Diabetes And Chromium

It was reported as early as 1854 that brewer's yeast improved the condition of diabetes.  Researcher's later found that the active ingredient in brewers's years is a complex of chromium and several amino acids that has now become known as the Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF) that helps the insulin in your body function.

Chromium is a mineral that is needed by the body to handle carbohydrates and fats in a normal way. If you have a shortage of chromium in your body it will reduce the effectiveness of any insulin your body may use.   Some researchers think a shortage of chromium in the body is related to Type II diabetes.

Eating foods that are refined and foods that contain simple sugars can aggravate the problem.  These types of foods contain little chromium and deplete your body of this mineral.  Strenuous exercise, physical trauma and infection can also reduce the amount of chromium in your body.

Chromium doesn't act like insulin.  It seems to improve the body's sensitivity to insulin.  It should be noted that chromium is a nutrient and only seems to help diabetics whose body is already lacking in chromium. It is estimated that people only get 25 percent of the chromium they need each day.

Chromium is found in all foods but meat, fish and fruit are the best sources.  The amount of chromium in the soil determines the chromium level in the food grown in it.