Did you know that outside the USA, one popular form of manufactured chromium supplement (picolinate) is held in very low regard, while French studies of the Life-Created GTF form of Chromium found that the more they tried to overdose their lab animals with the GTF form, the longer they lived?

Chromium picolinate (actually, just about any sort of chromium will do!), is effective in controlling carbohydrate cravings. There doesn't seem to be a lot of evidence that this miracle supplement will help build lean muscle and burn fat as claimed in many advertisements.

Chromium is an essential trace mineral that is found in tiny amounts in the typical diet. In fact, it's estimated that nearly 90% of North Americans are deficient in chromium.

Chromium plays an important part in insulin function - it helps insulin regulate blood sugar levels. It's also involved in carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism.

If you experience uncontrollable cravings for sweet or sugared foods, have periods of fatigue or irritability, or have difficulty concentrating throughout the day... You're probably insulin resistant, or hypoglycemic. Basically, this means the body has difficulty dealing with vast amounts of blood sugar that are released quickly into the bloodstream as a result of the typical North American diet -- one filled with refined sugars and flours, saturated fats, and highly processed foods. This means the body is primed to store calories/glucose as fat.

To address this, eliminate junk foods, processed foods, and highly refined foods (including white breads, pastas, etc.), and replace them with high fiber grains, beans, and vegetables. Eat many small meals throughout the day, and frequently include a lean protein source (like chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef) with your meal.