of chromium absorption, several investigators have used the urinary excretion of chromium as an indicator of absorption. When dietary chromium intake was 10 pg per day, 2% of that amount was absorbed (estimated as urinary excretion), whereas at a chromium intake of 40 pg only 0.4-0.5% of the chromium was recovered in the urine (Anderson and Kozlovsky 1985). 

Anderson RA, Bryden NA and Polansky MM (1988) Chromium content of selected breakfast cereals. ] Food Comp Anal 1 303-308. Anderson RA, Bryden NA. and Polansky MM (1992) Dietary chromium intake freely chosen diets, institutional diets, and individual foods. Biol Trace Elem Res 32 117-121. 

Clara R and Eylenbosch W (1988) Daily chromium intake by infants in Belgium. Acta Paediatr Scand 77 402-407. 

Moukarzel, A.A., Song, M.K., Buchman, A.L. Vargas, J., Guss, W., McDiarmid, S., Reyen, L. and Ament, M.E. (1992) Excessive chromium intake in children receiving total parenteral nutrition. Lancet 339, 385. 

Absorbed chromium is principally excreted in the urine with a small amount being eliminated in hair, sweat, and bile. Urine levels appear to be a useful indicator of chromium intake when dietary intake is >40 p.g/day however, excretion becomes constant when the intake is <40 jt,g/day. Urine chromium levels have been reported to be increased in diabetes, glucose loading, strenuous running, and physical trauma. Anderson has stated that urine chromium does not appear to be related to blood glucose, insulin, lipid, or any other studied clinical variables [11]. 

Many studies report beneficial effects of trivalent chromium. The element is described by WHO [24.5] as essential owing to its ability to strengthen the activity of in-suHn and its influence on carbohydrate and Upid metaboHsm. Biological systems commonly contain chromium as Cr in small concentrations [24.6]. It is thought, but disputed, that chromium is essential for life and involved in human glucose metaboHsm [24.7]. Chromium intake has been shown to be positive for humans and decreases the symptoms of diabetes in people with glucose intolerance [24.8]. An adequate intake of chromium for an adult is 50-200 pg/day and the content of chromium in tissues is 100-1000 pg/kg dry weight. 

Chromium intake in average U.S. diet—Chromium intake from typical Western diets varies between 25 to 200 meg per day, but in the most recent international studies, intakes below 100 meg per day were reported. 

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