2. Diabetes
Group of diseases that affect how your body uses
glucose (Blood sugar)
Diabetes means too much glucose in your blood
Important source of energy for the cells that make
up your muscles and tissues
Brains main source of fuel
3. Diabetes
How Insulin Works
Hormone that comes from the pancreas and
secrets insulin into bloodstream. Insulin
circulates enabling sugar to enter cells. Insulin
lowers amount of sugar in bloodstream. As
blood sugar level drops, so does the secretion
of insulin from pancreas
4. Diabetes
Role of glucose
Comes from two major sources – food and your
liver. Sugar absorbed into bloodstream where it
enters cells with the help of insulin. Liver stores
and makes glucose
When insulin levels low – liver metabolizes
stored glycogen into glucose to keep level
within normal range.
5. Diabetes
TYPE 1
Your immune system attacks and destroys the insulin
producing cells in the pancreas leaving you with little
or no insulin. Caused by genetic susceptibility and
environmental factors
TYPE 2
Your cells become resistant to the action of insulin and
your pancreas is unable to make enough insulin to
overcome. Sugar builds in bloodstream. Caused by
genetic and environmental factors. Being overweight
may be a factor
Diabetes, Mayo Clinic,
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/basics/causes/con-20033091
6. Chromium
Mineral humans require in
trace amounts
Mechanisms of action in the body and the
amounts needed for optimal health not well
defined
Found two forms
− Trivalent – biologically active and found in food
− Hexavalent - toxic form that results from industrial
pollution
7. Chromium
Known to enhance the action of insulin
Critical to the metabolism and storage of
carbohydrate, fat and protein in the body
In 1957 a compound in brewers' yeast was
found to prevent an age-related decline in the
ability of rats to maintain normal levels of
glucose in their blood. That compound was
chromium
Found naturally in foods such as broccoli,
grape juice, English muffins and potatoes
8. Chromium
Chromium deficiency impairs the bodies ability
to use glucose to meet its energy needs and
raises insulin requirements
May help control type 2 diabetes or the glucose
and insulin responses in persons at high risk of
developing diabetes
“Chromium”, National Institutes of Health – Office of Dietary Supplements,
www.ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Chromium-HealthProfessional/
9. Insulin – Allopathic Treatment
FDA first approved insulin in 1939.
Derived from beef and pork pancreas as well as
recombinant technology (From humans -FDA
approved in 1982)
Administered by injection under the skin
Preferable injection site under the skin of the
abdomen because absorption of the insulin is
most consistent from this location
10. Insulin
HOW DOES INSULIN WORK?
Since glucose is a problem with diabetics –
increase in the uptake of glucose by cells and
reducing the concentration of glucose in the
blood – insulin prevents or reduces the long-
term complications of diabetes
Complications include damage to blood
vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves
Marks, Jay W. & Ogbru, Omudhome, “Insulin”,
www.medicinenet.com/insulin/article.htm
12. Clinical research study 1
Hypothesis - elevated intake of supplemental
chromium is involved with the control of type 2
diabetes
180 subjects all with type 2 diabetes – between
age 36-65
− 60 received placebo
− 60 received 3.85 umol Cr (chromium picolinate)
− 60 received 19.2 umol Cr
14. Clinical research study 1
Fasting blood glucose concentrations
significantly lower in the group receiving the
highest dosage after 2 & 4 months
Significant effects both statistically and clinically
of supplemental chromium at 19.2 umol/day
Fasting glucose and insulin concentration
document elevated intakes of supplemental
chromium
15. Clinical research study 2
Objective – To investigate the effects of daily
chromium picolinate supplementation on serum
measures of glucose tolerance and insulin
sensitivity to patient at high risk for type 2
diabetes
59 participants
16. Clinical research study 2
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled,
modified cross-var clinical trial
6 months sequences of intervention and
placebo followed by 6 month post intervention
assessment
Adult patients with impaired fasting glucose,
impaired glucose tolerance or metabolic
syndrome
Chromium (500 or 100 mcg per day) or placebo
17. Clinical research study 2
RESULTS
No changes in glucose level, insulin level or
HOMA-IR after 6 months at either dosage level
when compared with placebo
Does not appear to ameliorate insulin
resistance or impaired glucose metabolism in
patients at risk for type 2 diabetes. Unlikely to
attenuate diabetes risk
18. Research Works Cited
Anderson, Richard A, Cheny, Nanzheng, Bryden, Noella A., Polansjy,
Marilyn M., Cheng, Nanping, Chi, Jiaming, Feng, Jinguang, “Elevated intake
of supplemental chromium improves glucose and insulin variables in
individuals with type 2 diabetes”, Available:
www.diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/46/11/1786.full.pdf+htm
Ali A, Ma Y, Reynolds H, Wise JP Sr, Inzucchi SE, Katz DL, “Chromium
effects on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in persons at risk for
diabetes mellitus”, Endocr Pract, 2011, Jan-Feb; 17(1):16-+25, Available:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20634174l