The blood-sugar-study one
Chromium picolinate
The most studied form for blood sugar.
Good for: Blood sugar
What variations of chromium exist?
A trace mineral that helps insulin do its job. Some studies show a modest benefit for blood sugar, while others show little effect. It comes in 4 forms, and they aren't all the same. Here's how they differ.
For education only. What's right for you depends on your health and your medications, so check with your provider before you start or switch. Book a consult
Our top pick
Every form, in plain words
The blood-sugar-study one
Chromium picolinate
The most studied form for blood sugar.
Good for: Blood sugar
The well-absorbed one
Chromium polynicotinate or nicotinate glycinate
Bound forms your body absorbs well.
The food-like one
Chromium-enriched yeast (GTF chromium)
A food-like form. Skip it if you react to yeast.
Usually skip
- The poorly absorbed one (Chromium chloride)Your body absorbs very little of it.
Spotting a good one on the shelf
Look for
- Look for 'Chromium picolinate' on the label (the blood-sugar-study one)
Watch out for
- Chromium stacked across a multi, a blood sugar formula, and a weight-loss product
- Weight-loss claims, which are not well supported
Check with your provider first if…
- You take insulin or diabetes medicine. Chromium may lower blood sugar further, so watch for lows.
- You take thyroid medicine like levothyroxine. Chromium may block it, so take them several hours apart.
- You have kidney or liver disease
- You're pregnant or breastfeeding and want more than the amount in a prenatal
In Dr. Lesher's store
5 products in Dr. Lesher's dispensary have chromium. Here's which form, where the label says.
Check with your provider before taking any of these, especially if you're pregnant or take medications.
MegaFood
Baby & Me 2™
Has polynicotinate (the well-absorbed one)
25 mcg per serving
MegaFood
Baby & Me 2™ Postnatal Multi
Has polynicotinate (the well-absorbed one)
Has chromium-enriched yeast (the food-like one)
25 mcg per serving
BioPharma Scientific
nanoLEAN®, Natural Berry
Has picolinate (the blood-sugar-study one), good for blood sugar
100 mcg per serving
Restorative Formulations
PCO Px
Has polynicotinate (the well-absorbed one)
150 mcg per serving
Vitanica
OvaBlend (PCOS Blend)
166.5 mcg per serving
Ready to find the root cause?
Dr. Lesher is a Naturopathic Doctor who focuses on autoimmune and chronic conditions in women. Since 2020, she's helped hundreds of patients stop managing symptoms and start healing.