What is Chromium?

Answer:
Chromium is a metallic element; gray in color;

and is easily polished into a mirror finish. Chromium is stain and corrosion resistant, making it very useful in manufacturing stainless steel for industry and a wide variety of products, including health care items, surgical instruments, and anything where cleanliness and a sparkling shine are desired.

Chromium is also needed in trace amounts in our bodies; though in a little different form than the highly polished chrome plated trim on your car or truck! The body uses trivalent chromium (CrIII) in trace amounts, to aid in metabolizing sugars and fats.

The most commonly known chromium supplement is chromium picolinate, which contains picolinic acid; intended to help with chelation (bonding) of the metal ions.

Lack of adequate chromium can lead to chromium deficiency, a rare finding in people eating at least a fairly adequate diet. Most instances of chromium deficiency have been in hospitals, with patients who were on defined, extended intravenous liquid diets.

Many foods contain trace amounts of chromium (the kind the body uses), including:
-Brewer's yeast
-Wheat germ
-Molasses
-Butter
-Beef
-Liver
-Eggs
-Chicken
-Oysters
-Black pepper
-Green peppers
-Spinach
-Apples
-Bananas

Always consult your health and wellness professionals with regard to safe use of supplements and other dietary components.

Another form of chromium, hexavalent chromium (CrVI), is extremely toxic, and is known to be capable of mutating DNA, and considered a carcinogen.

Hexavalent chromium has been used in a variety of industrial and consumer products from manufacture of stainless steels to some textile coloring dyes to preserving wood products, and more.