Chromium

Studies in people

• Benefit

  PCOS and blood sugar³

  In women with PCOS, chromium supplements improved blood sugar, cholesterol and ovulation, but scientists still want more research.

• Benefit

  Mood and depression⁴

  Chromium supplements may ease depression symptoms, especially appetite and weight gain, but studies are small and not conclusive.

Single cases of misuse or overdose

One person or one incident, such as an accidental overdose or a mistake in a kitchen or factory. They are real, but a single case does not show what happens at normal amounts, so the signal does not count them.

• Skin reaction to a supplement⁵

  A person got a sudden, widespread pus-filled rash after taking chromium picolinate supplements.

How it’s made and used

• Diet and milk levels⁶

  Chromium in Finnish mothers' diets did not match the chromium levels in their breast milk.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.