International Symposium on the Health Effects of Dietary Chromium
Normal dietary intakes of chromium for farm animals and humans are suboptimal based on the suggested intakes for humans and also the beneficial responses observed following improved chromium nutrition of humans and farm animals. The suggested or estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake range for chromium is 50-200 ug/d, but unless they take supplemental chromium, very few people (<10%) even consume the minimum suggested intake. There are currently no established dietary intakes for farm animals, but the addition of chromium has been approved in the diets of pigs. Within the past 5 years, chromium has been shown to help control blood glucose and insulin of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, glucose intolerance, gestational diabetes, and steroid-induced diabetes. The amounts of insulin or oral hyperglycemic medications have been shown to decrease with improved chromium nutrition in those people being treated for diabetes. Severe neuropathy of a patient on total parenteral nutrition was reversed by the addition of supplemental chromium. Lipid variables, including total cholesterol, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol of humans and animals, improved with improved chromium nutrition. Blood pressure of spontaneous hypertensive rats decreased following increased dietary intake of chromium. Body composition of humans (percent lean body mass) and farm animals was improved by improved chromium nutrition. In addition to improvements in lean body mass of pigs due to chromium, litter size increased due to increased dietary chromium intake, resulting in benefits to both the consumer in a leaner, more healthy meat and to the producer with increased productivity. Chromium has been shown to improve the antioxidant variables of humans and experimental animals. Immune function and milk production are also increased in cattle. Dietary stresses, physical stresses including injury and strenuous exercise, as well as hormonal stresses associated with pregnancy and lactation, appear to increase chromium requirements. For example, the effects of improved chromium nutrition are much more pronounced in animals that have been subjected to stress, such as those associated with transportation, than in unstressed animals. The amounts of antibiotics used in the treatment of morbidity associated with transporting animals are decreased or eliminated by improved chromium nutrition. In summary, recent studies demonstrate that the dietary intake of chromium by humans and farm animals is suboptimal and that improved chromium nutrition often leads to improved overall health.
As a result of these and other advances in the field of chromium nutrition, an International Symposium on the Health Effects of Dietary Chromium, jointly sponsored by the Tufts University School of Medicine, United States Department of Agriculture, and the Chromium Information Bureau, was held in Dedham, Massachusetts, on May 1 and 2, 1998. Nineteen invited presentations were offered by most of the top chromium researchers throughout the world, with scientists from 14 countries participating. Presentations ranged from the historical progress of chromium nutrition research regarding the intake, absorption, and excretion of chromium to its