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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by jrbecker on September 29, 2005, at 22:30:15
Chromium Picolinate Linked With Reduced Carbohydrate Cravings In People With Atypical Depression
9/29/2005
Source: M Booth & Associates
http://news.biocompare.com/newsstory.asp?id=99357
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessing chromium picolinate supplementation in 113 people with atypical depression found that a subset of patients who reported the highest levels of carbohydrate cravings demonstrated significantly greater reductions than the placebo group on four items on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-29): carbohydrate craving, appetite increase, increased eating, and diurnal variation of feeling (mood variation throughout the day). The study, published today in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice, found that 65 percent of the chromium picolinate patients with high carbohydrate craving versus 33 percent of those receiving placebo had significantly greater improvements on total HAM-D-29 scores (p < 0.05). HAM-D-29 is a standard tool commonly used in assessing severity of symptoms in depressed patients.
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Carbohydrate cravings, weight gain and unexplained fatigue are characteristic symptoms of atypical depression, a common but frequently undiagnosed depressive disorder affecting up to 42 percent of the 19 million Americans diagnosed with depression. "These results suggest that the use of chromium picolinate may be beneficial for patients with atypical depression who also have severe carbohydrate craving," said the study's lead investigator, John P. Docherty, M.D., president and CEO of Comprehensive NeuroScience Inc, and adjunct professor of psychiatry at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. "For years, the link between depression, insulin sensitivity, and the value of dietary chromium picolinate has been hinted at in small studies and this trial may bring us closer to understanding the connection."Study Design
The study, "A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Exploratory Trial of Chromium Picolinate in Atypical Depression: Effect of Carbohydrate Craving" was an 8 week, multi-center trial of 113 randomized adult outpatients with atypical depression. Patients ranged from age 18-65 years of age.The 110 patients constituting the intent-to-treat (ITT) population received 600 mcg/day of elemental chromium, as Chromax chromium picolinate (n = 70) or placebo (n = 40).
This ITT group was defined as patients who received at least one dose of study medication and completed at least one study evaluation, while the evaluable population was the subset of 75 patients (n=50 chromium picolinate and 25 placebo) who took at least 80 percent of the study product with no significant protocol deviations. Primary efficacy measures were the 29-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Clinical Global Impressions Improvement Scale (CGI-I). Nutrition 21 (NASDAQ: NXXI) supplied Chromax chromium picolinate for the clinical trial.
Investigators found no significant difference between the chromium picolinate and placebo groups on overall improvement on the primary efficacy measures (both the placebo and treatment groups significantly improved from baseline). However, the chromium picolinate group in the evaluable populations showed significantly greater improvements in four HAM-D-29 items: carbohydrate craving, appetite increase, increased eating, and diurnal variation of feeling. In addition, the chromium picolinate group reporting the highest levels of carbohydrate craving showed significantly greater improvements than the placebo group on overall HAM-D-29 scores. These results held true for both the ITT group (65% chromium picolinate versus 33% placebo) and the evaluable group (80% chromium picolinate versus 38% placebo). The high carbohydrate cravers in the ITT population treated with chromium picolinate also showed significant improvement compared with placebo on three of the same HAM-D-29 items: carbohydrate craving, appetite increase and increased eating. Chromium picolinate was well tolerated throughout the study and treatment-associated adverse events were minimal and not statistically or clinically different from those seen in the placebo group.
"These findings also suggest that physicians and mental health professionals should be alert to patients who report carbohydrate craving as it may signal the possible presence of a more serious underlying medical condition, such as atypical depression," Dr. Docherty said. "The use of antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics that are commonly prescribed to treat depression can often worsen carbohydrate cravings. A treatment that effectively reduces carbohydrate cravings and has a favorable tolerability and side-effect profile would be a very useful contribution to improve overall health outcomes." Chromium is an essential trace mineral whose main function is to work with insulin to metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins. When chromium is bound to picolinic acid to create chromium picolinate, absorption in the body is significantly improved. Recently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognized chromium picolinate as a safe nutritional supplement.
