--- title: "Chromium for blood sugar: from 0.7 mcg to 1 mg a serving" description: "Chromium doses on blood sugar supplements vary more than a thousandfold. What the NIH says about chromium, and how much of it fourteen labels list." canonical: https://glucosebench.com/chromium-for-blood-sugar alternate_html: https://glucosebench.com/chromium-for-blood-sugar language: en-US last_updated: 2026-10-27 type: guia --- # Chromium for blood sugar: same mineral, a thousandfold difference 1. [Home](https://glucosebench.com/) 2. [Guides](https://glucosebench.com/guides) 3. Chromium for blood sugar: same mineral, a thousandfold difference Sixteen of the products we've reviewed list chromium. What their labels don't advertise is how differently they dose it, from a trace to many times the Daily Value. By **[GlucoseBench editorial team](https://glucosebench.com/about)** Updated October 27, 2026 ![A woman reading on her laptop and taking notes at the kitchen table](https://glucosebench.com/img/guia-chromium-for-blood-sugar-768.webp?v=65f5206653) Short answer The NIH's complementary health center (NCCIH) calls chromium an essential trace mineral that your body needs to use glucose efficiently; the NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements is less settled: its chromium fact sheet says scientists no longer think it's necessary for good health, while its weight-loss fact sheet still calls it a mineral you need to regulate blood sugar. NCCIH says a 2022 review of 16 studies suggested chromium supplements "may help improve" HbA1c, fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes. It may cause stomach pain and bloating, and there are a few reports of kidney and liver damage after large doses. Among the products we've reviewed, chromium runs from 0.7 mcg per serving (2% of the Daily Value) to 1 mg (2,857%), so "contains chromium" can mean almost anything. ## What the NIH says about chromium "Found in many foods, chromium is an essential trace mineral. If you have too little chromium in your diet, your body can't use glucose efficiently." That's how NCCIH, part of the National Institutes of Health, introduces it. On supplements: "A 2022 review of 16 studies (868 participants) suggested that chromium supplementation may help improve glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c, which measures the average blood glucose over the prior few months), fasting blood glucose, and insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes." And on safety: chromium supplements "may cause stomach pain and bloating, and there have been a few reports of kidney damage, liver damage, muscular problems, and skin reactions following large doses." Also, "the effects of taking chromium long term haven't been well investigated." ## A second NIH source: picolinate, weight and medicines The NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) has its own chromium fact sheet, and it's more cautious than NCCIH on a basic point. Where NCCIH calls chromium an essential trace mineral, ODS says "Scientists do not currently think that chromium is necessary for good health," though scientists did consider it essential in 2001, when the recommended amounts were set. Its own weight-loss fact sheet, updated the same day, still opens with "Chromium is a mineral that you need to regulate your blood sugar levels," so even within ODS the wording isn't settled. ODS also says researchers "do not fully understand what chromium does in your body." The fact sheet answers the picolinate question in two sentences: "Chromium in dietary supplements is in many forms, including chromium picolinate and chromium chloride. Your body absorbs chromium similarly from the different forms used in supplements." On blood sugar, it calls the results of chromium studies "mixed" and says more research is needed, a more hesitant read than the 2022 review NCCIH cites. On weight, the ODS weight-loss fact sheet says chromium "might help you lose a very small amount of weight and body fat," and the chromium fact sheet says the benefit trials found "is unlikely to make any difference in health or appearance." ODS also names medicine interactions that NCCIH's diabetes page doesn't list for chromium: "Taking chromium together with insulin might cause low blood sugar levels," and "If you take antidiabetes medicine, taking chromium dietary supplements might cause low blood sugar levels," metformin included. It adds that chromium might reduce how much levothyroxine, a thyroid medicine, your body absorbs, and that "People with kidney disease or liver disease should be cautious about taking high amounts of chromium." Source: ODS, "Chromium" and "Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss" fact sheets for consumers (updated March 22, 2021), read on September 27, 2026. ## How much chromium each label holds Sixteen of the products we've reviewed list chromium. Fourteen give an amount, and they run from a trace to 1 mg. Each has a full review. Product Chromium per serving % Daily Value Form Insufend 1 mg (1,000 mcg) per capsule 2,857% Chromium niacinate Gluco6 1 mg (1,000 mcg) per capsule 2,857% Chromium niacinate Nucentix GS-85 152 mcg per 2 capsules 434% Chromium amino acid chelate Glyco Pulse 100 mcg per capsule About 286% Chromium picolinate BloodArmor (off sale since October 2026) 100 mcg per capsule, stated on the page (no label published) 286%, per the page Chromium picolinate Blood Sugar Blaster 76 mcg per 2 capsules 217% Chromium amino acid chelate Glucotide (not Glycotide) 76 mcg per 2 capsules 217% Chromium amino acid chelate GlycoBalance 7 mcg per 1 mL of liquid 20% Chromium picolinate GlycoFortin 0.7 mcg per 1 mL of liquid 2% Chromium picolinate Glycovit 0.7 mcg per 1 mL of liquid (the label allows one or two droppers a day) 2% Chromium picolinate Glycotide 0.7 mcg per 1 mL of liquid (the label allows one or two droppers a day) 2% Chromium