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> > Chromium supplements may aid some with depression
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Chromium supplements may aid some with depression
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Supplements containing the mineral chromium may be useful in treating some cases of
depression -- particularly when carbohydrate craving is a prominent symptom, a new
study suggests.
The study, of 113 people with a disorder known as atypical depression, found that
although chromium picolinate supplements were no more effective than an inactive pill in
relieving depression overall, they did appear to aid certain, mainly appetite-related,
symptoms.
Moreover, a subgroup of patients -- those who said they had "irrepressible cravings" for
sweets and starches -- did show a general improvement in depression symptoms after
taking the supplement.
Exactly why chromium supplements seemed to aid these patients is not completely clear.
However, the study authors speculate the improvements in the body's use of insulin, the
key hormonal regulator of blood sugar, may be the reason.
"While these findings require replication in a prospective trial, they suggest that
chromium picolinate may be beneficial for patients with atypical depression who are also
high carbohydrate cravers," Dr. John P. Docherty and his colleagues report in the Journal
of Psychiatric Practice.
Docherty is an adjunct professor of psychiatry at Weill Medical College of Cornell
University in New York, and head of Comprehensive Neurosciences, Inc., which
contracts with drug and supplement makers to conduct clinical trials of their products.
Nutrition 21, Inc., which markets the Chromax supplement used in the study, funded the
research.
Chromium, a mineral that the body needs in trace amounts, is found naturally in meat,
whole grains and certain vegetables and fruits like broccoli, potatoes and apples. The
mineral enhances the action of insulin and helps break down carbohydrates, fat and
protein. Because of this, chromium supplements are being studied for the treatment and
prevention of diabetes, in which the cells of the body lose their sensitivity to insulin.
Researchers have long noted associations between depression, diabetes and heart disease,
Docherty and his colleagues point out. For example, people with major depression have
been found to have higher rates of insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
There has been speculation that insulin resistance might be behind the symptoms of
overeating, carbohydrate craving and weight gain seen in some people with depression.
These symptoms characterize atypical depression, in particular -- which, despite its name,
is a common form of depression that, besides overeating and weight gain, may involve
excessive sleeping and a feeling of heaviness in the arms and legs. People with this form
of depression also show "mood reactivity," which means they brighten in response to
positive happenings in their lives.
In the new study, patients were randomly assigned to take either chromium supplements
or a placebo everyday for 8 weeks. At the end of the study, the rate of improvement in
overall depression symptoms was similar in both groups.
However, the chromium group did show greater improvement in hunger, overeating, carb
craving and daily mood changes. And nearly two-thirds of the 41 patients with significant
carb cravings saw improvements in their depression symptoms in general -- compared
with one-third of those who took a placebo.
Further studies, the researchers conclude, are needed to see whether chromium
specifically helps depression patients who tend to overeat and crave sugars and starchand
whether higher doses of the mineral might also aid their overall depression
symptoms.
SOURCE: Journal of Psychiatric Practice, September 2005.
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