Chromium no use when diabetes badly managed

The use of some supplements and herbal substances in helping to control blood sugar levels is well documented, and many diabetics have reported success using these methods in conjunction with more standard treatments (such as diet and exercise.) A new study has found that one of the supplements most interesting to diabetes patients, chromium, does not benefit blood sugar control amongst diabetics who are obese and manage their disease badly.
The results of the study, carried out at the Isala Clinics in Zwolle, Netherlands, run against expectations. High-dose supplementation of chromium has previously been found to improve glycaemic control and insulin sensitivity amongst diabetic people suffering from type 2, one expert said.
The study examined the effects of treating obese type 2 diabetes patients who were dependant on insulin with chromium. The study participants had heavy insulin requirements, were similar in type and all had high HbA1c levels. The study group were randomly given chromium or a placebo and the researchers investigated the effects. HbA1c levels were similar across all study groups.
One expert was reported as saying that further studies with larger groups could be necessary to investigate effects of chromium supplementation on Western diabetic populations. The benefits of the supplement were by no means ruled out by the results of the study.