Three months of supplementation with 400 micrograms of elemental chromium in the form of chromium dinicocysteinate produced 30% improvements in reduced fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance, compared with no significant improvements in the placebo or chromium picolinate.
“Results of this study indicate that the presence of the cysteinate molecule in chromium dinicocysteinate helps provide better protection against the oxidative stress and the activation of signal transduction pathways associated with the insulin resistance and vascular inflammation of type 2 diabetes,” wrote researchers in the peer-review journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
“Whether or not chromium dinicocysteinate supplementation can similarly prevent insulin resistance and vascular inflammation and thereby, delay or prevent the onset of diabetes in the prediabetic population is not known and will be interesting to investigate.
“If it works as well as this research hints that it may, then chromium dinicocysteinate supplementation could be used as an adjunct therapy for those with established diabetes. Furthermore, it might delay or prevent the development of diabetes in subjects with insulin resistance or prediabetes.”
Reinvigorating the blood sugar market
The ingredient was launched in 2011 and was in development for over five years, said the California-based company. The chromium is in the form of chromium dinicocysteinate, which is a combination of chromium, niacin and L-cysteine.
At the time of the launch, Paul Dijkstra, CEO of InterHealth, said that the chromium market had not seen anything new for about 20 years and the new ingredient would “reinvigorate the blood sugar market as the next generation in chromium supplementation”.
Commenting on the new study’s findings, Dijkstra said: “The publication of the Zychrome clinical research along with the NutrAward for best new ingredient awarded to Zychrome earlier in the year, truly highlights that Zychrome offers the best chromium insulin management ingredient available.”
Study details
For the new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers led by Dr Sushil Jain from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center recruited 74 type-2 diabetics and randomly assigned them to receive placebo, Zychrome (400 micrograms of elemental chromium) or chromium picolinate (400 micrograms of elemental chromium) daily.
Results of the three month study indicated that the chromium dinicocysteinate group displayed significant reductions of about 30% in both fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance.
In addition, the chromium dinicocysteinate group also displayed significantly reduced levels of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha (21%) and significantly reduced the oxidative stress marker protein carbonyl (10%).
On the other hand, the chromium picolinate group did not display significant changes in insulin levels, insulin resistance, TNF-alpha and protein carbonyl levels compared to baseline values, said the researchers.
The researchers were supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health, and InterHealth Nutraceuticals.
Source: Molecular Nutrition & Food Research
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201100719
“Effect of chromium dinicocysteinate supplementation on circulating levels of insulin, TNF-α, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic subjects: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study”
Authors: S.K. Jain, G. Kahlon, L. Moorehead, R. Dhawan, B. Lieblong, T. Stapleton, G. Caldito, R. Hoeldtke, S. N. Levine, P. Farrington Bass III