A pilot study of the effects of chromium picolinate supplementation on serum fetuin-A, metabolic and inflammatory factors in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Evaluating the impact of chromium picolinate supplementation on glycemic status, lipid profile, inflammatory markers and fetuin-A in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: In present research, participants (N = 46) were randomized to (400 mcg/day, n = 23) chromium picolinate and placebo (n = 23) for 3 months. Results: Glucose indices, and lipid profiles, inflammatory biomarker and fetuin-A were measured before and after the intervention. Chromium reduced triglyceride (TG), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), insulin, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and fetuin-A significantly compared to placebo group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, chromium significantly increased the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI). There were no significant differences in total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), fasting blood sugar (FBS), Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C), interleukin (IL)-17 between the two groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Chromium picolinate significantly decreased TG, insulin, HOMA-IR, fetuin-A, the number of inflammatory factors, and increased QUICKI without changing FBS, HbA1C, TC, LDL, HDL, IL-17 levels and liver steatosis intensity in patients with NAFLD. Further studies by examining the effect of different doses of chromium and mechanisms of cellular action, would help further clarify the subject.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the impact of chromium picolinate supplementation on patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and found that chromium significantly improved lipid profiles, inflammatory markers, and insulin sensitivity without affecting blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Further studies are needed to explore different doses of chromium and its mechanisms of action.