chromium for pre diabetes

[Phoebenooby]

I have been diagnosed with steroid induced pre diabetes. I read somewhere that a chromium supplement can help? Anyone else tried ? I’ve been taking pred since January, currently on 6.25mg

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Cutting your carb intake drastically, especially processed carbs, added sugar and limiting fruit and root veg is likely to achieve a lowering of your Hba1c more reliably and safely.

Chromium MAY help in Type 2 diabetes (which is often due to poor insulin sensitivity) by improving insulin sensitivity. You have steroid-induced pre-diabetes which is very different, It is due to the liver releasing random spikes of glucose from the body stores and this increases the average blood sugar level, the thing that is measured by the Hba1c. Your body is still producing enough insulin (another cause of Type 2 diabetes is not enough insulin being available for your body and weight loss often helps with that) and the cells are still insulin sensitive.

So even if chromium did work - and there is no real proof it does - the thing it might work on isn't the problem in your diabetes. No need to waste your money on unproven supplements.

webmd.com/diet/supplement-g...

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

And being especially careful of not eating carbs and sugar in a 3-6 hour window after taking Pred as that's the likely time that the Pred raises your blood sugar (aka glucose level, the terms are inter-changeable), known as a glucose spike.