Clinical takeaways
- Adequate Intake for adults: 20 to 35 mcg a day, usually met by diet.
- Glucose trials used 200 to 1,000 mcg; results were small and inconsistent.
- Payarmin provides 0.7 mcg per dropper, 2% of the Daily Value.
- 'Synergy' claims need amounts to be testable; this label gives one.
What chromium does
Trivalent chromium appears to enhance insulin's action, possibly through a small binding peptide called chromodulin. Frank deficiency is rare and was first seen in people fed intravenously without it.[1]
How much people need
The Adequate Intake is 35 mcg a day for men 19 to 50, 25 mcg for women, a little lower after 50. The Daily Value on labels is 35 mcg. Whole grains, broccoli, meats and some spices supply it.[1]
What trials found
Meta-analyses of chromium in type 2 diabetes found modest reductions in fasting glucose with large differences between studies, mostly at 200 mcg or more.[2] An expert review in Nutrition Reviews judged the overall evidence of benefit to be limited.[3] In people with overweight but no diabetes, the weight effect was too small to matter.[4]
Where 0.7 mcg sits
| Reference point | Chromium | Payarmin droppers to match |
|---|---|---|
| Payarmin, 1 dropper | 0.7 mcg | 1 |
| Daily Value | 35 mcg | 50 |
| Lowest common trial dose | 200 mcg | 286 |
| Higher trial dose | 1,000 mcg | 1,429 |
Synergy, honestly
"Synergy" means two ingredients do more together than apart. It is testable only when amounts are known. Payarmin pairs chromium with gymnema, green tea and ginseng, which each have some glucose research, but the blend's amounts are not disclosed, so no synergy claim about this product can be checked. If chromium is the reason you are buying, a stand-alone chromium picolinate product at 200 mcg costs a few dollars a month; discuss it with your clinician, especially if you take glucose-lowering medication.
See the science dossier for the other ingredients.