Ingredient
Chromium Picolinate for Blood Sugar: What 0.7 mcg Means
Chromium picolinate is a form of chromium, a trace mineral, and Payarmin's label shows 0.7 mcg of it per 1 mL serving, or 2% of the Daily Value. NIH calls the evidence for blood sugar mixed. The amount in the drops is a tiny fraction of the doses used in trials.
Written by the Payarmin label deskUpdated
The basics01
What is chromium picolinate in Payarmin?
Chromium picolinate is chromium bound to picolinic acid, a form sold in supplements. On the Payarmin label it is the one ingredient with a printed amount.
The line reads chromium 0.7 mcg per 1 mL serving, 2% of the Daily Value, "as chromium picolinate". It sits above the 200 mg blend, so it is not one of the 22 blend lines. Chromium is a trace mineral. Most people get enough from food (MSKCC, Chromium).
The sales page names chromium picolinate first among its six ingredients (Payarmin sales page). The facts below come from the label and from NIH.
| Name on the label | Chromium (as chromium picolinate) |
|---|---|
| What it is | Essential trace mineral |
| Place on the label | Chromium line, above the blend |
| Amount per 1 mL serving | 0.7 mcg per 1 mL serving (2% DV) |
| Amount used in research | 1,000 mcg a day for 24 weeks in a 2024 trial; adequate intake is 20-35 mcg a day |
| Strength of evidence | Mixed; no clear benefit for blood sugar |
| Marketed or traditional use | Trace mineral marketed for insulin response |
| Main caution | May add to insulin or diabetes drugs; reduces levothyroxine absorption; rare kidney or liver reports. |
The evidence02
Does chromium picolinate lower blood sugar?
The evidence is mixed. No trial shows that chromium picolinate, at any dose, controls blood sugar for everyone, and none has tested Payarmin.
The NIH fact sheet describes the research as inconsistent. A 2019 review of 58 trials found only slight drops in fasting glucose and HbA1c in people with diabetes, and said the clinical meaning is unclear (NIH ODS, Chromium). A 2024 trial of 1,000 mcg a day for 24 weeks found no significant effect on insulin sensitivity, fasting glucose or HbA1c (NIH ODS, Chromium).
MSKCC says there is no clear evidence that chromium supplements improve glucose metabolism (MSKCC, Chromium). NCCIH notes a 2022 review of 16 studies where chromium "may help improve" HbA1c, and frames it as limited (NCCIH, Diabetes and supplements).
The FDA allows only a qualified claim for chromium picolinate, which says any link with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes is highly uncertain (NIH ODS, Chromium).
NIH
Trials disagree and the effect, where seen, is slight.
MSKCC
No clear proof of better glucose handling.
NCCIH
Some studies suggest a small help; not a substitute for treatment.
The math03
Is 0.7 mcg of chromium a meaningful amount?
No. At 0.7 mcg, the drops hold about 2% of the highest adult intake advice and far less than a thousandth of the dose in the 2024 trial.
The label itself says 2% DV. Adults are advised to get 20 to 35 mcg a day from all sources: men 19 to 50 need 35, women 25, and adults 51 and older 30 and 20 (NIH ODS, Chromium). Seven tenths of one mcg is 0.7 divided by 35, or 2%. Against the trial dose of 1,000 mcg it is 0.07%.
Even at two droppers a day, if a dropper held 1 mL (the label does not say), the total would be 1.4 mcg. That is still a small share of what food already supplies.
| Measure | Amount a day | Payarmin at 1 mL is |
|---|---|---|
| Payarmin label, 1 mL | 0.7 mcg | The printed amount |
| Adequate intake, women 51 and older | 20 mcg | 3.5% |
| Adequate intake, men 19 to 50 | 35 mcg | 2% |
| 2024 trial, 24 weeks | 1,000 mcg | 0.07% |
No upper limit was set for chromium (NIH ODS, Chromium). A low amount is not a safety claim, and a high one is not a promise.
Dose04
What is the adequate intake of chromium for adults?
The adequate intake is 25 mcg a day for women and 35 for men aged 19 to 50, and 20 and 30 for those 51 and older.
