Chromium deficiency
| Chromium deficiency | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Chromium | |
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | endocrinology |
| ICD-10 | E61.4 |
| DiseasesDB | 2625 |
Chromium deficiency is a disorder that results from an insufficient dietary intake of chromium. It is an uncommon condition. Clear cases of deficiency have been observed in hospital patients who were fed defined liquid diets intravenously for long periods of time.
The US dietary guidelines for adequate daily chromium intake were lowered in 2001 from 50–200 µg for an adult to 30–35 µg (adult male) and to 20–25 µg (adult female). These amounts were set to be the same as the average amounts consumed by healthy individuals. Consequently, it is thought that few Americans are chromium deficient.
Chromium may fall in the same category as manganese, where it is likely that many people get too much.
Approximately 2% of ingested chromium(III) is absorbed, with the remainder being excreted in the feces. Amino acids, vitamin C and niacin may enhance the uptake of chromium from the intestinal tract. After absorption, this metal accumulates in the liver, bone, and spleen.
Trivalent chromium is found in a wide range of foods, including whole-grain products, processed meats, high-bran breakfast cereals, coffee, nuts, green beans, broccoli, spices, and some brands of wine and beer. Most fruits and vegetables and dairy products contain only low amounts. Most of the chromium in people's diets comes from processing or storing food in pans and cans made of stainless steel, which can contain up to 18% chromium.
The amount of chromium in the body can be decreased as a result of a diet high in simple sugars, which increases the excretion of the metal through urine. Because of the high excretion rates and the very low absorption rates of most forms of chromium, acute toxicity is uncommon.
The symptoms of chromium deficiency caused by long-term total parenteral nutrition are severely impaired glucose tolerance, weight loss, and confusion. However, subsequent studies questioned the validity of these findings.
Some researchers contend that chromium is not an essential nutrient, that chromium has no beneficial effects on body mass or composition and should be removed from the list of essential trace elements. The proposed mechanism for cellular uptake of CrIII via transferrin has also been called into question.
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