The results of this small, single-dose study showed that chromium picolinate had no significant effect on insulin sensitivity, or other key features of metabolic syndrome. However, chromium picolinate did appear to increase the early phase of insulin secretion in response to glucose. The researchers concluded that their study does not support the use of chromium picolinate as a treatment for people with metabolic syndrome. Instead, they recommend relying on clinically proven alternatives, such as diet and exercise. The researchers also suggest studying the effect of chromium picolinate on insulin secretion in larger study samples to reproduce this finding and more fully understand its mechanism.