The Food and Nutrition Board set adequate intakes, not RDAs, because it could not work out an average requirement (NIH ODS, Chromium). Pregnancy is set at 30 mcg and lactation at 45 mcg.
These figures are for total intake from food and supplements. They are not a target to reach with drops. NIH says it found no Tolerable Upper Intake Level (NIH ODS, Chromium).
What the photo shows
The picture is a stock image of chromium picolinate powder from the brand's image set. It is not a photo of the drops, and it shows nothing about the amount in the bottle.
Payarmin: from $49 a bottle30 mL drops · 2, 3 or 6 bottles · free shipping on 3 or 6 · 60-day guarantee
See packsSafety05
Can chromium picolinate cause side effects or interact with medicine?
Side effects are rare, but chromium can add to diabetes medicine and can lower absorption of levothyroxine.
Case reports link chromium supplements to liver problems, kidney failure and low blood sugar. People with kidney or liver disease may be more susceptible (NIH ODS, Chromium). MSKCC lists one case of low blood sugar in a man with diabetes who took chromium with insulin (MSKCC, Chromium).
- Insulin and sulfonylureas: chromium may add to their effect and raise the risk of a low (MSKCC, Chromium).
- Levothyroxine: chromium picolinate cut its absorption by 17% in one study, so doses should be hours apart (MSKCC, Chromium).
- Other lines in the drops: gymnema, green tea and ginseng also have blood sugar notes. See the supplements and diabetes medicines guide.
Do not stop or change a diabetes medicine because of a supplement. A reading under 70 mg/dL, or a faint or confused feeling, needs prompt care (NIDDK, Low blood glucose). If someone is faint or confused, call 911.
Next06
What should you do with this information?
Treat the chromium line as a small label detail, not as the reason to buy.
If you want to see how Payarmin is built, read the supplement facts page. If you are on a diabetes medicine or levothyroxine, ask your clinician or pharmacist first.
If you notice signs of high blood sugar, new thirst or fast weight change, see a clinician.
FAQ07
Chromium picolinate questions
How well is chromium picolinate absorbed?
The NIH fact sheet we cite gives no absorption rate for Payarmin, so we state none. Picolinate is one form of chromium, and the label does not say how much of the 0.7 mcg reaches the blood. Whatever the rate, a small amount in leaves a small amount absorbed.
What did the NIH review conclude about chromium and diabetes?
NIH calls the evidence mixed. A 2019 review of 58 trials found only slight drops in fasting glucose and HbA1c in people with diabetes and said the meaning is unclear. A 2024 trial of 1,000 mcg a day found no significant effect (NIH ODS, Chromium).
Does chromium have an upper intake limit?
No Tolerable Upper Intake Level was set, according to the NIH fact sheet (NIH ODS, Chromium). That does not mean any amount is safe. Case reports link chromium supplements to liver and kidney problems, so people with those conditions should ask a clinician first.
Can chromium interact with diabetes medicines?
Yes. Chromium may add to insulin or sulfonylureas and raise the chance of low blood sugar (MSKCC, Chromium). It also reduced levothyroxine absorption in one study. Ask your pharmacist before adding any supplement to a diabetes regimen.
How much chromium does Payarmin have in two droppers?
The label gives 0.7 mcg per 1 mL serving and does not say how much a dropper holds. If a dropper were 1 mL, two droppers would give 1.4 mcg. That is an assumption, not a label fact, so confirm the dropper size.
Is chromium picolinate the same as chromium chloride?
No. They are different salts of the same mineral. Payarmin uses the picolinate form, shown on the label as "as chromium picolinate". The NIH fact sheet we read does not rank the forms for blood sugar benefit, so we make no claim.
Does chromium picolinate help with weight loss?
MSKCC says trials do not support chromium for muscle or weight loss (MSKCC, Chromium). It also lists kidney failure in people who took chromium for weight loss. The Payarmin label makes no weight claim, so we treat chromium only as a labelled mineral.
Who wrote this08
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by Gopayarmin, a Payarmin U.S. shop, not by the manufacturer or the distributor. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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