Diabetic Recipes
So I was at work the other day and one of my co-workers and I had the, "diabetes talk". Let's just say she acted as if she knew all about diabetes. I was sitting there humoring her as she dove into topics of nutrition, exercise, and stress. And right as I was about to completely tune her out and continue what I was doing, she caught my attention with a few words that I HAD NEVER heard associated with diabetes. Chromium Picolinate.
Her story was all about "this amazingly smart friend" that she had. According to her this guy that her brother knew was some brilliant nutritionist who had "cured", yeah she said "cured", cancer and diabetic patients before! As completely ridiculous as it sounded, almost like the Halle Berry thing, I had heard stories like this before. But never had I heard anyone speak about this supplement. She went on to give me an explanation about how the Dust Bowl back in the 1930's had blown away important Chromium and how because of it humans don't get the amounts we need. She said that this nutritionist friend of hers prescribed this stuff to, "a guy who had diabetes real bad" and that immediately after he started taking it, "his sugars started dropping immediately!".
So, I am writing this entry today to find out if any of you out there have ever heard of this stuff and what your thoughts are on it? I have trouble believing that I have never heard of this so-called "magic drug" or supplement that is a quick fix to diabetes and cancer! Call me crazy though,maybe this is the one thing were all missing?!!
By the way, IN NO WAY am I endorsing Chromium Picolinate nor recommending that you take it. I have included the following links that I discovered on the internet. If you are interested in finding out more about this stuff, like I was, then I would recommend that you look into it and make your own decisions about it (with caution). -Andy
hey andy!
yes i've heard of and have used chromium. It is said to help aid in stabilizing blood sugars i'm not going out saying that i've been cured of diabetes... because well... i'm not. buut i did notice a difference in my numbers while i was using it. i'm not too good at restocking my vitamin supplies so i haven't bought any more recently but i think the stuff works to maintain a certain level of 'normal'
I read about chromium and cinnamon combined lowering levels to be "cured." Apparently, it stablizes your metabolism so the absorption of glucose isn't so profound (as in the after meal highs we all LOVE!!!). I don't know anybody personally that tried it though...
I like how she said that the guy had diabetes "real bad." Don't you love how people assume certain people have it worse than others? It isn't the varying stages of a cold! To me, it seems we're all in the same boat.
My question... is it helping tyoes 2s or type 1s?
Well, this post intrigued me quite a bit. I'm a T2 on 30u of Lantus + orals and still not hitting goal most of the time. To say I'm desperate is probably an overstatement, but I'm willing to try most anything these days. I read up on Chromium Picolinate and didn't see anything too seriously dangerous about it. I went to the Vitamin Shoppe tonite and bought their Alpha Lipoic Acid w/ Chromax and Biotin. 60 capsules was $18. We'll see if it makes any difference (in a good way hopefully). Various sources seem to indicate it can take a few weeks. I'd love to be able to post here in a few weeks with some good news. I'm in one of my first 'funks' about managing my daily life/routine (diagnosed March 2005).
Corey
Corey, please let me know what happens in the next weeks after taking this stuff. I think a lot of people out there would love to hear about your results. All the best Corey. -Andy.
I take chromium picolinate 200 mcg daily. It does help with blood sugar control. However, I've read a few articles on the subject. Each article did say studies have shown cp doesn't help diabetics who are on medication especially insulation. I'm not on medication. I tried to see if made a difference. I think it helps some. I think diet and exercise help more though.
Thank you satbrownie :) we appreciate the feed back from you guys. -Andy
C_P WAS PATENDED BY USDA FOR DIABETIC TREATMENT IN 1992 AND THERE IS A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR RESEARCH CENTER IN MARYLAND
not a cure and diabetics are all different but this is one we should look into
The theory I've read is that one of the yo-yo effects of diabetes is inefficient chromium metabolism, requiring additional supplementation to maintain a more normal glucose metabolism. I was skeptical when I was originally told (by a Rite-Aid pharmacist) that all persons with diabetics absolutely NEEDED to take at least 200 mcg chromium supplementation on a daily basis. OTOH, I started on it at a time when I was without medical insurance and seeing my home A1C tests beginning to creep up a bit higher than I was comfortable with ("comfortable" = within non-diabetic "normal" range; I'm Type 2/diet-and-exercise). Numbers are still at the borderline range with just diet and exercise, but it's a toss-up as to whether or not the additional chromium is to credit or not.
My little experiment with Chromium Picolinate was a short one as my Endo put me on Novolog with past week. I stopped taking the supplement at this point because it would be impossible to tell if it made any difference now. I'll wait to see how Novolog + Lantus works out, then maybe try CP at some point later on.
Corey
I'm hypoglycemic and I've taken one tablet of chromium picolinate 200mg for years now. It has eliminated the hypoglycemia mood swings, the frequent dizziness, lack of ability to concentrate and the tiredness. I also feel less inclined to consume candy for some reason, perhaps because my body is not craving sugar. However it works, it works well for me and the benefits far outweigh the risks because my quality of life has greatly improved. I do think that it is a decision to be discussed with a doctor though.
I take CP and Biotin together. I have been on both for appox 6 months. I started to notice a difference after about 3 months of being on it. An A1c was done and it had come down, this was in Oct. Another was done in Jan and I am now in the normal range and had not been there for a year and a half. Nothing else has changed in my diabetes care. I take it faithfully everyday and am not about to stop.
I am very interested in Chromium Picolinate experiences posted here. I have used it in the past to help with water retention--it kept me "going"...
For those of you who use CP for your diabetes; does using it interact with perscription meds? I take Glipizide, Metformin, and Lisino/HCTZ for blood pressure. I worry about drup interaction...
alansgrandma....Janis on DLife recommends CP and she knows there are a lot of people on meds that take it. I am on metformin and to my knowledge there is no problem.
Andy,
I've been doing some catching up your older posts seeing as I'm new to dlife. I've taken CP and it's never seemed to affect my blood sugar levels. Years ago CP was labeled the new muscle building supplement so I thought I would give it a try. It didn't really seem to do much in that regard either. More recently, I've come to the conclusion to just stick with my Whey Protein and lay off the wonder pills. Anyway, I'll talk to you soon. C'ya.
-Kirk