Foods rich in chromium

Many are accustomed to perceive chromium as a stylish coating for various products, but in addition to turnover in the industry, this trace element plays a crucial role in organizing metabolism, cell formation and insulin production in the body. Lack and excess of chromium can equally lead to detrimental effects and various complications.

Let's take a closer look at the "chrome" element. The content of this component in food will be the main topic of the article.

Why is it important for a person to have chromium in food?

Rarely there are cases of a balanced diet of a modern person, tuned to the daily need for chromium. But the lack of this trace element is fraught with a whole bunch of problems that can be solved simply by food rich in chromium:

1. There is an obsessive feeling of hunger and a strong desire to eat sweets.

2. Metabolism is disturbed at different levels, causing an increase in body fat and atherosclerosis.

3. Increasing blood sugar levels.

4. Alcohol intolerance begins to appear.

5. There are signs of atypical depression and a depressed state of the nervous system (drowsiness, unreasonable anxiety, irritability, constant fatigue, sleep disturbance, low performance and sluggish mental activity).

At an advanced stage of element deficiency, serious diseases can occur: diabetes mellitus (type 2), kidney failure, cardiovascular ailments, complications in the work of the central nervous system and organs of vision.

6. There is profuse sweating and bouts of intense thirst.

7. The aging process accelerates while recovery at the cellular level slows down.

8. A symptom may be a decrease in sensitivity and temporary numbness of the legs and arms due to the loss of muscle tissue tone and the loss of the usual coordination of its work.

9. Children show developmental and growth retardation.

By ignoring products with chromium, we expose the body to serious stress, undermine the psychological state, gain excess weight and even shorten life expectancy.

However, you should not attack everything in a row where there is chromium (medicines, dietary supplements): in the absence of the possibility of food intoxication with the component, there is a high probability of poisoning with excess chromium through uncontrolled intake of drugs. Also in the list of reasons may be the impact of harmful production (high concentration in the air) or the impact of metabolic failures.

Symptoms of excess chromium in the body include:

• allergic reactions (skin rashes in acute form),
• inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (ulcers on the mucous tissues),
• headaches of varying intensity
• liver failure,
• general exhaustion.

The MPC of chromium in food (the maximum permissible concentration of a chemical without harm to human health) does not cause concern: for 1 kg of milk - 0.1 mg of the element, that is, a dangerous dose of 5 mg can be achieved only after drinking 50 liters.

Replenishment of the daily requirement is safe to carry out through foods rich in chromium. Balancing the diet will have a beneficial effect on many aspects of the functioning of the body:

1. Chromium stimulates a more active participation of the hormone insulin in carbohydrate metabolism and regulation of blood sugar concentration, promotes the oxidation of glucose in adipose tissues, and accelerates intracellular metabolism.

2. The element naturally reduces the feeling of hunger by acting on the part of the brain responsible for appetite. This aspect helps to better regulate weight and gives chromium the right to be called the “mineral of harmony”.

3. The component contributes to general toning, promoting an active energy release through the process of splitting fats.

4. Chromium removes toxins, harmful substances, excess cholesterol from the body.

5. The trace element affects the accelerated course of tissue regeneration.

6. Chromium helps in strengthening the immune system by supporting the functioning of the thyroid gland.

7. The element helps to strengthen bone tissue, hair, nails and actively build muscle mass.

It remains to deal with the required daily rate. By consuming foods that contain chromium, a person should balance the balance to an average of 50 micrograms of the element daily. The standard approach to formulating a diet satisfies the daily requirement of an adult for chromium by 80%.

The indicator may vary depending on age (for children and adolescents - 11-35 mcg / day), regular physical activity, stressful situations and entry into pregnancy (up to 200 mcg / day).

What foods contain the most chromium?

After establishing the importance of a trace element for daily use, especially during pregnancy, exposure to stress, problems with extra pounds and active sports, let's move on to compiling a diet. Foods rich in chromium (Cr) are present in every food category, so finding "rare specimens" will not be difficult.

Consider products containing chromium (what they are). The list of leaders in the "chrome most" category includes:

• fruits: pear (27 mcg - 100 g), peach (14 mcg - 100 g),
• vegetables: broccoli (22 mcg - 100 g), beets (20 mcg - 100 g),
• nuts: hazelnuts (170 mcg - 100 g), brazil nuts (100 mcg - 100 g),
• dried fruits: dates (29 mcg - 100 g), prunes (11 mcg - 100 g),
• cereals: corn (22 mcg - 100 g), pearl barley (13 mcg - 100 g),
• meat: beef liver (32 mcg - 100 g), kidney (31 mcg - 100 g), heart (29 mcg - 100 g), chicken legs (20 mcg - 100 g),
• fish: bonito (100 mcg - 100 g), tuna (90 mcg - 100 g),
• oil: corn (52 mcg - 100 g).

We "weighed" the chrome. What foods contain the most micronutrients? In hazelnuts, bonito, brazil nuts and tuna. However, there are some subtleties in the use of the component.

Long-term storage and heat treatment cause a loss of 90% of the original content of the element. The most "reliable" storage of chromium should be considered leading nuts, dried dates and pears. Vitamin C helps complete absorption, so the combination of "meat / fish - vegetables" seems to be the most beneficial. Refined sugar and carbonated water, carbohydrate foods (from fine flour) interfere with processing, so that lovers of buns and sweets run the risk of driving the body into “chrome” hunger.

In addition to the indispensable condition for consumption in fresh and raw form (canned food and semi-finished products in flight), plant products containing chromium and protein analogues, when they enter the gastrointestinal tract, bring the body only 25% of the initial composition of the element (the pure form outside of organic compounds is absorbed by 1%).

In addition to accounting for where chromium is in products, it is necessary to track the "helpers" and "enemies" of the trace element. Zinc multiplies the beneficial effect of the component, calcium significantly weakens it. The menu should be made using foods rich in zinc and chromium: yeast, legumes, eggs, fish, cheeses, heart, liver, tongue. Basically, the food categories of the elements are the same.

It is easy to calculate useful organic compounds, it is more difficult to use products containing chromium in large quantities correctly, retaining most of the original content for the body.

Products containing chromium in large quantities (table)

For the convenience of assessing the balance of a microelement in various unmentioned food categories, we present a schematic display of the data “Which products contain the most chromium”. The table is shown below.

Foods rich in chromium	Availability of chromium in mcg (100 g)
Brewer's yeast	5000
Poppy	98
Pink salmon, salmon, anchovies, chum salmon	57
Flounder, crucian carp, mackerel, carp, pike, sardine, capelin	56
Herring	55
Shrimp, pollock, catfish	54
Chicken egg	25
Jerusalem artichoke	18
Whole milk	17
Soya	16
Turkey	11
Beef	10
Potato	10
Chicken	10
millet groats	10
Beans	10
Raisin	9
Cheese	9
goose meat	9
Rabbit meat	9
Mutton	8
Freshly squeezed grape juice	8
Cherry	7
Buckwheat	6
cucumbers	6
Sunflower seeds	5
tomatoes	5
Bell pepper	5
Bulb onions	4
White cabbage	4
Plum	4
Sunflower oil, unrefined	4
Orange juice freshly squeezed	2

The rich presence of the element chromium in foodstuffs is evident (the table is a vivid illustration). Difficulties with finding the necessary ingredients should not arise.

To maintain a healthy state of the body and get rid of excess fat, it is recommended to make a menu based on foods high in chromium. The best combination: fish, vegetable salad, dried fruits and nuts. In the process of active physical activity, during pregnancy and in old age, brewer's yeast should be taken to maintain the necessary increased balance of the element.