Top 4 Benefits Of Zinc & Chromium For Diabetes

Let's talk about the top 4 benefits of zinc & chromium for diabetes.

We're going to find out if these minerals can actually help you:

their effect on blood sugar levels
how they improve other related issues
their advantages as additional diabetes

So if you're curious, I hope this review will give you some information you need.

Note: This review is based on my research on these 2 ingredients.

Table Of Contents show

Zinc & Chromium For Diabetes (In A Nutshell)

Firstly – Zinc and Chromium are some popular minerals for diabetes.

The reason behind is the numerous benefits they offer:

Promoting a proper carbohydrate and glucose metabolism
Addressing insulin sensitivity and resistance
Improving fasting glucose and overall blood glucose levels
Supporting the process of wound healing (especially diabetes-related)
Treating the inflammation and other diabetes symptoms

The benefits above are backed-up by several several scientific studies.

So both minerals's benefits are already supported and proved.

Now – there are a lot of food sources of Zinc and Chromium.

However, a lot of times foods are not enough…

But the good thing is that most high-quality supplements contain both minerals.

They also contain cinnamon – which is another good ingredient for treating diabetes.

So if you're looking for a diabetes/blood sugar supplement that has them all, I have a practical suggestion.

The best product you can try is Striction D.

It contains the best version of cinnamon (Ceylon) and some effective doses of zinc and chromium.

This product is worth considering because it will give the best value for your money.

See My #1 Recommended

Diabetes/Blood Sugar Supplement

Benefits of Zinc

Let's first talk about the general info of this element.

Name: Zinc

Type of Nutrient: Mineral

Food Sources: You can find it in many foods that are easily available.

But I will give you some examples below:

beef and pork
chicken and oysters
avocados and blackberries
Shiitake mushrooms
spinach and beans
milk and cereals

Recommended Daily Dose: For adults – 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women daily [1]

General Benefits:

maintains a healthy immune system
supports wound healing
promotes thyroid function
reduces blood clotting

Now – we're going to specifically analyze zinc's benefits for diabetes.

So I listed down the top 4 benefits of zinc to give you an idea of what it can do.

#1 – Reduces Fasting Glucose

I will start by defining “fasting glucose”.

Basically, it's a measure of your blood sugar after fasting overnight [2].

So here are the levels and their interpretations:

Normal = 99 mg/dL or lower
Prediabetes = 100 to 125 mg/dL
Diabetes = 126 mg/dL or higher

Actually – it's a test to monitor your blood sugar levels.

Now – zinc can decrease the high level of fasting glucose.

It acts like insulin, in order to trigger insulin's action [3].

In return, the glucose from the blood will be cleared because the cells will utilize it [4].

So if you have a high fasting glucose, zinc supplements can help you.

But if you have a normal level of fasting glucose, you can still reap several benefits from zinc:

prevents serious health issues (like vision loss)
delays long-term health problems (heart and kidney disease)
improves energy and mood
reduces diabetes care expenses
hinders weight gain
lowers the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

Overall – it's always important to maintain your fasting glucose in the normal range.

And zinc can really help you do that.

#2 – Increases Insulin Sensitivity

For further understanding, let's also talk about insulin sensitivity:

it's related to how the body responds to the effects of insulin [5]
it's the opposite of insulin resistance and it's pretty harmful

If you're insulin sensitive, you only need a small amount of insulin to lower your blood glucose levels.

Well – that is if you compare it to people who are not that sensitive (insulin insensitive).

To cut it short, increased insulin sensitivity is beneficial.

Now, zinc works by activating the hormone signaling pathways [6].

In return, the action of insulin will be prolonged – so your body won't overproduce more insulin [7].

Based on current research, high insulin sensitivity offers a lot of benefits to people with diabetes:

allows the body to use more blood sugar than storing it (which leads to diabetes)
promotes an easier fat loss
reduces the risks of many other diseases
boosts cognition and brain health
lessens hunger and cravings for sweets

Keep in mind that insulin sensitivity is way better than insulin resistance.

#3 – Promotes Glucose Metabolism

Now – we're going to discuss glucose metabolism.

It's actually the process of breaking down carbohydrates into glucose.

The end product (glucose) will flow in the blood and go inside the cells.

