Dietary supplement sellershave hyped these results,
calling choline a miracle brain supplement or a genius
supplement. Pregnant and breastfeeding women do
need to eat a diet that provides adequate intake of
choline, but should not be taken in by claims that chol-
ine supplements will increase the intelligence of their
baby. As of 2007, these choline studies had only been
done on rats where ‘‘learning’’and ‘‘genius’’ were related
to negotiating a laboratory maze. It remains to be seen if
or how these findings relate to brain development in
children.
Resources
BOOKS
Brown, Paul. ‘‘Choline, Inositol, and Related Nutrients’’ In
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Solomon H. Katz,
ed. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2003.
Wildman, Robert E. C., ed.Handbook of Nutraceuticals and
Functional Foods.2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC/Taylor
&Francis, 2007.
PERIODICALS
Thomas, Jennifer D., Jeremy S. Biane, Kelly A. O’Bryan, et
al. ‘‘Choline Supplementation Following Third-
Trimester Equivalent Alcohol Exposure Attenuates
Behavioral Alterations in Rats.& rdquo;Behavioral
Neuroscience.121, no. 1 (Feb 2007):120-30.
ORGANIZATIONS
Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University, 571
Weniger Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-6512. Telephone:
(541) 717-5075. Fax: (541) 737-5077. Website:http://
lpi.oregonstate.edu
OTHER
Higdon, Jane. ‘‘Choline.’’ Linus Pauling Institute-Oregon
State University, November 25, 2003.http://
lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/othernuts/choline
PDR Health. ‘‘Choline.’’ undated, accessed April 27, 2007.
http://www.whfoods.com/
Whfoods.org. ‘‘Choline’’ World’s Healthiest Foods, undated,
accessed April 22, 2007.http://www.whfoods.com/
Helen M. DavidsonChromium
Definition
Chromium is a mineral that is essential to
humans. It is found naturally in a variety of foods,
and supplements are available in capsules or tablets.
Supplements are prepared using a number of formu-
las, including chromium (III), chromium aspartate,
chromium chloride, chromium citrate, chromium nic-
otinate, chromium picolinate, GTF chromium, and
trivalent chromium.Purpose
Chromium supports the normal function of insu-
lin, which is a hormone secreted by the pancreas.
Insulin helps transport glucose from the bloodstream
into liver, muscle, and fat cells. Once it is inside these
cells, the sugar is metabolized into a source of energy.
Insulin is also involved in regulating protein, fat, and
catalytic enzyme processes. People with diabetes do
not produce insulin (or produce very little) or their
bodies cannot properly use the insulin that is pro-
duced. As a result, sugar builds up in the bloodstream,
causing serious health effects. Numerous scientific
studies have shown that chromium is useful in treating
insulin resistance (metabolic syndrome) and diabetes.
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy, a form of nerve dam-
age that is a direct result of diabetes, is indirectly
related to a lack of sufficient chromium.ChromiumAge Adequate Intake (mcg/day)
Children 0–6 mos. 0.2
Children 7–12 mos. 5.5
Children 1–3 yrs. 11
Children 4–8 yrs. 15
Boys 9–13 yrs. 25
Girls 9–13 yrs. 21
Boys 14–18 yrs. 35
Girls 14–18 yrs. 24
Men 19–50 yrs. 35
Women 19–50 yrs. 25
Men 50 yrs. 30
Women 50 yrs. 20
Pregnant women 18 yrs. 29
Pregnant women 19 yrs. 30
Breastfeeding women 18 yrs. 44
Breastfeeding women 19 yrs. 45
Food Chromium (mcg)
Broccoli, ½ cup 11
Grape juice, 1 cup 8
English muffin, whole wheat, 1 4
Garlic, dried, 1 tsp. 3
Potatoes, mashed, 1 cup 3
Basil, dried, 1 tbsp. 2
Beef cubes, 3 oz. 2
Orange juice, 1 cup 2
Turkey breast, 3 oz. 2
Whole wheat bread, 2 slices 2
Red wine, 5 oz. 1–13
Apple, unpeeled, 1 med. 1
Banana, 1 med. 1
Green beans, ½ cup 1
mcg microgram(Illustration by GGS Information Services/Thomson Gale.)Chromium