The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for the 'Chromium' Category

Increasing popularity of dietary supplements

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

Dietary supplement use has steadily increased since the 1970s.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health estimated dietary supplement use based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2006, a nationally representative survey. (more…)

Effectiveness of CAM in diabetes

Saturday, June 19th, 2010

Diabetes tool boxResearchers at the University of Ottawa, in Ontario reviewed the evidence for improved control of diabetes in type 2 diabetes mellitus. (more…)

Chromium picolinate does not produce weight loss

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Researchers at Yale University School of Medicine, in New Haven, Connecticut conducted a study with this essential trace element and nutritional supplement. (more…)

CAM for type 2 diabetes

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Researchers from the University of Ottawa, in Ontario focused their review on type 2 (AKA adult onset) diabetes.

Here’s a summary of the evidence for CAM therapies. (more…)

Consumer Alert: Chromium

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Few people are deficient in chromium, but supplements may be helpful for some people with diabetes.  It’s also commonly found in weight loss products, where it may provide a small benefit.

ConsumerLab.com tested 6 product to see if the tablets contained what was listed on the bottles. (more…)

CAM and diabetes: An update of recent studies

Saturday, November 1st, 2008

The World Health Organization has predicted a 39% rise in the worldwide prevalence of diabetes by 2030. And an article in The Lancet indicates this might be an underestimation.

Since November is Diabetes Month, here’s a round-up of CAM options for people with diabetes from 2006 through March 2007.
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Popular weight loss supplements reviewed

Monday, May 19th, 2008

A couple of PharmDs from Ohio have published a review of 16 weight loss supplements (and 1 drug) used to help shed excess girth.

I’ll give just the bottom line on each supplement here. (more…)

Getting specific about CAM-drug interactions

Friday, January 4th, 2008

Dr. Philip Hansten from the University of Washington School of Pharmacy has spent more than 30 years chronicling and documenting drug interactions.

In an article in Pharmacy Times, he and Dr. John Horn focus on the risks for people with diabetes or taking blood thinners. (more…)

Toxic metals and pesticides in the ayurvedic formulation, Dashmoola

Thursday, October 11th, 2007

Dashmoola is a popular herbal formulation in ayurvedic medicine. It’s used to reduce fever and modify the immune response.

In this study, scientists from the National Botanical Research Institute in Lucknow, India tested the roots and stems from 10 herbs used to prepare Dashmoola. (more…)

Herbal supplements for weight loss: What works, what doesn’t

Tuesday, October 9th, 2007

In preparation for the upcoming weight management conferences in Europe, here is what we know about the value of herbals as an aid to weight loss.

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Prevalence of diabetes in the US in 2006

Saturday, November 18th, 2006

The Centers for Disease Control has just published the latest data on the prevalence of diabetes in the US.

  • 11% of adults aged 40 to 59 years
  • 23% of those 60 and older have diabetes

Is it any wonder that so many CAM therapies are studied in people with diabetes?

A quick listing of CAM entries for diabetes on this blog is provided below. Or, click the button on the right sidebar to see all of the diabetes entries.

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Positive results with chromium in type 2 diabetes

Wednesday, November 1st, 2006

Chromium contributes to the action of insulin to control blood sugar levels. In addition, chromium blood levels tend to be low in people with diabetes. Now, conventional wisdom of the role of supplemental chromium is being re-evaluated.

(more…)