Chromium and Diabetes

The benefits of Chromium have been debated for years. Many American diets are low in this mineral, though most people do not suffer from a definciency in obvious ways.  However, some studies have demonstrated that adequate amounts of chromium can help maintain normal blood sugar. If you are concerned about your blood glucose levels, improving the amount of chromium in your diet either through food or excercise, is certainly an inexpensive step you can take.

Some History of the Chromium and Diabetes Debate.

From the University of Maryland Medical CenterChromium is an essential mineral found in very low concentrations in the human body. In 1957, researchers discovered that a compound extracted from pork kidney called “glucose tolerance factor (GTF)” helped diabetic rats use insulin more efficiently. (People with diabetes either do not produce enough insulin—a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life—or cannot properly use the insulin that their bodies produce. As a result, glucose or sugar builds up in the bloodstream.) Chromium was later identified as the active component of GTF. Today, it is believed that chromium helps insulin bring glucose from the blood into the cells for energy.

As many as 90% of American diets are low in chromium, but few people are deficient in this important mineral. The elderly, people who indulge in strenuous exercise, those who consume excessive amounts of sugary foods, and pregnant women are most likely to be deficient in chromium. Low chromium levels can increase blood sugar, triglycerides (a type of fat) and cholesterol levels and increase the risk for a number of conditions, including diabetes and heart disease

Risk Factors For Diabetics

How do you know if you are prone to developing diabetes? Please examine the following risk factors which will increase your chances. However, many people without any family history of diabetes and with good eating habits can develop the disease.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, prior history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for type 2 diabetes.

Risk factors are less well defined for type 1 diabetes than for type 2 diabetes, but autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are involved in developing this type of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes occurs more frequently in African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and people with a family history of diabetes than in other groups. Obesity is also associated with higher risk. Women who have had gestational diabetes are at increased risk for later developing type 2 diabetes. In some studies, nearly 40% of women with a history of gestational diabetes developed diabetes in the future.

Other specific types of diabetes, which may account for 1% to 2% of all diagnosed cases, result from specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses.

Types of Diabetes

Even though diabetes referes to more than one disorder, the diagnosis usually refers to one of the conditions described in the following paragraphs. The large percentage of diabetics have Type II diabetes, which is also known as adult onset diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes, which was previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes, may account for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes, which was previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes, may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that only pregnant women get. If not treated, it can cause problems for mothers and babies. Gestational diabetes develops in 2% to 5% of all pregnancies but usually disappears when a pregnancy is over.

Other specific types of diabetes resulting from specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses may account for 1% to 2% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes can actually be one of several metabolic disorders. The first definition comes from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) website:

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugar to build up in your blood.

Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

However, many people who manage their diabetes can live long and productive lives. New medications and diet controls can limit and slow the damage done by diabetes. Many diabetics survive well into old age.