Diachrome Lowers Coronary Risk Factors in Type II Diabetics

Diachrome Lowers Coronary Risk Factors in Type II Diabetics

PURCHASE, N.Y.Nutrition 21's Diachrome, a patented nutritional supplement composed of Chromax® chromium picolinate and biotin, may improve coronary risk factors in people with Type II diabetes, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's (AHA) Annual Conference on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis & Vascular Biology (ATVB) in San Francisco, May 6 to 8.

The randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial involved 24 Type II diabetics with poorly controlled blood glucose levels despite the use of anti-diabetic medications for at least six months. The subjects received either Diachrome or placebo daily, along with their prescription medications, for 30 days. Researchers found significant improvements in coronary risk factors in subjects taking Diachrome, including a reduction in total cholesterol (dropped by an average of 19.1 mg/dL) and LDL cholesterol levels (dropped by an average of 10.9 mg/dL), and a decrease in fasting blood glucose (FBG) (dropped 26.2 mg/dL). Average triglyceride levels also decreased, although the change was not statistically significant. The study emphasizes that Diachrome not only improves blood sugar levels, but decreases LDL cholesterol which will help people with diabetes meet the ATP III guidelines for cholesterol which is difficult for them to achieve, said Jeffrey Geohas, M.D., principal investigator of the study.

In related company news, a review of more than 60 human, animal and cellular studies on the safety of chromium picolinate for use as a nutritional supplement found chromium picolinate safe for use as a nutritional supplement in food. The study also determined Nutrition 21's Chromax was safe and GRAS (generally recognized as safe) for use in nutritional bars and beverages at a maximum use level of 2.4 mg per product serving. The review is published in the June issue of Food and Chemical Toxicology (42, 6:1029-42, 2004) (www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/02786915).

The study reviewed questions raised about chromium picolinate's safety, including one particular study, which purports negative effects in fruit flies (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 100, 7:3766-71, 2003). The significance of mutagenic effects in Drosophila [fruit flies] has questionable relevance to humans, said Ronald Slesinski, Ph.D., DABT, co-author of the new study. There are considerable differences between the physiology and metabolism of insects and mammals, and it is impossible to extrapolate dosage effects from insects to humans. Trivalent chromium has never been shown to be mutagenic in animals or to produce damage to genetic material (DNA) in humans when ingested, at any dose. Also, one of the authors of the fruit fly study, John Vincent, Ph.D., University of Alabama, had a conflict of interest that was not disclosed with publication. It should have been noted that corresponding author, John B. Vincent, holds four patents dealing with isolated oligopeptides or synthetic chromium (III) complexes and their potential use as nutrition supplements or drugs, wrote PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), in a correction published in its Nov. 25, 2003, issue (100, 24:14511).

The review was commissioned by Nutrition 21.