The United Kingdom Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals (EVM) last evaluated vitamins and minerals for safety in 2003 and set a so-called Safe Upper Level (SUL) or Guidance Level for each micronutrient, provided sufficient data were available. This SUL or Guidance Level reflects the safe maximum amount of a micronutrient that will not cause any side effects when taken daily from all sources for a lifetime.
| The maximum safe daily intake for trivalent chromium is 10 mg. The maximum safe daily intake for trivalent chromium is 250 times the EU recommended daily intake (Nutrient Reference Value, NRV). |
The above safe daily intake limit specifically does not apply to the trivalent chromium compound chromium picolinate.
The health risk of trivalent chromium compounds is considered low by the BfR (Federal Institute for Risk Assessment). The harmlessness of trivalent chromium is partly due to the low absorption rate in the intestine. Most orally ingested chromium is not absorbed and is excreted. Chromium picolinate, on the other hand, is much better absorbed in the intestine than other chromium compounds.
Trivalent chromium occurs naturally in foods, soil, water and air and is used as an additive in fortified foods and dietary supplements.
Trivalent chromium, which is harmless, should not be confused with hexavalent chromium, which is highly toxic and can be lethal even in small amounts. Hexavalent chromium is anthropogenic in nature (attributable to humans) and does not occur naturally, in food or in dietary supplements.
Human studies showed no adverse side effects at 1 mg of trivalent chromium (as chromium picolinate) taken over several months. In animal studies, no adverse side effects occurred even at a chromium level of 750 mg per kg body weight per day, taken as chromic acid over a 24-week period. Chromium chloride and chromium picolinate also remained without side effects at 15 mg per kg body weight per day.
Adverse Effects of Excessive Chromium Intake
Acute trivalent chromium poisoning leads to vomiting, diarrhea (diarrhea), bleeding, and even cardiac failure. In a single case report, ingestion of 48 g (48,000 mg) of trivalent chromium (as chromium sulfate) resulted in death from internal bleeding and cardiac and renal failure.
The amount of 100 mg of trivalent chromium per kg of body weight per day resulted in adverse effects on reproduction and development of rats in some animal studies.
In a cell study on mammalian cells, chromium picolinate administration resulted in DNA damage, while chromium nicotinate and chromium chloride had no effects on DNA in the same study.
Significant human studies on the safety of sustained high chromium intake are unfortunately lacking, but the results from animal studies indicate that relatively high doses of trivalent chromium compounds are also tolerated in humans without undesirable side effects.