Over 50 years ago chromium was proposed to be an essential trace element; however, recent studies indicate that this status should be removed as the effects of chromium supplementation appear to be pharmacological rather than nutritional.  The pharmacological basis for chromium's effects can explain the inability of investigators to discover a biomarker for chromium status.  One potential biomarker has not been examined to date.  Chromium is known to be mobilized in the body in response to insulin (or insulin release in response to a glucose challenge), resulting in an increase in urinary chromium excretion.  The magnitude of increase in urinary chromium loss as a function of dietary chromium intake was tested as a potential biomarker for chromium. Zucker lean rats housed in carefully controlled metal-free conditions were provided a series of purified diets containing variable chromium contents (from 16 �g/kg diet to 2000 �g/kg) for 4 months.   The 16 �g/kg diet contained less chromium than any diet examined to date.  Urine samples were collected before and after insulin and glucose challenges (0, 2 hours, 6 hours and 12 hours post injection). Urinary chromium levels were analyzed by the standard method of addition using graphite furnace atomic absorption.  Blood iron levels of the rats were also measured to determine if the addition of chromium to the diet altered iron status. The chromium content of the diet was found to have no affect on blood iron levels.   The study also demonstrated that insulin-stimulated urinary chromium excretion cannot be used as a biomarker for chromium status.

Insulin–stimulated urinary chromium excretion is not a biomarker for chromium nutritional status

245th National Meeting (2013)

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