The study, published in the current issue of the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology , looked at the absorption of four different types of commercially available forms of nutritional chromium: Nutrition 21's Chromax, chromium polynicotinate, chromium nicotinate-glycinate, and chromium chloride.
The results indicate that chromium picolinate was absorbed at least 50 percent more than the other three.
Publishing these findings will likely bolster the New York State-based company's marketing of Chromax.
They will sell what was once a branded ingredient as a finished dietary supplement to retail outlets "Now that there are two human clinical studies demonstrating superior absorption of Chromax chromium picolinate over other commonly marketed chromium products, the results provide clarity for both consumers and healthcare professionals who are purchasing or recommending a chromium supplement," said James Komorowski, vice president of technical services and scientific affairs at Nutrition 21.
Komorowski is referring to similar results, previously reported in another study carried out by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
These results showed that chromium picolinate is better absorbed in humans than other chromium forms.
Chromium is an essential trace mineral that occurs naturally in small amounts in some foods.
These include brewer's yeast, lean meat, cheese, pork kidney, whole grain bread and cereals.
It is poorly absorbed by the human body but is known to play an important role in the metabolism of carbohydrate, fat and protein.
Nutrition 21's Chromax is geared mainly towards pre-diabetic people to promote healthy insulin levels and support blood sugar metabolism, cardiovascular disease, control cravings as well as to fight weight gain.
The Ohio State study involved 12 healthy college-aged women using a crossover design with the supplements given in a random order, with a standardized meal.
The researchers then analyzed the participants' urine, which was collected over 24 hours after chromium supplementation, in order to estimate how much chromium they had absorbed.
After one week intervals, the process was then repeated with the subjects three more times and with different chromiums.
"This work reinforces the concept that Cr picolinate is the best absorbed among Cr supplements that are currently commercially available," wrote the study's authors.
"…The present work also suggests that Cr chloride from multivitamin-mineral supplements does not provide substantial amounts of Cr to people."