How legit is it?
While there is still widespread skepticism among many of the nutritionists consulted for this story, there's also openness to the possibility of benefits. Ashley Koff RD, CEO of The Better Nutrition Program thinks the benefits in regards to support for blood sugar levels are valid; though she notes that consumers shouldn't consider chromium GTF water as a replacement for a healthy diet. In addition, Koff recommends drinking water with lemon, which is an alkaline former that helps support healthy digestion and metabolism.
If you're exploring adding chromium to your diet, Koff also suggests doing it along with making some key upgrades: "Assessing your current intake of added sugar to see if you are within your budget is important and only then would I recommend trying this water — perhaps midday to help support better energy which can help keep you from a sugar choice at the 3pm crash."
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How do you know if you need chromium?
Actual chromium deficiency, it turns out, is considered rare in humans and chromium is generally widely available in a balanced diet. "However, there have been a few hospital cases where diabetic patients given chromium intravenously fared well from the high-dose supplementation, correcting their diabetes symptoms," says Dudash.
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How else can you get chromium?
Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, founder of BetterThanDieting.com and the author of "Read It Before You Eat It — Taking You from Label to Table," points out that while drinking chromium GTF water is probably fine for most people, there are much better ways to get the trace mineral's nutritional benefits. For example, Dudash says that just a 1/2 cup broccoli actually contains 9 percent of the daily recommended amount of chromium. It's also easy to find other chromium sources using the better trace minerals menu.
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When should you take chromium?
According to Dr. Brodsky we lose chromium from our bodies when we sweat and urinate, but also during times of stress — which is why she also suggests drinking the enhanced water after a long day when you haven't eaten well or after a hard workout when your blood sugar levels are very low and your cells need to be fed. "This will help gently restore your body's equilibrium as our cells can only absorb and metabolize so much chromium at once."
Give yourself at least two to four weeks to feel and experience results. "This time frame allows your system to absorb key nutrients and enable health benefits to manifest downstream," says Dr. Brodsky. "Keep in mind that a diet too high in simple sugars can impact the effectiveness, so eat as clean as possible for maximum benefits."
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Experimenting with chromium GTF is not for everyone
"These waters/supplements could be dangerous to those who take prednisone-type drugs and if you have diabetes, this is not a substitute for your meds," says Taub-Dix. Always speak with your doctor, especially if you're on any medication. "Supplemental chromium can also interact with certain medications, such as thyroid meds, antacids and proton pump inhibitors, steroids, NSAIDS and insulin," says Koff.
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