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The Effect of Chromium Picolinate Supplementation on Cardiometabolic Biomarkers, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Gene Expression, and DNA Damage in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome: a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

  • 2026-03-17
  • Biological trace element research 204(6)
    • Behrooz Ebrahimzadehkour
    • Sara Jambarsang
    • Farzad Karimpour
    • Seyyed Ebrahim Hosseini
    • Vahid Ramezani
    • Mohammad-Reza Jowshan
    • Hassan Mozaffari-Khosravi

Study Design

Type
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Sample size
n = 48
Population
48 subjects with MetS (based on NCEP ATP III criteria)
Methods
12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 400 µg CrPic daily vs placebo
Blinding
Double-blind
Duration
12 weeks
Funding
Unclear
Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a complex disorder characterized by metabolic dysregulations. While chromium picolinate (CrPic) has shown beneficial effects on metabolic parameters, its comprehensive effects and safety in MetS patients remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of CrPic supplementation on cardiometabolic indicators, DNA damage, and inflammatory markers in MetS patients. In this 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 48 subjects with MetS (based on NCEP ATP III criteria) were randomized to receive either 400 µg CrPic daily (n = 24) or placebo (n = 24). Primary outcomes included glycemic control (fasting blood sugar, HbA1c), lipid profile, DNA damage index (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine), and inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) level and gene expression). Secondary outcomes were anthropometric measures and blood pressure. Forty participants (20 in each group) completed the study. CrPic supplementation significantly improved HbA1c (-0.68%, P = 0.005), HDL-c (+ 4.8 mg/dl, P = 0.008), and SBP (-4.8 mmHg, P = 0.012). After adjusting for confounding factors, improvements in HbA1c (-0.07 ± 0.02%, P = 0.001) and SBP (-8.84 ± 3.57 mmHg, P = 0.019) remained significant compared to placebo. CrPic showed no adverse effects on DNA damage markers or inflammatory cytokine expression. CrPic supplementation appears to be a safe intervention that can modestly improve glycemic control, HDL-c levels, and blood pressure in MetS patients. While these improvements were statistically significant, achieving clinically meaningful changes may require optimization of dosage and intervention duration.

Research Insights

  • Chromium→Increased HDL Cholesterol

    CrPic supplementation significantly improved ... HDL-c (+ 4.8 mg/dl, P = 0.008)

    Effect
    Beneficial
    Effect size
    Moderate
    Dose
    400 µg daily
  • Chromium→Reduced Body Weight

    Secondary outcomes were anthropometric measures ... not reported as significant.

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    400 µg daily
  • Chromium→Reduced DNA Damage Index

    CrPic showed no adverse effects on DNA damage markers

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    400 µg daily
  • Chromium→Reduced Diastolic Blood Pressure

    Secondary outcomes were ... blood pressure. Only SBP was reported as significantly improved; DBP not mentioned as significant.

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    400 µg daily
  • Chromium→Reduced Fasting Blood Glucose Levels

    Primary outcomes included glycemic control (fasting blood sugar, HbA1c)... only HbA1c and SBP remained significant after adjustments; FBS was not reported as significant in the adjusted analysis.

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    400 µg daily
  • Chromium→Reduced Hemoglobin A1c

    CrPic supplementation significantly improved HbA1c (-0.68%, P = 0.005)

    Effect
    Beneficial
    Effect size
    Moderate
    Dose
    400 µg daily
  • Chromium→Reduced Systolic Blood Pressure

    CrPic supplementation significantly improved ... SBP (-4.8 mmHg, P = 0.012)

    Effect
    Beneficial
    Effect size
    Moderate
    Dose
    400 µg daily
  • Chromium→Reduced Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha

    CrPic showed no adverse effects on ... inflammatory cytokine expression

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    400 µg daily
  • Chromium→Reduced Waist Circumference

    Secondary outcomes were anthropometric measures ... not reported as significant.

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    400 µg daily

Adverse Events Reported

  • Chromium→Overall tolerability

    CrPic showed no adverse effects on DNA damage markers or inflammatory cytokine expression.

    Finding
    Reported
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