There are multiple processes included in Glucose Metabolism [8]:

glycolysis – glucose is broken down to produce energy
gluconeogenesis – transformation of non-carbohydrates substrates into glucose
glycogenolysis – break down glycogen into glucose
glycogenesis – formation of glycogen from glucose

So how does zinc help with glucose metabolism?

Just like insulin, it inhibits the secretion of glucagon [9].

Glucagon is a hormone (from the pancreas) that increases the glucose blood level during hypoglycemia.

In other words, zinc reduces the synthesis and absorption of glucose [10].

At the same time, it works by promoting glucose metabolism and storage.

As mentioned, glucose metabolism is very vital for people with diabetes:

enhances insulin sensitivity
improves glycemic control
reduces risks of heart and other health diseases
promotes better cell functions
provides more energy source
supports better metabolism due to normal insulin effects

To sum it up, people with diabetes should focus on having a proper glucose metabolism.

It's the most important factor to look after, since it processes the blood sugar in the body.

#4 – Improves Symptoms of Diabetes

We all know that diabetes comes with a handful of problems.

Some of the common symptoms are listed below [11]:

slow healing of wounds and sores
frequent urination at night
always feeling thirsty and hungry
blurry vision
very dry skin
weight loss without trying
tingling/numb hands or feet
more infections than usual

Usually – one of the reasons behind these issues is zinc deficiency.

Improper amounts of zinc can affect growth, vision and immune system [12].

So it's important to stock up on zinc in order to avoid those symptoms.

You can just supplements with a decent dose of this mineral.

Let's now look at the benefits of zinc in treating several symptoms of diabetes:

reduces polydipsia or excessive thirst
lowers the risk of heart disease by avoiding excess weight gain
helps with the proper building of cells in the body
reduces fatigue, weakness and tiredness
improves appetite and food intake
protects eyes from degeneration
lowers the secretion of histamine (one of the causes of skin itching)

Overall, it's very important to note that zinc is a vital mineral to avoid health complications connected to diabetes.

See My #1 Recommended

Diabetes/Blood Sugar Supplement

Benefits of Chromium

Just like Zinc, we're also going to list down the basic info about Chromium:

Name: Chromium

Type of Nutrient: Mineral

Food Sources: Here's some food that make great sources of chromium [13]:

broccoli and green beans
grape and orange juice
beef and turkey
grains and nuts
brewer's yeast and spices
mussels and wine

Recommended Daily Dose: For adults, 25 mcg for women and 35 mcg for men [14]

General Benefits for the Body:

enhances the metabolism of essential nutrients
addresses different problems related to diabetes
supports weight loss journey
promotes a healthy cardiovascular system

I am going to get into even more details about how it helps diabetes below.

#1 – Reduces Insulin Resistance

To start off, let's clarify what Insulin Resistance is:

it appears when the cells from your body don't respond to insulin [15]
this means they can't take the glucose from the blood
your pancreas will then need to produce more insulin
in return, this can help the glucose enter your cells

However – when the pancreas can't keep up, your blood sugar levels will keep rising [16].

Now, chromium deficiency is one of the triggers of insulin resistance [17].

The best way to avoid it is to find foods or supplements that are rich in this mineral.

Here are the benefits of chromium in fighting insulin resistance for diabetes:

increases insulin sensitivity
lowers blood sugar levels
avoids excessive weight and fat gain around the waist
reduces high triglyceride levels and hypertension
supports HDL cholesterol (good version of cholesterol)
promotes optimum cardiovascular health

Overall, chromium is vital if you have diabetes and you want to steer clear of insulin resistance.

#2 – Lowers High Blood Sugar

A high level of sugar in your blood is also a phenomenon called hyperglycemia [18]].

It's one of the reasons why people end up having diabetes.

Sometimes – if the level is seriously high, it can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) [19]:

in this condition, your body needs to break down fats as an energy source
the worse thing that can happen is diabetic coma
it often affects people with type 1 diabetes

Again – people with diabetes cannot properly use insulin or they don't have enough insulin in the body.

This can result in the build-up of glucose or sugar in the bloodstream [20].

So can chromium help with this problem?

The answer is yes – since it can lower fasting blood glucose levels.

In addition to that, here are the benefits of chromium from this point of view:

helps regulate the action of insulin in the body
delays and prevents complications related to diabetes
supports healthy heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves
promotes better sleep, energy levels and hunger management
normalizes blood pressure and weight
boosts the immune system to fight infections

To sum it up, you can definitely expect chromium to help you normalize your blood sugar levels.

