Chromium

Question 1

What is the most important form of Chromium in humans?

Answer 1

Trivalent Chromium (Cr3+)

Question 2

Where is Trivalent chromium (Cr3+) found?

Answer 2

All types of food! (best: meat, poultry, grains)

Question 3

What type of yeast is known to have high concentration of Chromium?

Answer 3

Brewers yeast

Question 4

In Brewers yeast, what is the biologically active form of Chromium found in there?

Answer 4

Glucose tolerance factor (GTF)

Question 5

The use of what in the preparation of food is known to increase the amount of chromium in food?

Answer 5

Stainless steel cookware or cans

Question 6

What form of Chromium is usually in supplements?

Answer 6

Chromium picolinate

Question 7

Chromium is absorbed through what transport and what organ?

Answer 7

Diffusion or carrier-mediated transport in the small intestine (2% absorbed, BOGUS)

Question 8

Which amino acids will act as ligands to enhance the absorption of Chromium?

Answer 8

Histidine, Methionine

Question 9

What vitamin will enhance Chromium absorption?

Answer 9

Vitamin C

Question 10

Generally, what will inhibit/prevent absorption of Chromium? (hint: 4 things)

Answer 10

1. An alkaline intestinal environment
2. Ingestion of antacids [decrease blood/tissue concen]
3. Phytates [via chelation]
4. Oxalates [via chelation]

Question 11

Once Chromium is in the blood, what proteins is it transported by?

Answer 11

Transferrin, Albumin, Globulin

Question 12

Transferrin transports chromium, this means that chromium competes with what other mineral?

Answer 12

Fe3+ [oxidized ferric iron]

Question 13

How many mg of chromium does the human body contain?

Answer 13

4-6mg

Question 14

What important substance in the human body is Chromium known to potentiate the action of?

Answer 14

Insulin [insulin is more effective in the presence of Chromium than in it’s absense]

Question 15

Most recent studies on Chromium has shown that it enhances insulin’s action by doing what?

Answer 15

Enhancing intercellular signaling without the activation of GTF (glucose tolerance factor)

Question 16

Apochromodulin is an oligopeptide composed of what four amino acids?

Answer 16

glycine, cysteine, glutamate, aspartate

Question 17

What enzyme does Chromodulin activate?

Answer 17

Tyrosine kinase [this will then promote activity of insulin-activated insulin receptors] (pg. 4 diagram)

Question 18

After activated by Chromodulin, Tyrosine kinase goes on to phosphorylate what secondary messenger?

Answer 18

Insulin Receptor Substrate (IRS)

Question 19

What is Chromium bound to when it is transported through the blood?

Answer 19

Transferrin

Question 20

When taking large doses of chromium, what effect can that have on another mineral that uses that same transporter?

Answer 20

It can displace the Iron being transported in the blood, which will result in a significant decrease in serum Ferritin (Fe3+)

Question 21

What percentage of chromium is excreted and by what route?

Answer 21

95% excreted in the urine

Question 22

If a patient is deficient in Chromium, what effect does this have on insulin?

Answer 22

Insulin resistance [hyperinsulinemia and elevated plasma glucose concen.]

Question 23

Are all forms of Chromium safe to ingest?

Answer 23

NO!

Question 24

What form of Chromium is very toxic to humans?

Answer 24

Hexavalent form of Chromium (Cr6+) [severe acidosis, GI hemorrhaging, liver/kidney failure]

Question 25

When the hexavalent form of Chromium is within the body, what does the intracellular reduction of this produce?

Answer 25

Multiple reactive oxygen species (free radicals)

Question 26

Clue: Hexavalent Chromium - water contamination / Hinkley, California / $333 million class action lawsuit

Answer 26

Erin Brockovich yo - hexavalent chromium in drinking water