Discuss the essential nature of chromium, and list good food sources of chromium. Why are chromium supplements promoted by the supplements industry?
What will be an ideal response?
Chromium helps maintain glucose homeostasis by enhancing the activity of the hormone insulin. When chromium is lacking, a diabetes-like condition may develop, with elevated blood glucose and impaired glucose tolerance, insulin response, and glucagon response. Some research suggests that chromium supplements lower blood glucose or improve insulin responses in type 2 diabetes, but findings have not been consistent.
Chromium is present in a variety of foods. The best sources are unrefined foods, particularly liver, brewer's yeast, and whole grains. The more refined foods people eat, the less chromium they ingest.
Supplement advertisements have succeeded in convincing consumers that they can lose fat and build muscle by taking chromium picolinate. Whether chromium supplements (either picolinate or plain) reduce body fat or improve muscle strength remains controversial.
You might also like to view...
Supplemental iron should be given as ferrous _______________ or ferrous _______________, which are better absorbed and tolerated than other iron chelates.
Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).
The simultaneous search for personal autonomy and peer acceptance that characterizes adolescent psychosocial development often leads to the development of health-compromising eating behaviors.
Answer the following statement true (T) or false (F)
Which of the following is not an acceptable defenition for food labels with the listing "free"?
a. Fat free- less than 0.5 gram of total fat per serving b. Cholesterol free- less than 2 milligrams per serving c. Sugar free- less than 0.5 gram per serving d. Calorie free- less than 40 calories per serving e. Sodium free- less than 5 milligrams per serving
The broken-down products of fat digestion are largely absorbed into the _____ system, whereas carbohydrate and protein broken down products enter the _____ system
a. nervous; circulatory b. muscular; skeletal c. lymphatic; circulatory d. lymphatic; nervous e. circulatory; lymphatic