Chromium supplements, Mega vitamin B12

By Jack Challem

Chromium supplements
The study: In a small double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers gave 113 depressed patients either 600 mcg of chromium (as chromium picolinate) or placebos daily for eight weeks. Two-thirds of patients with "atypical" depression improved greatly after taking chromium supplements. In these patients, symptoms of depression included carbohydrate cravings, overeating, and low sexual libido.

The Citation: Docherty JP, et al. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory trial of chromium picolinate in atypical depression: effect on carbohydrate craving. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 2005;11:302-14

WhaT it means to you: Chromium is essential for normal functioning of insulin, the hormone that helps transport blood sugar into cells where it is burned for energy. Both high and low blood sugar levels can affect mood and thinking processes, and depression is strongly associated with diabetes. Reports first linked chromium supplements and recovery from depression in 1999. Because chromium supplements are safe, 600 mcg is worth trying when overeating is associated with depression.

Mega vitamin B12
The Study: Researchers treated 120 men and women who had been diagnosed with a mild vitamin B12 deficiency. In order to normalize the vitamin B12 level during the 16-week study, the subjects had to take between 500 and 1,000 mcg daily. These amounts are 200 to 400 times the daily "recommended" amount of 2.4 mcg.

The Citation: Eussen SJ, et al. Oral cyanocobalamin supplementation in older people with vitamin B12 deficiency. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2005;165(10):1167-72.

What It Means to You: Studies have shown that the same principle applies to other nutrients—it often takes much more than the daily recommended levels to achieve normal blood levels. Many Americans (as many as one in three) don‘‘t consume adequate amounts of vitamin B12, vegan diets provide little B12, and gastric-reflux drugs and other medications can interfere with its absorption. If you know you fall into one of these categories, consider increasing your dosage to study levels with your doctor‘‘s go-ahead. Try sublingual B12, which is especially well-absorbed. If you still aren‘‘t absorbing adequate levels, check with your doctor to rule out pernicious anemia.

Enter a comment related to this article

---