Iovieno et al. recommend doses of chromium picolinate in the range of 400 to 600 mcg
per day (twice those reported by the Natural Standard), and add that chromium should
be taken in the morning because of possible interference with sleep. According to
Iovieno et al., the dose of 400 mcg was sufficient to alter brain serotonin activity in an
experimental study on healthy volunteers who received chromium picolinate for seven
days, and is considered the biologically active daily dose in well-nourished individuals.
Chromium is often found in multi-vitamin and multi-mineral dietary supplements, in
doses ranging from 50 to 400 mcg per day, and some dietary supplements may include
forms of chromium other than chromium picolinate.- RESEARCH: Long-term outcomes -- benefits and liabilities from continuing treatment with
chromium and comparative assessment with other drugs -- require further investigation, as
do the systematic tracking, reporting and quantification of adverse effects. In particular,
studies should examine the efficacy of chromium in treating other forms of depression.
1
Lake, J.A. and Spiegel, D., Complementary and Alternative Treatments in Mental Health Care, American
Psychiatric Publishing, Inc., Washington (2007), at 144.
(^2) Davidson, J.R., Abraham, K., Connor, K.M. & McLeod, M.N., “Effectiveness of Chromium in Atypical Depression: A
Placebo-controlled Trial,” Biological Psychiatry 53:261-264 (2003).
(^3) Anderson, R.A., Bryden, N.A. & Polansky, M.M., “Lack of Toxicity of Chromium Chloride and Chromium Picolinate
in Rats,” Journal Am. Coll. Nutr.16:273-279(1997).
(^4) Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board (2001). http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2001/Dietary-Reference-
Intakes-for-Vitamin-A-Vitamin-K-Arsenic-Boron-Chromium-Copper-Iodine-Iron-Manganese-Molybdenum-Nickel-
Silicon-Vanadium-and-Zinc.aspx