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Contact: Kelly Peterson/Emily Voelker
kellyp@mbooth.com
emilyv@mbooth.com
212-481-7000
M Booth & Associates
Posted by Cairo on September 29, 2005, at 22:30:15
In reply to Chromium Pico. Reduced Carb Craving in AtypicalDep, posted by jrbecker on September 29, 2005, at 9:39:11
Would you take it? Many sites proclaim it's safety, but then there's this (can't miss the warning at the top, however):
http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/pdfs/mut0314.pdf
Cairo
Posted by Ktemene on October 2, 2005, at 7:54:26
In reply to Chromium Pico. Reduced Carb Craving in AtypicalDep, posted by jrbecker on September 29, 2005, at 9:39:11
Isn't this the same study whose results were announced in June 2004? Why is it only being published now?
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256EA70066FAFCChromium Picolinate Supplementation Linked With Reduced Carbohydrate Cravings Associated With Atypical Depression
PHOENIX, AZ -- June 2, 2004 -- Results of a new double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trial found that daily supplementation with chromium picolinate significantly reduced some key symptoms of atypical depression.People who reported high levels of carbohydrate cravings experienced significant decrease in their carbohydrate cravings and depression in response to chromium picolinate. Also, there was no difference in side effects in patients treated with chromium picolinate compared to those treated with the placebo.
Atypical depression is a common, but frequently undiagnosed, form of depression affecting up to 40 million Americans. The new evidence was presented today at a conference of the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit (NCDEU) in Phoenix, Arizona.
Atypical depression is a major depressive disorder characterized by a distinct combination of symptoms that include mood swings, carbohydrate cravings, weight gain, rejection sensitivity and lethargy.
"This is the first indication that chromium picolinate may play an important role in the reduction of carbohydrate cravings in people with atypical depression," explains John Docherty, MD, President, Chief Executive Officer of Comprehensive NeuroScience, Inc. (CNS), principal investigator of the study. "It also may offer a new treatment option for atypical depressed patients with carbohydrate cravings who find it difficult to stay on current prescription medication because of the common side effects of sexual dysfunction and weight gain."
The multi-center study of 113 patients found that daily supplementation with 600 mcg of chromium as chromium picolinate, significantly reduced carbohydrate cravings compared to placebo, and improved other symptoms such as mood swings, fatigue and weight gain perception. The results also show that people with the highest levels of carbohydrate cravings had the most significant reduction in depressive symptoms.
"The study suggests that carbohydrate cravings may be a key and independent marker of atypical depression and might predict how patients will respond to chromium picolinate therapy," added Dr. Docherty.
The research builds on beneficial effects of chromium picolinate reported in a recent pilot study published in the Journal of Biological Psychiatry. The study was conducted at the Duke University Medical Center Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
"We've seen remarkable improvements in depressed patients after supplementing with chromium picolinate," says Malcolm McLeod, MD, a practicing psychiatrist, who collaborated on the Duke University study. "Chromium picolinate is a real breakthrough in providing safe and simple relief of atypical depression symptoms, many of which currently go untreated."
Researchers hypothesize that chromium's essential role in insulin function may be the link between chromium, carbohydrate cravings and atypical depression. Insulin has effects on metabolic function that may impact serotonin levels in the brain. Impaired insulin function, which leads to poor glycaemic control, is linked to a number of health conditions including diabetes, where the increased incidence of depression is two times greater than in normal populations. Numerous clinical studies show that nutritional supplementation with chromium, in the form of chromium picolinate, helps improve insulin insensitivity and diabetes.
According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, an estimated 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older -- about 1 in 5 adults -- suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. This figure translates to approximately 44.3 million people.
"These findings broaden the potential applications for patented uses of chromium picolinate as an adjuvant nutritional therapy for depressed populations, a major health market that is growing significantly," said Gail Montgomery, President and CEO of Nutrition 21, which commissioned the study.
Additional data on chromium picolinate and carbohydrate cravings in atypical depression will be presented at the Collegium Internationale Neuro- Psychopharmacologium (CINP) in Paris in late June.
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