Chromium and blood sugar
What 3 graded rows on chromium agree on for blood sugar, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Chromium page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Chromium page, with its PubMed record.
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Chromium and blood sugar
3 rows · 4,131 peopleSplit. 1 row found an improvement, 1 found no difference and 1 had mixed results.
- BGrade B× 1
- CGrade C× 2
- Rows
- 3
- Trials
- 89
- People
- 4,131
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
Where they differ
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade B, is a meta-analysis of 3,004 people (2023) and found an improvement.
The row that found an improvement was larger: 3,004 people, against 618 people for the row that found no difference.
The row that found an improvement is newer (2023) than the row that found no difference (2002).
The best grade is B among the row that found an improvement, and C among the row that found no difference.
1 row with mixed results is left out of this comparison.
The rows
1 improved · 1 no difference · 1 mixed- BGrade BBlood sugar, insulin and lipids · Improved
Meta-analysis, 64 studies · n 3,004 · 2023 · Adults aged 18–90 with or without type 2 diabetes in 64 trials (34 in type 2 diabetes)
7–1,000 mcg/day (median 200 mcg) · 8–32 weeks (median 12)
Chromium lowered fasting glucose, HbA1c and fasting insulin, improved all four blood lipid measures (LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides) and lowered systolic blood pressure overall; in type 2 diabetes all glucose markers improved, and doses of 400 mcg/day or more appeared needed to lower fasting glucose. Heterogeneity was high.
- CGrade CFasting glucose and insulin · No difference
Meta-analysis, 15 studies · n 618 · 2002 · Healthy adults, people with impaired glucose tolerance and people with type 2 diabetes in 15 trials
Varied across trials · Varied across trials
No effect on glucose or insulin in people without diabetes; results in diabetes were inconclusive and driven by one trial in China.
- CGrade CHbA1c, fasting glucose and lipids in type 2 diabetes · Mixed
Meta-analysis, 10 studies · n 509 · 2022 · Adults with type 2 diabetes in 10 placebo-controlled trials
Varied across trials · Varied across trials
HbA1c was lower with chromium than placebo, but fasting glucose, triglycerides, total, LDL and HDL cholesterol did not differ.