Question: Are There Any Adverse Effects Of Chromium Picolinate?
Are there any adverse effects of chromium picolinate?
Question expanded by another reader.
Will taking 600 mcg's of chromium picolinate a day harm me in any way? I am a 23 year old male.
Answer #1
Well, I am not sure if you heard, but they are now linking chromium picolinate to cancer. They say that it is carcinogenic.
Answer #2
I recently read a short paragraph discussing some findings of a laboratory study from Dartmouth College three years ago that showed that it COULD (not would) damage the genetic material of HAMSTER cells (human cells were not tested.
This also from the article: "Now a new study conducted by Dr. John Vincent at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa shows that chromium picolinate enters the cells directly and stays there where it can cause problems. In fact, the chromium picolinate reacts with vitamin C and other antioxidants in the cells to produce a 'reduced' form of chromium capable of causing mutations in DNA, the genetic material. It's the combination of chromium and picolinate (particularly the reduced form) that can produce dangerous compounds - not chromium alone. Moreover, the picolinate breaks off and itself has adverse effects." (University of CA, Berkeley Wellness Letter, Volume 15, Issue 9 June 1999).
There was no information, however, about how much chromium picolinate was used in the study or for the length of time the study was conducted. So, it may be one of those things that if used properly, meaning at safe levels, there may not be any harm, but I don't know. I myself use a product that has chromium picolinate in a mix of other natural herbs, with no stimulants added. It has worked well for many people. So, until more research is out...
Answer #3
I was admitted to St. Joseph's hospital in Phoenix, AZ. I was suffering from extreme vertigo and vomiting. This happened about 1 hour after taking 1 ripped fuel capsule along with 400 ml of vitamin C. I am not nearly as bad off now (4 days later) however my symptoms are still with me. The hospital gave me 3 litters of IV solution and a motion sickness pill, then referred me to a medical doctor for follow up. The follow up doctor told me "don't worry you'll be fine in 5-10 days".
I called the maker of ripped fuel and their chemist as well as their nutritionist told me they don't have any advice other than "go see a doctor". I called AZ poison control and was told that the Chromium Picolinate is what caused the problem & more than likely that the vitamin C I took with it enhanced the effect. Needless to say, if I fully recover from this nightmare, after taking Twin Labs products for over 15 years, I will never again purchase anything with their name on it again. I hope this serves as a warning to anyone else who may be taking a product with this dangerous additive in it.
Answer #4
In response to the person who just stated that they had taken TwinLab products for 15 years and now had decided to never use their products because of a reaction to chromium picolinate. It seems to me that if you used their products for 15 years, you must have been happy with them. Evidently, your problem stemmed from the chromium not the company. People can have reactions to many things such as milk, so don't drink the milk! Don't put the blame on the cow!
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