Chromium Deficiency
Recommended Daily Allowance of Chromium
The recommended daily allowance was established by the food and nutrition board, and is used for the general term of reference for a healthy diet. These guidelines include the average daily intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%-98%) healthy individuals. The adequate intake established when evidence is insufficient to develop and recommended daily allowance, but is still set to allow for a person to get nutritional adequacy.
The adequate intake of Chromium, according to the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of National Academies is the following: age zero to six months male 0.2 mcg per day, age zero to six months female 0.2 mcg per day, age seven months to twelve months male 5.5 mcg per day, age seven months to twelve months female 5.5 mcg per day, age one year to three years male 11 mcg per day, age one year to three years female 11 mcg per day, age four years to eight years male 15 mcg per day, age four years to eight years female 15 mcg per day, age nine years to thirteen years male 25 mcg per day, age nine years to thirteen years female 21 mcg per day, age fourteen years to eighteen years male 35 mcg per day, age fourteen years to eighteen years female 24 mcg per day, age fourteen years to eighteen years female pregnant 29 mcg per day, age fourteen years to eighteen years female lactating 44 mcg per day, age nineteen years to fifty years male 35 mcg per day, age nineteen years to fifty years female 25 mcg per day, age nineteen years to fifty years female pregnant 30 mcg per day, age nineteen years to fifty years female lactating 45 mcg per day, age fifty years and older male 30 mcg per day, and age fifty years or older female 20 mcg per day.
Factors Which Affect Chromium Levels in the Body
The intestinal tract has a difficult time absorbing chromium. The average amount of Chromium which the body absorbs is anywhere between less than 0.4% to 2.5% of the actual amount which the body consumes. What the body does not absorb it will pass as feces. The body is able to store some amounts of Chromium in the liver, spleen, soft tissue, and bone.
There are some vitamins which can help increase the amount of Chromium which the body is able to absorb. Vitamin C, which is found in many fruits, vegetables, and supplements, and B Vitamin Niacin, which is also found in supplementation, meats, poultry, and grain products, body enhance the amounts of Chromium which the body can absorb.
A diet which is high in sugar will decrease the amounts of Chromium stored in the body. A diet which consists of over 35% of simple sugar will increase the amount of Chromium which the body will excrete in the urine. Other factors will influence the body’s Chromium levels. Stress, pregnancy, lactation, low levels of exercise, infection, and certain diseases can all decrease the amount of Chromium which the body will absorb and increase the amounts of Chromium which the body will excrete through the urinary tract. This can lead to a Chromium Deficiency if the intake of Chromium into the body is already low.
Chromium Deficiency
An actual case of Chromium Deficiency is very rare. Normally a deficiency of Chromium will only occur when a person is suffering from a preexisting condition. When a Chromium Deficiency does occur, the symptoms will normally resemble a person who is suffering from the early stages of Diabetes. This was the case for patients at a hospital who were being fed intravenously, and continued to show signs of Diabetes. Hospitals added an amount of Chromium to the feeding solution and all signs disappeared.
People at Risk of Not Getting Enough Chromium
While an actual case of Chromium Deficiency is low, there are still individuals not getting enough Chromium in order to live a healthy functional life. It is difficult for many doctors to determine a person’s Chromium levels at any given time.
It has been recommended that women who are pregnant or lactating increase the amount of Chromium they have in their diet in comparison to other women. This increase in Chromium is to insure proper insulin performance in their children. What is difficult for many women in increasing the amount of Chromium which they have in their diet is not only increasing the actual amount of Chromium, but also decreasing the amounts of simple sugars they have in their diet. A diet which is high in simple sugar will block any benefits from consuming more foods which are rich in Chromium.
It is also recommended that the elderly try to monitor their Chromium levels. It has been shown in studies that Chromium levels among the elderly are much lower than younger adults. This might be due to a lack of absorption of vitamins and minerals as the body ages.
There are other groups which researchers believe are at a higher risk of Chromium inadequacy, but further research is needed to determine whether or not an increase in Chromium would be beneficial or not.
How to Get Enough Chromium
The best way to add any vitamin or mineral to a diet is through a healthy low fat diet which includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, grains, and water. Yet, an average person has a difficult time getting a healthy diet into a very busy schedule. There are ways to supplement a diet to ensure a person gets enough of the essential vitamin and minerals which they require.
Taking a good multivitamin is an excellent way to ensure a person gets enough vitamins and minerals in their diet. A good multivitamin, which is produced by a reputable supplier of dietary supplements, will contain enough Chromium for the body to function properly. A person should try to find a multivitamin which is tailored to the needs of their gender. Men and women require differing amounts of certain vitamins depending on their current life stages. A gender specific vitamin will help a person to be sure they are getting the right amounts of vitamins and minerals. Also having a gender specific vitamin is an excellent way for a person to vet certain vitamin manufactures. The quality of the ingredients companies use while producing vitamins will indicate the quality of the vitamin manufacture. A person should also obey the dosing instructions on the vitamin bottles to avoid vitamin toxicity.
