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Chromium picolinate supplement: what it does and what it does not

By the Life in Good Form editors. Updated 2026-10-15.

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What chromium picolinate is

Chromium is a trace mineral found in meats, grain products, fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices and brewer's yeast. Supplements use trivalent chromium, not the toxic hexavalent form that comes from industrial processes, as the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) notes.

Chromium picolinate is chromium bound to picolinic acid. ODS lists it among several supplement forms, along with chromium nicotinate, polynicotinate, chloride and histidinate. ODS says the absorption of these forms is similar: about 1.2% from chromium picolinate and about 0.4% from chromium chloride, both close to what is absorbed from food.

Elemental chromium makes up 12.4% of the weight of chromium picolinate. That is why labels list both numbers. NOW Foods, for example, lists 200 mcg of chromium from 1,835 mcg of chromium picolinate per capsule.

How much chromium you need

There is no RDA for chromium, only an Adequate Intake (AI):

ODS says most multivitamins contain chromium, typically 35 to 120 mcg. Chromium-only supplements commonly provide 200 to 500 mcg, and some contain up to 1,000 mcg, many times the AI.

Weight loss: what the studies found

Chromium is often sold for weight loss because it might amplify insulin action, and some early research suggested it might reduce food intake, hunger and fat cravings.

ODS summarizes a 2019 meta-analysis of 21 trials with 1,316 adults with overweight or obesity. Trials lasted 9 to 24 weeks, used 200 to 1,000 mcg a day, and most used chromium picolinate. Compared with placebo, people taking chromium:

• Lost 0.75 kg more weight
• Had a 0.40 kg/m2 lower BMI and 0.68% lower body fat percentage
• Saw no significant change in waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio

Those differences are statistically significant but small. Chromium is not a substitute for changes in diet and activity.

Blood sugar and diabetes

Chromium might increase insulin sensitivity, and some studies suggest it might lower blood glucose. But the American Diabetes Association has concluded that studies have not definitively shown chromium benefits people with diabetes or obesity, so it cannot recommend it. Its 2015 position statement found evidence insufficient to support routine use of chromium and other micronutrient supplements for blood sugar control.

The bigger practical concern is interaction. ODS says taking chromium with insulin could increase the risk of hypoglycemia, and chromium might have an additive effect with metformin or other diabetes medicines. NOW Foods' label says people with diabetes or hypoglycemia should use it only under a physician's supervision.

Safety and side effects

• No upper limit. The Food and Nutrition Board did not set a UL for chromium, but it noted caution may be warranted because data are limited and high intakes could have adverse effects.
• Kidney and liver disease. People with these conditions might be more susceptible to adverse effects from high chromium intakes.
• Case reports. ODS lists isolated reports linking chromium supplements to anemia, low platelets, liver dysfunction, kidney failure, muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), skin reactions and low blood sugar.
• Levothyroxine. A small study found taking chromium picolinate at the same time as levothyroxine reduced levothyroxine absorption over 6 hours.

How to choose a chromium picolinate supplement

• Start with your multivitamin. If it already provides 35 to 120 mcg, you are at or above the AI.
• Pick the lowest useful dose. 200 mcg is the smallest common single dose and already several times the AI. Doses of 500 to 1,000 mcg are within the range studied, but the FNB noted data on high intakes are limited.
• Read the elemental amount. The chromium line, not the picolinate weight, is the dose.
• Take it with food if the label says so. NOW Foods directs 1 capsule daily with a meal.
• Check the capsule. NOW Foods uses a cellulose veg capsule with rice flour.

What to look for when you buy

Questions people ask

What does chromium picolinate do?

Chromium might enhance insulin action and play a role in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. In studies, supplements produced only small weight changes and no proven blood sugar benefit.

Is chromium picolinate safe?

No upper limit is set, but the Food and Nutrition Board urged caution because data are limited. People with kidney or liver disease, or who take diabetes medicines or levothyroxine, should ask a doctor first.

What are chromium picolinate side effects?

NIH lists isolated case reports of anemia, low platelets, liver or kidney problems, muscle breakdown, skin reactions and low blood sugar.

Does chromium picolinate help with weight loss?

Only slightly. A 2019 meta-analysis found 0.75 kg more weight loss than placebo over 9 to 24 weeks, with no change in waist size.

Can I take chromium with metformin?

Only with your doctor's advice. NIH says chromium might add to the effect of metformin and other diabetes drugs and raise the risk of low blood sugar.

Sources

• Chromium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (ods.od.nih.gov), NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
• Chromium Picolinate 200 mcg Veg Capsules (www.nowfoods.com/products/supplements/chromium-picolinate-200-mcg-veg-capsules), NOW Foods

Sources checked 2026-10-15.