page_title: Chromium(III) picolinate
section_title: Physicochemical properties
hierarchical_section_title: Chromium(III) picolinate / Physicochemical properties
caption_attribution_description: English: Watchglass holds two grams of "Chromax II" pure chromium picolinate powder from NUTRITION 21, originally supplied to be used in a rodent feeding experiment in 1993. The substance is a reddish crystalline powder, very sparingly soluble in water. It is 12.5% chromium (III) by weight.
context_page_description: Chromium(III) picolinate is a chemical compound sold as a nutritional supplement to treat type 2 diabetes and promote weight loss. This bright-red coordination compound is derived from chromium(III) and picolinic acid. Large quantities of chromium are needed for glucose utilization by insulin in normal health, but deficiency is extremely common and has been observed in people receiving 100% of their nutrient needs intravenously, i.e., total parenteral nutrition diets. Chromium has been identified as regulating insulin by increasing the sensitivity of the insulin receptor. As such, chromium(III) picolinate has been proposed as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, although its effectiveness remains controversial due to conflicting evidence from human trials.
context_section_description: Chromium(III) picolinate is a pinkish-red compound and was first reported in 1917. It is poorly soluble in water, having a solubility of 600 μM in water at near neutral pH. Similar to other chromium(III) compounds, it is relatively inert and unreactive, meaning that this complex is stable at ambient conditions and high temperatures are required to decompose the compound. At lower pH levels, the complex hydrolyzes to release picolinic acid and free Cr³⁺.
caption: Watch glass with two grams of chromium(III) picolinate
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