Learn About the Best Foods With Chromium to Add to Your Eating Plan

Learn About the Best Foods With Chromium to Add to Your Eating Plan
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What is Chromium?

Chromium is an essential trace element that is also a constituent of glucose tolerance factor. It helps facilitate glucose cell uptake or the transport of sugar into cells, thus is also important in maintaining the sugar level in the blood. Everyday intake of foods with chromium is therefore, needed by the body. Chromium was first discovered by Louis- Nicolas Vaquelin, a French chemist in 1979. The mechanism of action of chromium is not specific but the element is important in the storage and metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Chromium is also important in preventing or treating health conditions such as diabetes, glaucoma, psoriasis, hypoglycemia, acne, and hyperlipidemia. Individuals with high blood pressure, high levels of insulin in the blood, and high cholesterol levels are frequently advised to take chromium supplements. It is also recommended for individuals who manifest symptoms of depression, anxiety, obesity, decreased sperm count, impaired growth, aortic cholesterol plaque, infertility, and glucose intolerance.

Deficiency of chromium occurs due to methods in food processing, which removes these elements from the foods. A condition known as Syndrome X is associated with chromium deficiency and usually manifest with hypertension, high sugar blood levels, elevated cholesterol levels, and with low levels of good cholesterol or HDL cholesterol.

List of Foods with Chromium

There is no set recommended daily allowance (RDA) for chromium, but health experts suggest that the body needs about 50 to 200 microgram (mcg) of chromium everyday. Chromium is widely dispersed in the many foods; however, only a minimum amount of chromium is found in them. Following are the three top sources of chromium.

Romaine Lettuce

Romaine lettuce or Cos is a head forming lettuce with deep green and long leaves. In every 2 cups of romaine lettuce, 15.68 mcg of chromium is found. It is considered as an excellent source of chromium.

Onions

Onions are also very rich in chromium. One cup usually contains 24.80 mcg of chromium.

Tomatoes

Tomato is very popular and widely used. It comes in different varieties and can be cooked anyway you want it and with any other foods. In a cup of ripe tomato, 9.00 mcg of chromium is found.

Other Foods With Chromium

  • ½ cup of broccoli = 11 mcg of Chromium
  • 1 cup of grape juice = 8 mcg
  • 1 cup of mashed potato = 3 mcg
  • 1 teaspoon if dried garlic = 3 mcg
  • 1 tablespoon of dried Basil = 2 mcg
  • 3 ounces of beef cubes = 2 mcg
  • 2 slices of whole wheat bread = 2 mcg
  • 1 medium unpeeled apple = 1 mcg
  • 5 ounce of red wine = 1 to 13 mcg

A few more good sources of chromium are oysters, orange juice, brewer’s yeast, beer, banana, bran cereals, potato, turkey breast, and green beans.

References

whfoods.com: Chromium

Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Chromium