Just like I know you have, I too have heard all the buzz surrounding chromium and its supposed ability to help manage type 2 diabetes. I've come across evidence that supports this claim, just as I've found research that debunks the chromium benefit in one fell swoop. So, I decided to dig a little deeper -- staring with how chromium is supposed to work.

Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes occurs when your body stops using insulin effectively. Insulin itself is used by the body for transporting glucose into cells, where it's then used for energy. When insulin regulation breaks down, glucose gets backed-up in the blood, thus starving the body of energy. Chromium reportedly assists in making this transportation easier by making cells respond better to insulin.

Insofar as the evidence to support this claim goes, the research I came across actually showed inconclusive results in terms of chromium's effect on glucose or insulin concentration in humans. But, in animals, tests led researchers to determine that chromium may make insulin receptors more efficient, thereby making type 2 animals need less insulin to metabolize glucose.

Good news for animals with diabetes, but not so much for humans. But wait, don't count chromium out just yet. In a different study (like I said, there are several of them), published last year in Diabetes Care, it was discovered that combining 1,000 micrograms of chromium per day with the standard diabetes medication Glucotrol XL significantly improved the body's response to insulin in people with type 2.

Chromium picolinate is one of the most widely debated supplements in diabetes health. A study has shown that it improves glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes not adequately controlled while taking sulfonylurea, a drug that increases insulin release from the beta cells in the pancreas.

A 40-week study was designed to examine the effect of adding daily chromium picolinate supplementation to an antidiabetic medication, sulfonylurea. A commonly prescribed treatment for type 2 diabetes was given to 29 subjects for 24 weeks, in conjunction with either chromium picolinate or a placebo. Blood sugar levels of study participants taking chromium picolinate dropped significantly compared to the placebo group. In addition, insulin sensitivity for participants taking the chromium picolinate was increased when compared to those in the placebo group. Study participants taking chromium picolinate also experienced significantly lower abdominal body fat accumulation than the placebo group, and experienced less overall weight gain.

This study demonstrates that chromium picolinate supplementation for type 2 diabetes who are taking sulfonylurea agents significantly improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control. In addition, chromium picolinate was shown to reduce weight gain and fat accumulation compared with the placebo group. The results of this study were first published in August 2006 - but knowing about chromium picolinate today leaves you with ample time to adjust for greater insulin sensitivity and less fattening days to come!

Based on studies conducted at Georgetown University Medical Center, the best-selling wellness author recommends niacin-bound chromium supplementation to improve blood sugar levels, regulate proper insulin function and maintain healthy body weight.

Type 2 diabetics are commonly believed to suffer from a chromium deficiency. Chromium is very important in promoting normal insulin function and is essential for proper protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Elevated levels of insulin and blood sugar significantly accelerate cellular aging. Research now shows that the type of chromium known as NBC (niacin-bound chromium) has a superior anti-aging profile.

Studies conducted at Georgetown University Medical reveal that Chromium polynicotinate (a generic term for ChromeMate) promote: proper insulin function, normal blood sugar levels, healthy blood cholesterol levels, normal blood pressure, cardiovascular health and healthy body weight and lean body mass. Chromium looks like a strong defense for diabetics in the battle against aging and blood sugar control.

Do you ever wonder if there's a trick to getting this diabetes thing down? Well I did. Like many fellow surfers, I asked Google for diabetic tricks. Not surprisingly, Google had a litany of answers. You may have heard about them before and most of us dismiss supplements as nothing more than snake oil. However, supplements are gaining credence when it comes to cutting risk and alleviating symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Take a look...

Chromium picolinate. Taking 200 to 1,000 micrograms daily can lower blood glucose, improve insulin function and lessen diabetic symptoms such as thirst and fatigue, says expert Richard Anderson, Ph.D., of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In recent Israeli research, taking 200mcg twice a day for three weeks reduced diabetics' blood glucose by 26% and cholesterol by 9%. Anderson advises all adults to take 200mcg chromium picolinate daily to help prevent diabetes. New studies have put old safety questions to rest.

Cinnamon. The spice boosts insulin's efficiency in processing sugar, Anderson says. In one test, diabetics who ate 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon twice a day for 40 days reduced their fasting blood sugar 18% to 29%, triglycerides 23% to 30% and cholesterol 12% to 26%. Sprinkle cinnamon on foods such as cereal or fruit, or take it in capsules, Anderson says.

Alpha-lipoic acid. This potent antioxidant can improve blood sugar and help prevent and treat diabetic complications such as cataracts and neuropathy, says Lester Packer, Ph.D., of the University of Southern California. In German research, 600 milligrams daily significantly increased insulin sensitivity and lowered blood sugar in type 2 diabetics after four weeks.

Salacia oblonga. This herb, used in India to treat diabetes and sold on the Internet, lowered insulin 29% and blood glucose 23% in healthy adults, reports Steve Hertzler, Ph.D., of Ohio State University. But don't try it without telling your doctor, he says. Effective daily doses range from 100mg to 1,000mg, with gastrointestinal distress occurring at higher levels.

Combining chromium supplements with oral anti-diabetic medications turns out to be a good idea for Type 2 diabetics. First and foremost, the study found that taking chromium and meds together was more effective at controlling blood sugar levels than just taking the meds on their own. In addition, however, researchers found no adverse side effects to this approach. In fact, they found an additional benefit: the supplements reduced weight gain as a side effect of the anti-diabetic medications. So says a new study conducted at Pennington Biomedical Research Center (a nutrition research center and part of the Louisiana State University System) and the University of Vermont College of Medicine.

Study participants were all Type 2 diabetics who were given a daily supplement of 1000 mcg of chromium along with Sulfonylurea, a common oral anti-diabetic medication. The results of the study have been published in Diabetes Care (August 2006).

Chromium supplementation has been proven in a new study to be of no help in improving blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity in obese patients with Type 2 diabetes. The study was carried out at Isala Clinics, Swolle, in the Netherlands. It examined the effect of chromium treatment during a six-month period on fifty-three Type 2 diabetes patients. Some patients were given a placebo, some received 500 micrograms of chromium daily, while the remainder were given 1000 micrograms of chromium daily. The researchers carrying out the study concluded that chromium supplements did not help the conditions of those patients. They did, however, allow that certain subgroups of the patients could be examined further before ruling out chromium supplementation treatment entirely.

Chromium supplementation may be good for the heart in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. It appears to lead to a shortening of a harmful heart rhythm, which may lower cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetics.

In the study, published in the American Heart Journal, researchers had 30 diabetic patients take 1000 micrograms of chromium daily for 3 months followed by an inactive placebo for 3 months. Another 30 diabetic patients started with 3 months of placebo and then crossed over to chromium for 3 months.

The heart rhythm disturbance known as a prolonged QT interval has been linked to fatal heart arrhythmias. At 3 months, the QT interval was significantly shorter in the supplementation group than in the placebo group. Similar results were seen in the next 3 months, when the second group took chromium.

This study shows that increased intake of chromium may lower cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetic patients, the researchers say.