Confirmation: chromium levels in serum, hair, and sweat decline with age

Hair elements and healthy aging: a cross-sectional study in Hainan Island, China

Healthy aging is considered as the core issue of aging population. Centenarians are a symbol of healthy aging. Concentration of elements in hair is an indicator of micronutrient status, which can affect the human health. In the present study, we investigated element concentrations in the scalp hair of 255 healthy centenarians from Hainan Island, China. The pattern of intergenerational transmission of elements and the effects of confounders such as sex, age, education level, smoking habits, alcohol intake, and frequency of hospitalization on hair element concentrations were assessed. For most elements, the load in hair increased significantly through intergenerational transmission (i.e., centenarians < children < grandchildren). Our results also demonstrated that female centenarians had significantly higher concentrations of Ca, Mg, Mn, Se, and Sr but lower levels of Cr and P. The Mn level was statistically significantly lower in the primary studies group. Alcohol intake was positively associated with Cd and Na levels, whereas smoking habits showed no significant effect on all the elements. Furthermore, the frequency of hospitalization was significantly positively associated with Cd, Cu, and Pb concentration. Moreover, our analysis suggested that adequate concentrations of Fe and Se might increase the life span of centenarians, whereas excessive concentrations of P and Pb were harmful to health and reduced life span. These results imply that element concentrations could be manipulated as a therapeutic modality in geriatric disease. They might also provide reference values for diseased subjects, allowing improved diagnoses and more effective therapies, which might support effective policies on health and aging.

Food chromium content, dietary chromium intake and related biological variables in French free-living elderly

Trivalent chromium (Cr3+) is an essential trace element involved in insulin function. Cr deficiencies result in decreased insulin sensitivity, glucose intolerance and an increased risk of diabetes. Cr status decreases with age suggesting that the elderly may be at high risk of Cr deficiency. This study aimed to provide information about the Cr content of foods in France and the Cr intake in French free-living elderly. We measured the food Cr content and daily Cr intake of freely chosen diets for 3 d in twelve French free-living elderly people and their Cr excretion and plasma hormonal related variables, leptin, insulin and cortisol. Considering the relationship between insulin resistance and oxidative stress, we also determined plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, thiol groups and total and reduced glutathione. Although these subjects had well-balanced diets, their daily Cr intakes did not reach the French recommendations. The low Cr intakes were due to the low Cr density of the foods. We found a negative correlation between Cr intakes and insulin, BMI and leptin.

Blood chromium determination in assessing reference values in an unexposed Mediterranean population

Plasma chromium levels were determined in 243 healthy subjects. The study group consisted of 134 men and 109 women, ages 19-71 yr, all residing in Barcelona in northeastern Spain. The study was designed to assess the reference levels for plasma chromium and to investigate its relationships to age and sex. The assays were performed by means of a graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometer. The mean plasma chromium concentration was 3.01 +/- 1.45 nmol/L, ranging from 0.6 to 6 nmol/L. The upper reference values in the 0.95 percentile for this population was 5 nmol/L. No significant differences were observed with respect to the subjects' sex.

Chromium update: examining recent literature 1997-1998

Trivalent chromium is an essential nutrient required for sugar and fat metabolism. The majority of people eating typical Western diets consume less than the upper limit of the estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake, which is set at 50-200 micrograms per day. Insufficient chromium intake is associated with signs and symptoms similar to those seen in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The efficacy of chromium in the general population relates to its prevention of deficiency or a reduction in the risk of chronic diseases. It is possible that doses above the estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake are necessary for the treatment of certain chronic disease states. In a study performed in China, the use of 1000 micrograms of chromium per day (five times above the upper limit of the estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake) was highly effective in relieving many of the symptomatic manifestations of type 2 diabetes mellitus, including a return of the HbA1C levels into the normal range. Most recent evidence strongly supports the conclusion that there is little fear of toxic reactions from chromium consumption. In addition to type 2 diabetes mellitus, chromium supplementation may be useful to direct overall weight decrements specifically towards fat loss with the retention of lean body mass and to ameliorate many manifestations of aging.