Chromium offers new hope for diabetes

The use of naturally occurring herbs in the treatment of diabetes is certainly a possibility, with some herbal remedies having a powerful effect on blood glucose levels. Recent findings by researchers have shown that Chromium Picolinate actually improves the muscle sensitivity to insulin in obese and insulin-resistant rats. These findings could have further implications in the treatment of humans with diabetes.
Insulin resistance is an early indicator of the development of type 2 diabetes. It occurs when tissue reacts poorly to the insulin in the body. Insulin facilitated glucose metabolism, and therefore regulates the level of sugar in the blood. Currently, if the body is producing zero or insufficient insulin, medical doctrine dictates that the patient is treated with regular insulin injections and drugs that facilitate insulin absorption.
The new study, which proves previous studies conjecture that chromium supplements could enhance bodily sensitivity to insulin by upping receptor signalling, is the first of its type to be carried out in vivo.
The experiment took place at the Pennington Biomedical Research Centre in Louisiana and evaluated the effect of chromium picolinate when compared to a placebo in a study group comprising 11 rats. The results of the study are published in the respected Journal of Nutrition.