Dr. OZ: Chromium Polynicotinate, Blood Sugar, And Cravings

Sugar is addictive!  Maybe more addictive than cocaine.  In one study, animals chose sugar water over intravenous cocaine, and even cocaine addicted animals switched over to sugar the first chance they got.  Sugar stimulates the same pleasure centers of the brain as illegal drugs.  Just like a drug, repeated exposure can lead to cravings.

Sugar feels good, at least for a time, and for good reason.  Our distant ancestors had to consume every bit of honey and fruit they could get their hands on, lest they starve.  This must have been particularly true in women, who had to accumulate enough body fat to carry a pregnancy.  Perhaps this is why women tend to have more sugar cravings than men.

Can Chromium Polynicotinate Help With Cravings?

Chromium polynicotinate, known also as ChromeMate, is generally regarded as the most bioavailable form of chromium.  This form of the mineral has been shown to improve blood sugar regulation.   When you have eaten too much sugar to frequently, your body stops being able to regulate blood sugar as well as it used to.

Good blood sugar management means that the insulin in your body does a bang up job shuttling blood sugar inside your cells to be made into energy.  When your blood sugar management is subpar, your ability to make energy from the food you eat takes a hit.  This situation creates a curious set of effects that includes weight gain, excessive cravings, and blood sugar dysregulation.

The Research

In a study of 42 overweight women, 1000 mcg chromium per day improved blood sugar management, and reduced food intake, hunger and cravings all day.  The women in the study trended towards weight loss.

Order this product at SundropsOnline.com:  Chromium Polynicotinate

For many more posts about hunger and cravings, check out our Weight Loss area

J Inorg Biochem 2008.   Diabetes Technol Ther 2008.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.

The Amazing Ashwaganda

Ashwaganda is part of a group of plants called the adaptogens.  Just as the name sounds, an adaptogen helps you adapt to stress.

Increased Well-Being

One trial found that Ashwaganda increased energy, reduced fatigue, improved sleep, and promoted a greater sense of well-being.  Cortisol levels dropped 26%.  Cortisol is an important and potentially destructive stress hormone that is responsible for many of the harmful effects of stress.  Along with substantially lower cortisol, the people in the trial experienced lower fasting blood sugar and improved blood lipids, both good things.

Anxiety and Depression

In another study, Ashwaganda was found to be as effective as the drug Tofranil for depression, and as effective as the anti-anxiety medication Ativan for anxiety, after only 5 days.

Phytomed 2000. Unpublished Study NutrGenesis, LLC. 2005.

Lipoic Acid and Diabetic Nerves

Researchers have conducted a number of studies on the effect of lipoic acid on diabetic neuropathy.  In diabetes, high blood sugar can damage nerves, most often in the hands and feet.  People with this nerve damage, called neuropathy, can experience pain and numbness in those areas.

Lipoic acid offers two kinds of support for diabetes.  It is a powerful antioxidant and it also activates a switch in the body that causes blood sugar to be used more normally.  A 2011 study assessed these past studies and concluded that 600mg lipoic acid per day for as little as 5 weeks significantly improved neuropathy symptoms.

Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2011

Lipoic Acid and Blood Sugar

Lipoic acid is a great antioxidant, but it also gives a boost to the way your body uses blood sugar. In diabetic patients given alpha lipoic acid, researchers found a significant drop in fasting blood sugar  as well as post-meal glucose levels.  In diabetics, these tests are high and reflect difficulty removing sugar from the blood and using it as energy.

Saudi Med J 2011