Diet Fitness Health

Unlike years past, we’re lucky that, in today’s modern world, we can purchase vitamins and nutritional supplements in stores and online to help us improve and maintain our health. Since our fast-paced world of picking up snacks and hamburgers to go doesn’t always allow us to consume the necessary amount of nutrients we need, the right kind of vitamins and supplements are increasingly important to our bodies.

The same positive results can be said of advances in prescription and over the counter medications that not only maintain our health but often prolong our lives. However, caution must always be used when combining any type of nutritional supplement or herbal preparation with medications. Chromium supplements are no exception; even though chromium has caused relatively insignificant adverse side effects when combined with most people’s medications, it is essential that you consult with a physician before taking a chromium supplement. For additional safety, your pharmacist can inform you of all the medications that pose a problem when combined with a chromium supplement.

For guidance, here are some of the medications that might affect the acid balance in your stomach and might even result to chromium loss: corticosteroids, antacids, H2 blockers (including famotidine, cimetidine and nizatidine), proton pump inhibitors (including omeprazole, pantoprazole and lansoprazole) and antacids. On the other hand, medications such as nicotinic acid, insulin, prostaglandin inhibitors (including aspirin, naproxen, ibuprofen and indomethacin), non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs and beta blockers can actually enhance the absorption of chromium.

To help you understand this issue better, here are some of the medications that may have an effect on the delicate acid balance within your stomach, and can result in the loss of essential chromium in your body: corticosteroids, antacids (prescribed or over the counter), H2 blockers like famotidine, cimetidine, and nizatidine, proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole, pantoprazole, and lansoprazole. On the contrary, there are medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, naproxen, ibuprofen and indomethacin, plus nicotinic acid, insulin, prostaglandin inhibitors and beta blockers that enhance chromium absorption into your body. Note that these are generic names, not brand names; ask your physician or pharmacist to help you distinguish between the two names so you’re aware of exactly what medication you’re taking and its effects on the use of chromium supplements.

When purchasing a chromium supplement, you’ll find that it comes in many common forms like chromium picolinate, chromium chloride, high-chromium yeast, and chromium citrate. With your doctor’s consultation, the amount of chromium you need in a supplement ranges from 50 to 200 micrograms. Your doctor will help you determine the right amount of chromium you should take.

It’s easy to buy chromium supplements either in a local store or from an online merchant. What’s not easy is determining whether or not the merchant sells a high-quality supplement at a reasonable price. Be sure to read the label when you buy chromium in a local store to make sure it comes in one of the forms and amounts mentioned here. Buying online is easy; read the “about chromium” or similar section of the site, and if you have any questions about the reputation of the seller or the quality of the chromium supplement, don’t hesitate to use the “contact us” section and ask questions! Once your credit card clears, a reliable vender will speed your chromium supplement right to your doorstep.

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 29th, 2008 at 3:17 am and is filed under Diseases. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.