This week we’d like to talk about a long time family favorite of ours, Chromium. Personally, we’ve used it as a natural aide to stabilize blood sugar levels for years. Further research tells that it can actually help you maintain positive health trends from your younger years. Helping to you not feel so envious of being 20 again.

It’s now common knowledge that elevated blood sugar can lead to diabetes but let’s talk about the other effects of this irregularity. Dr. Preuss states that blood sugar is a more reliable marker for risk of heart disease and other age-related decline than cholesterol, blood pressure, and other more familiar risk factors, because high blood sugar underlies those other signs.

Sugars and starches are the drivers of blood sugar. When sugar goes up, the body produces insulin for the blood sugar to be used as energy. The longer time goes on, the less efficient this process is because our sensitivity to insulin declines. To compensate our bodies produce even more insulin and these higher levels increase fat storage. So, the food you ate when you were 20 effects your body differently than when you’re 40 or 60 and so on, causing weight gain.

So eating less is the answer? No. Eat less may make the scales turn to your favor but it is most likely muscle loss. How chromium plays a part is simple. Chromium is helpful because it switches that weight to make you lose to fat instead of muscle.

Now I am not saying chromium is some “magic” pill but rather that is improves the metabolism of carbs, tempers the rises in blood sugar and insulin release, and over a period of weeks or months will make a beneficial difference, according to Dr. Preuss.

Lab, animal, and human studies have shown that chromium has a beneficial effect on blood sugar. I.e. a review of 15 published studies in the journal Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, found that chromium reduced chronically high levels of blood sugar, as well as spikes after meals.

In hospital patients who were fed intravenously, low chromium levels produced symptoms of diabetes, and when chromium was added to their nutritional formula, symptoms disappeared. Now chromium is routinely added to intravenous feeding solutions.

Unfortunately, there is no test to tell you exactly who needs it and who doesn’t but one study showed that chromium levels are more likely to be lower for older people. Also a higher-sugar diet, infection, intense exercise, physical trauma, pregnancy, lactation, and stress can deplete chromium levels. Additionally, drugs that reduce stomach acid increase excretion of chromium and reduce its absorption.

Doctors suggest 200 mcg making sure it’s in a good absorption form such as Chromium Picolinate.

Please visit our website www.cdrnaturals.com for more information on this and other great health topics. Remember this article is for information only. Do not make any changes in your diet or lifestyle without first consulting with your preventive health care provider. We always pray for your prosperity and health, 3 John 2, blessings, Donna.

This article is adapted from Better Nutrition magazine March 16’ issue.