Ingredient profile
Chromium picolinate in Glyco Harmony
Chromium picolinate is the only Glyco Harmony ingredient with a printed amount: 0.7 mcg per 1 mL dropper, 2% of the Daily Value. Blood sugar studies used 200 to 1,000 mcg a day and found, at best, slight changes in people with diabetes. Two droppers give 1.4 mcg, under 1% of the lowest studied amount.
Written by the Glyco Harmony research deskUpdated
01On the label
What does the label say about chromium picolinate?
One line, above the blend: 'Chromium (as chromium picolinate) 0.7 mcg, 2%'.
| On the label | In 1 mL | Studied at | Evidence | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chromium (as chromium picolinate)Trace mineral, as chromium picolinate | Stated: 0.7 mcg per mL (2% DV) | 200-1,000 mcg a day | Mixed; at most a slight effect in some people with diabetes | May add to the effect of insulin and other diabetes drugs. (NIH ODS, Chromium) |
Chromium is the first line in the Supplement Facts box and the only one with its own weight. The 22 other ingredients share the 200 mg blend below it. That makes chromium the easiest ingredient to check against research, and the check is not flattering.
02The basics
What is chromium picolinate?
It is the trace mineral chromium bound to picolinic acid. It is the form used in most chromium and glucose trials.
Your body needs only tiny amounts of chromium. It is thought to help insulin do its work, which is why it shows up in blood sugar products. The picolinate form is common in supplements because most of the research used it (NIH ODS, Chromium).
US health agencies have not set a firm daily need. Instead there is an Adequate Intake, a level that seems to cover most people. It runs from 20 to 35 mcg a day for adults, depending on age and sex. Men 19 to 50 have the top figure, 35 mcg; women 19 to 50 have 25 mcg (NIH ODS, Chromium).
The Daily Value on labels is 35 mcg. That is where the '2%' on the Glyco Harmony panel comes from: 0.7 divided by 35.
03Dose check
How does 0.7 mcg compare with what studies used?
It is a fraction of a daily need and a sliver of a trial dose.
| Amount | Chromium | Glyco Harmony at 2 droppers covers |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Value on labels | 35 mcg | 4% |
| Adequate Intake, women 19-50 | 25 mcg | About 6% |
| Low end of glucose trials | 200 mcg a day | 0.7% |
| High end of glucose trials | 1,000 mcg a day | 0.14% |
Put another way, a full 60 mL bottle holds 42 mcg. That is less than a quarter of one day's dose in the smallest trial. We do not suggest taking more to catch up: the label caps use at 2 droppers, and more chromium raises its own questions with medicines.
04The research
What did chromium studies find for blood sugar?
Mixed results. A 2019 review found slight drops in people with diabetes, and no change in people without it.
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements sums up the trials. In people with diabetes, chromium gave slight drops in fasting glucose and A1C. The review authors could not say those drops mattered for health. In people without diabetes, chromium did not seem to change glucose at all (NIH ODS, Chromium).
The NCCIH lists chromium among the few supplements with weak evidence for diabetes, and says no one should swap medical care for an unproven product (NCCIH, Diabetes and Dietary Supplements). The American Diabetes Association goes further: without a real deficiency, it finds no benefit from supplements for glucose (ADA, Vitamins & Supplements).
Even the smallest trial dose is about 286 times the chromium in one dropper. Nothing in that research tells you what 0.7 mcg does, and no trial of Glyco Harmony exists.
05The ad picture
Why does a Glyco Harmony ad show a meter reading of 98?
It is staged artwork. The number is part of the picture, not a test result.
The brand's product render places the bottle in front of a glucose meter that reads 98. Nobody took a reading. No person, date or study sits behind it. A number like that can suggest a result the product has never shown.
For what fasting numbers actually mean, see our guide to A1C and fasting glucose. Your own meter and your doctor's lab tests are the readings that count.
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See packs06Medicines
Is chromium safe with diabetes or thyroid medicine?
Ask first. Chromium may add to insulin and other diabetes drugs, and it may cut how much levothyroxine you absorb.
With insulin or diabetes pills, extra chromium could, in theory, push blood sugar lower than planned (NIH ODS, Chromium). Nobody has measured what 0.7 mcg does here, and the blend also holds ginseng and gymnema, which carry the same flag. If you use levothyroxine, ask your pharmacist how to space it from any chromium product.
Shakiness, sweating, hunger, dizziness, confusion or a fast heartbeat can mean low blood sugar, often below 70 mg/dL. Take 15 to 20 grams of fast sugar and recheck in 15 minutes. A seizure or passing out is an emergency: call 911 (NIDDK, Low Blood Glucose).
Keep taking prescribed medicine; never stop or change it because of a supplement. More on the safety page.
07Adding more
Should you take extra chromium alongside the drops?
Not on your own. Talk it through with your doctor, who knows your medicines and lab results.
Check the whole list
Other supplements you use may also list chromium. Read every label and add the amounts up.
Bring your numbers
Show your doctor your recent A1C and meter log, so any change can be judged against them.
Watch for lows
If you add chromium while on insulin or a sulfonylurea, check more often at first.
What do the other Glyco Harmony ingredients do?
Chromium is one of 23 lines. Read the gymnema profile next, or go back to all ingredients.
08FAQ
Glyco Harmony questions people ask
What is chromium picolinate?
A supplement form of the trace mineral chromium, bound to picolinic acid. It is the form most chromium and blood sugar trials used. In Glyco Harmony it appears at 0.7 mcg per 1 mL dropper.
How much chromium do adults need each day?
The Adequate Intake is 20 to 35 mcg a day, depending on age and sex, and the label Daily Value is 35 mcg (NIH ODS, Chromium). Glyco Harmony gives 0.7 mcg per dropper.
Is 0.7 mcg of chromium enough to affect blood sugar?
There is no evidence that it is. Studies that saw slight changes used 200 to 1,000 mcg a day, and only in people with diabetes. Two droppers give 1.4 mcg, under 1% of the low end.
Can chromium cause low blood sugar?
It may add to insulin and other diabetes drugs, which can raise the chance of a low (NIH ODS, Chromium). On its own it did not change glucose in healthy people. Ask your doctor before mixing it with a glucose-lowering medicine.
Does chromium interact with levothyroxine?
It may reduce how much levothyroxine you absorb (NIH ODS, Chromium). If you take thyroid medicine, ask your pharmacist how far apart to take them, and keep your thyroid dose as prescribed.
Does Glyco Harmony have as much chromium as a chromium supplement?
No. It gives 0.7 mcg per dropper. The chromium trials NIH describes used 200 to 1,000 mcg a day (NIH ODS, Chromium), so a whole 60 mL bottle, at 42 mcg, holds less than one trial day.
09Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the official sales page and linked NIH, CDC, FDA, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial policy and how we check reviews. This website is run by a U.S. stocking partner, not by the manufacturer or the label's distributor. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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