#3 – Influences Glucose Metabolism

Again – glucose metabolism involves different processes.

They are called glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis and glycogenesis.

Those pathways are responsible for glucose breakdown or formation.

Based on current research, chromium is an essential mineral for lipid and carbohydrate metabolism.

So if you're curious, here's how it specifically influences glucose metabolism:

enhances the action of the insulin signal amplification mechanism [21]
decreases blood sugar for people with hyperglycemia
increases glucose levels and insulin binding for people with hypoglycemia
can also alleviate hypoglycemic symptoms [22]

The actions above show that chromium plays a vital role in regulating blood glucose levels.

Also – there are additional benefits even if you have a normal glucose metabolism:

stimulates better processing and storage of glucose
improve the body's overall metabolism
maintains moderate weight and lessens fats
strengthens muscles and body
prevents the development of diabetes
reduces further diabetes-related complications
promotes nutritional satisfaction for the body
increases energy levels to avoid fatigue and mood problems

Overall, you should definitely include chromium in your everyday routine – especially if you're prone to diabetes.

#4 – Improves Wound Healing

People with diabetes are often prone to complications.

One major issue is the slow wound healing primarily around the feet area.

Normally – if you have a wound, your blood plays a very important role in healing.

However – if you have hyperglycemia, it's not the case.

So what could possibly happen? [23]:

you have stiffer blood vessels
it can slow down your blood circulation
the microvascular function will also be affected
tissue oxygenation will be reduced
there will then be complications in the formation of new tissues

Now – chromium has several benefits that can help with wound healing.

It offers innate immunity for the treatment of skin lesions [24].

Well, it's because it can support the following functions:

enhances the metabolism of protein, lipids and carbohydrates
after that, glucose will be converted to energy
this energy will be used to boost cellular functions

The result of these mechanisms is an increase in cell metabolism, due to normalized blood glucose levels.

In general, here are the effects of chromium in wound healing (especially for someone with diabetes):

lowers the duration of the wound to close [25]
promotes the formation of new tissues
regulates lipid levels to avoid the weakening of the skin
provides anti-inflammatory properties
accelerates the wound-healing process
reduces redness, swelling and drying of the skin

To sum it up, I encourage you to consider chromium for your wounds, since it's really beneficial.

See My #1 Recommended

Diabetes/Blood Sugar Supplement

My Verdict

Short answer: Zinc & Chromium are great for diabetes.

It's because they come with a lot of benefits for this condition:

normalize fasting glucose
improve insulin functions (sensitivity and resistance)
support glucose and carbohydrate metabolism
reduce high blood glucose levels
treat symptoms of diabetes
help in the process of wound healing

Now – zinc is essential to the body functions that require insulin.

It's because it mimics the insulin's effects and actions.

So if you have issues with how your insulin responds to blood sugar, zinc can surely help with that.

Also – chromium is a known mineral present in some diabetes/blood sugar supplements.

The reason is because of its effect on glucose levels and insulin sensitivity.

Besides that, it's also beneficial for reducing cholesterol, blood pressure and related inflammations.

Overall – it's always better to add these minerals into your diet.

That especially if you have diabetes, prediabetes or high blood glucose levels.

You can eat foods that are rich in zinc and chromium.

On the other hand, you can find a very good supplement that has both – like Striction D.

References:

1 – https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/-nutritionsource/-zinc/

2 – https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/-getting-tested/

3 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-23964394/

4 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-24093747/

5 – https://www.diabetes.co.uk/insulin/-insulin-sensitivity/

6 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/-PMC5691766/

7 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-31475889/

8 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/-NBK560599/

9 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/-PMC5754376/

10 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/-PMC4573932/

11 – https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/-symptoms

12 – https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/-zinc

13 – https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/-Chromium/

14 – https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/-chromium/

15 – https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/-insulin-resistance/

16 – https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/-insulin-resistance/

17 – https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/-NCT00846248/

18 – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/-high-blood-sugar/

19 – https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/-hyperglycaemia/

20 – https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/-chromium/

21 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-21570271/

22 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-3514054/

23 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/-PMC7243111/

24 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-22632163/

25 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/-PMC9693742/