Chromium is found in certain foods in your diet such as processed meats, whole grains, spices, brown sugar, coffee, broccoli, and some cereals but with such a trace amount many people are not getting enough chromium in their diet. It occurs naturally as a mineral in some food and it is required for the optimal metabolism of sugar in your body as well as for fats and carbohydrates. It also helps move the glucose from your bloodstream into your cells so that it can be used as energy, and so that it can turn fats, carbs, and proteins into energy. By stimulating the fatty acids in your body it can work for brain function as well.

If you have a deficiency in chromium it can cause issues with the potency of insulin in regulating sugar balance. This can bring on diabetes or cause more problems for people who are already diabetic. Chromium deficiency may also be known as impaired glucose tolerance and can be found often in elderly people that are afflicted with type 2 diabetes, as well as in babies with malnutrition. Without enough chromium in the body it can cause high cholesterol as well as a much greater risk of developing coronary artery disease. Finally, if you do have a deficiency you may notice a lack of coordination of the body, destruction of the nerves mostly in your extremities and in rare cases inflammation of the brain.

For people who have a normal chromium level but are looking towards the benefits of supplementing your diet with it, you can find benefits in everything from glucose tolerance to improving symptoms in depression. When combined with copper it can have positive effects on the immune function. Mostly though, chromium is essential for controlling blood sugar levels as well as for metabolizing fats and proteins. If you having issues with insulin tolerance it might be to your benefit to supplement your diet with chromium for the optimal glucose health.