picolinate Olivaro 0.7 mcg per 1 mL of liquid (the label allows one or two droppers a day) 2% Chromium picolinate GlycoHarmony 0.7 mcg per 1 mL of liquid (the label allows one or two droppers a day) 2% Chromium picolinate Glycopezil 0.7 mcg per 1 mL of liquid (its 30 mL label allows one or two droppers a day; its 60 mL label says one) 2% Chromium picolinate GlucoTrust Not disclosed Not disclosed Not stated Glucore Not disclosed Not disclosed Not stated From each official label or page, read on September 25 and 27, 2026 (Gluco6, GlycoBalance, Olivaro, GlycoHarmony, Glycopezil, Glucotide and Nucentix GS-85 on October 27, 2026). The Daily Value these labels use works out to 35 mcg (0.7 mcg is printed as 2%, 1 mg as 2,857%); the Glyco Pulse percentage is our own math on that basis. Insufend, Gluco6, GlucoTrust, Glucore, Glycotide, Olivaro, GlycoHarmony, GlycoBalance, Blood Sugar Blaster, Glycopezil, Glucotide and Nucentix GS-85 are reviewed on this site but not recommended, mainly because of their sales pages; the 1 mg chromium dose in Insufend and Gluco6 is a second concern. ## Reading the labels ### Only a trace At 0.7 mcg per serving, GlycoFortin, Glycovit, Glycotide, Olivaro, GlycoHarmony and Glycopezil hold 2% of the Daily Value. Chromium is on the label, but barely. ### A high dose The 1 mg in Insufend and Gluco6 is more than 28 times the Daily Value in one capsule. NCCIH's safety notes are about large doses, which is why these two need a doctor's view first. ### Liquid vs. capsule GlycoFortin, Glycovit, Glycotide, Olivaro, GlycoHarmony, GlycoBalance and Glycopezil are measured per 1 mL of liquid; Blood Sugar Blaster, Glucotide and Nucentix GS-85, per two capsules; the rest, per capsule. Compare servings, not bottles. ## Frequently asked questions **What are the benefits of chromium picolinate?** NCCIH calls chromium an essential mineral your body needs to use glucose (the Office of Dietary Supplements is less sure it's necessary). NCCIH says a 2022 review suggested supplements may help improve HbA1c, fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes, while long-term effects haven't been well studied. **How much chromium is in blood sugar supplements?** It varies widely. Among the products we read: 0.7 mcg per serving in GlycoFortin, Glycovit, Glycotide, Olivaro, GlycoHarmony and Glycopezil, 7 mcg in GlycoBalance, 76 mcg in Blood Sugar Blaster and Glucotide, 100 mcg in Glyco Pulse and BloodArmor, 152 mcg in Nucentix GS-85, and 1 mg in Insufend and Gluco6. GlucoTrust and Glucore don't say. **Is too much chromium dangerous?** NCCIH mentions a few reports of kidney damage, liver damage, muscle problems and skin reactions after large doses, plus stomach pain and bloating as side effects. Ask your doctor before taking a high-dose product. **Can I take chromium with diabetes medication?** Ask your doctor first. Chromium is sold for blood sugar, so your doctor should know before you combine it with diabetes medication. Never change a prescription because of a supplement. The NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says chromium taken with insulin, or with metformin and other diabetes medicines, "might cause low blood sugar levels." **Does chromium picolinate help with weight loss?** Barely, according to the NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements. Its weight-loss fact sheet says chromium "might help you lose a very small amount of weight and body fat," and its chromium fact sheet says that benefit "is unlikely to make any difference in health or appearance." In larger amounts, ODS says, chromium can cause watery stools, headache, weakness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness and hives. **What does chromium picolinate do?** It's one of the forms of chromium used in supplements, and ODS says your body absorbs chromium similarly from the different forms. What chromium itself does is less settled than labels suggest: NCCIH says that with too little of it "your body can't use glucose efficiently," while ODS says researchers "do not fully understand what chromium does in your body" and that it "might help you use carbohydrates, fats, and proteins." ## Sources U.S. government health pages this one draws on. Each opens in a new tab. 1. [Chromium: Fact Sheet for Consumers](https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Chromium-Consumer/), NIH Office of Dietary Supplements 2. [Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss: Fact Sheet for Consumers](https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/WeightLoss-Consumer/), NIH Office of Dietary Supplements ## Related pages Reviews ### [Glyco Pulse review: the most detailed label we rank, and who should skip it](https://glucosebench.com/glyco-pulse) Glyco Pulse tops our ranking because its label shows the most of the four we rank, though it's meant only for blood sugar "already within the normal range". Reviews ### [Insufend review: a high-dose label, and a sales page we can't get past](https://glucosebench.com/insufend) We don't recommend Insufend: its page says medications and injections will be "a thing of the past", and its 1 mg of chromium is 2,857% of the Daily Value. Guides ### [The best blood sugar supplements we reviewed, and the ones we left out](https://glucosebench.com/best-blood-sugar-supplements) Our top pick is Glyco Pulse, because it publishes a detailed label with 100 mcg of chromium and names every ingredient in its blend; it ships only in the US, and its own… Updated October 27, 2026. [See our full method](https://glucosebench.com/how-we-choose) --- ## GlucoseBench - GlucoseBench, published by Grupo Marfre Automação e Tecnologia (Contagem, Brazil) - Email: contact@glucosebench.com - Home: https://glucosebench.com/ - llms.txt: https://glucosebench.com/llms.txt · llms-full.txt: https://glucosebench.com/llms-full.txt · sitemap: https://glucosebench.com/sitemap.xml