THE IMPORTANCE OF CHROMIUM IN DISORDERS OF CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM

The following report describes the findings in both clinical and animal studies related to the metabolism of chromium. Chromium is an essential trace element required for normal carbohydrate metabolism in man and animals. Abnormalities in the metabolism of chromium have been observed in insulin-requiring diabetics. Oral administration of a tracer dose of 51CrCl3 has shown that insulin-requiring diabetics absorb two-and-one-half to seven times the amount of chromium that normal subjects absorb. It is not known whether the increased absorption reflects possible tissue deficiency or not. The increased urinary excretion observed may be due to the increased absorption, or due to impaired metabolism of the ingested chromium. (Author)