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Real Life Nutrition Questions Answered
printReal Life Fitness Questions Answered
Emma Brown
Nutritionist
Janet Aylott
Nutritionist
Kelly Marshall
Fitness Consultant
Q.
Can chromium supplements help with weight loss?
I have been hearing a lot lately about chromium supplements to help balance blood sugar and help lose weight. I am always a bit wary about taking supplements and was hoping you could give me some more information about them. Do they work and how much should you take? What foods have chromium in them and what are the side effects if you take too much? Thanks, Alison.
A.
Our expert says...
Chromium is an excellent mineral to help balance blood sugar and, by doing this, it can be beneficial in helping to control your appetite and lose weight. Chromium is needed for the hormone insulin to work effectively and it is insulin which controls our blood sugar levels. If blood sugar levels fall too low, which can actually happen after eating too much sugar or refined carbohydrates, we can often feel shaky, hungry and start to crave specific foods. It is our body's way of ensuring we eat something so that our blood sugar levels are adequate enough to keep us alive!
I would suggest buying a good quality supplement from your local health food store or chemist and ask the staff for their recommendations. Follow the dose recommended on the pack and you will be well within the safety range for this mineral and will have nothing to worry about. Chromium supplements are extremely safe.
Good sources of chromium in food are meat, whole grains, pulses and nuts, but absorption of this mineral is often quite low in a lot of people. It is therefore fine to eat plenty of these foods and still take a supplement.
To help stabilise blood sugar levels further, follow a low glycaemic index (GI) diet based on complex carbohydrates, such as wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta and brown rice. Ensure you eat some form of protein with each meal, as this slows down the absorption of the stomach contents and helps avoid sudden increases in blood sugar levels.
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