Chromium is considered to be an essential element for humans. Those without it in their diets, such as hospital patients on artificial feeds, develop a diabetes-like condition, with high blood sugar (glucose) levels. The availability of chromium to the body may depend on the form in which it is present in food. For example, it is found in a form in association with other compounds in Brewer's Yeast and known as 'Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF)'. Elderly people may be an at-risk group from chromium deficiency.

Relatively few foods have been analysed for chromium.

CHROMIUM INTAKE

Safe and adequate chromium intake (U.S.A.):
Infants: Children: Adults:	0.01-0.06 milligram 1-3 years: 0.02-0.08 milligram 4-6 years: 0.03-0.12 milligram 7+ years: 0.05-0.2 milligram 0.05-0.2 milligram

 

FIGURE 54: CHROMIUM CONTENT OF SOME FOODS

FOOD	CHROMIUM CONTENT FOOD   (micrograms per 100 grams of food)
Egg yolk Brewer's yeast Beef Cheese Liver Wine Bread, wholemeal, wheat Black pepper Rye bread Chilli, fresh Apple peel Potatoes, old Oysters Potatoes, new Margarine Spaghetti Cornflakes Spirits Butter Spinach Egg white Oranges Beer Apples, peeled	183 112 57 56 55 45 42 35 30 30 27 27 26 21 18 15 14 14 13 10 8 5 3-30 1

	Elements
	-	Sodium
	-	Potassium
	-	Calcium
	-	Magnesium
	-	Iron
	-	Phosporus
	-	Sulphur
	-	Chlorine
	-	Copper
	-	Zinc
	-	Iodine
	-	Fluorine
		Chromium
	-	Manganese
	-	Selenium
	-	Cobalt
	-	Molybdenum
	-	Nickel
	-	Tin
	-	Silicon
	-	Vanadium
	-	Cadmium

Also on this page:

-  Chromium intake
-  Figure 54: Chromium
   content of some food