Featured article | September 2026
Chromium Supplementation to Reduce Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Novel Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Wan, S., et al. (2023). JACC: Advances, 2(10), 100729.
This systematic review and meta-analysis of 64 randomized clinical trials examined the effects of chromium supplementation on blood glucose regulation, blood lipids and blood pressure. The researchers also investigated whether these effects differed according to dose, type 2 diabetes status and geographic population.
Discussed in the article:
Chromium status may decline with age and metabolic dysfunction
- Circulating chromium levels decrease with age and have been reported to be lower in people with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Effects of chromium supplementation on metabolic outcomes
- Chromium supplementation improved fasting blood glucose, HbA1c and fasting insulin in people with T2D . It also increased HDL cholesterol and reduced triglycerides.
- In people without T2D, chromium improved fasting blood glucose and all lipid measures except LDL cholesterol.
- Chromium supplementation lowered all the glycemic parameters (FBG, A1C, and FBI), all blood lipid parameters (LDL-C, HDL-C, TC, and TG), and SBP in the total population.
Systolic, but not diastolic, blood pressure may respond to chromium
- Chromium supplementation significantly reduced systolic blood pressure overall.
Effective chromium doses identified in the review:
- 400 μg/day or greater – for reducing fasting blood glucose in people with T2D
300 μg/day – for improving HDL cholesterol in people without T2D
200 μg/day – for reducing HbA1c, fasting insulin and total cholesterol in non-Western populations
Why it matters
The findings suggest that the effects of chromium supplementation may depend on metabolic status, population characteristics and dose. Rather than considering chromium supplementation in isolation, the individual, metabolic target and dose should be considered together.
“This study shows the importance of adequate and different chromium intakes for cardiometabolic health that appear to be dependent on T2D status and ethnicity.”
