9 Chromium Foods to Keep You Healthy

Chromium is a trace mineral that helps your body metabolize and store the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that you eat. Chromium rich foods that help keep you healthy include Brewer's yeast, fish, shellfish, eggs, and other foods.

One of the many important reasons to eat a balanced diet is to make sure that you get a variety of the essential nutrients that your body needs to function properly. There are some nutrients that your body can’t make on its own and can only get from the foods that you eat. One of these is chromium, a trace mineral that's still being studied to understand its full effects on the body. Here’s a list of chromium foods to help make sure that you’re getting the right amount.

Chromium is a trace mineral, which means that it’s only found in very small amounts in the human body. While experts continue to explore the ways that chromium affects your health, they do know that its primary function is to enhance insulin in the body to help maintain regular blood glucose levels. It does so by helping your body to break down sugars and carbohydrates.

Chromium helps your body metabolize and store the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that you eat. It enhances the function of insulin by signaling your cells and allowing the insulin to move glucose more easily. From there, your body can store it or use it as energy. Athletes are particularly interested in chromium because experts believe that it can affect the amount of overall protein and fat in your body.

Estimates state that 90% of Americans have a diet that’s too low in chromium, but it’s rare to be chromium deficient. Currently, there isn’t enough information to set a Recommended Dietary Allowance for chromium, but there is a set Adequate Intake (AI). This is the amount that's deemed safe to ingest each day. The AI depends on age, gender, and other factors:

• 0 to 6 months: 0.2 micrograms (mcg) a day
• 6 to 12 months: 5.5 mcg/day
• 1 to 3 years: 11 mcg/day
• 4 to 8 years: 15 mcg/day
• 9 to 13 years: 25 mcg/day (males), 21 mcg/day (females)
• 14 to 50 years: 35 mcg/day (males), 24 to 25 mcg/day (females)
• Over 51 years: 30 mcg/day (males), 20 mcg/day females
• Pregnant women: 29 mcg/day (under 18), 30 mcg/day (between 19 and 50)
• Women who are breastfeeding: 44 mcg/day (under 18), 45 mcg/day (between 19 and 50)

Not getting enough chromium in your diet can cause problems like high blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides (a kind of fat in your blood). This can increase your risk for developing conditions like heart disease and diabetes in the future.

Since chromium is all around us in the air, water, and soil, there are a variety of foods that contain chromium. Here’s where to get it from in your diet.

Brewer’s yeast. The best source of chromium is brewer’s yeast, especially if it’s a yeast that was grown in soil that’s particularly rich in chromium. Even though this is one of the most popular foods with chromium, many people don’t use it because it can cause digestive problems like nausea and bloating.

Fish and shellfish. Many animal products are good sources of chromium. Mussels, shrimp, and oysters are high in chromium, and herring has a small amount.

Eggs. Eggs are good sources of chromium, especially the egg yolk.

Whole grains. A variety of whole grains contain chromium. Some good sources of these include:

• Bran cereal
• Oatmeal
• Wheat germ
• Whole-grain bread
• Barley
• Maize

Meat. Meat is a good source of chromium, particularly lean or processed meats. This includes all kinds of poultry, beef, and pork. Organ meats like kidneys and liver are also high in chromium.

Some vegetables. Since chromium is present in the soil, it makes sense that plants contain chromium as well. However, some veggies are better sources of chromium than others. The best veggies to boost your chromium levels are:

• Broccoli
• Green beans
• Potatoes
• Asparagus
• Beans
• Peas
• Mushrooms

Some beverages. Drinks can contain chromium, too. Certain brands of beer and wine are good sources of this mineral. Certain brands of coffee also contain chromium. Besides alcohol and caffeine, grape juice is a kid-friendly source of chromium.

Cheese. Just like meat and seafood, cheese is another animal-derived product that’s a good source of chromium.

Dried fruit and nuts. Dried fruits like dates and prunes, along with a variety of nuts, are all good food sources of chromium.

Since chromium is present in so many different foods, you should be able to get enough of it just by eating a varied diet. But some people choose to take chromium supplements to make sure that they’re getting enough of this mineral. Studies show that 19% of Americans take a supplement with chromium in it, like a multivitamin; 29% of those are 50 or over.

Some athletes report taking specific chromium supplements because they believe that they can enhance their performance on the field or court. But more research needs to be done to see if these claims are accurate or not.

Researchers have been interested in studying the effects that chromium supplements may have on people with type 2 diabetes for many years. The results are mixed. Some studies showed that taking a supplement had no effect, while other studies reported that chromium could lower blood sugar levels. Besides this, chromium may also lower the amount of insulin that people with diabetes may need.

Scientists are still trying to unlock the full potential of chromium. Because it has an effect on metabolizing glucose and fat, experts are looking into how it could play a part in weight loss. The research so far is mixed. Some studies reported that people lost more weight by taking a chromium supplement than the placebo group, while others showed no significant weight loss.

It’s hard to ingest too much chromium since it isn’t easily absorbed and is usually flushed out pretty quickly in your urine. But taking large amounts of chromium through supplements can have effects like:

• Headaches
• Hives
• Loose stool
• Vertigo
• Low blood sugar
• Kidney damage
• Liver damage

The amount of chromium in food is considered to be safe. You should always talk to your doctor before you take a new dietary supplement. People who have contact allergies to leather or chromate may have an allergic reaction to a chromium supplement.