What Is Chromium?

ATSDR says chromium is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, animals, plants and soil, that its most common forms are chromium(0), chromium(III) and chromium(VI), and that no taste or odor is associated with chromium compounds. It says chromium metal, the chromium(0) form, is used for making steel, and that chromium(VI) and chromium(III) are used for chrome plating, dyes and pigments, leather tanning and wood preserving.

The form matters. ATSDR says chromium(III) is an essential nutrient that helps the body use sugar, protein and fat, while breathing high levels of chromium(VI) can cause irritation of the lining of the nose, nose ulcers, runny nose and breathing problems such as asthma, cough, shortness of breath or wheezing, with effects occurring at much lower air concentrations for chromium(VI) than for chromium(III).

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says scientists do not currently think chromium is necessary for good health and that chromium deficiency has not been reported in healthy people, but that in 2001 scientists considered it an essential nutrient and set average daily recommended amounts of 35 mcg for men and 25 mcg for women aged 19 to 50, and 30 mcg for men and 20 mcg for women aged 51 and older. It says chromium supplements are often promoted to improve blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes but studies have had mixed results, and that the American Diabetes Association does not recommend them for people with diabetes because they do not have a clear benefit. The EPA drinking water standard for total chromium is 0.1 mg/L, or 100 parts per billion, which includes all forms of chromium, including chromium-6.