The quality of evidence is downgraded by study limitations (unclear allocation concealment and selective outcome reporting) and by indirectness (differences between the outcomes of interest and those reported).
A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 9 RCTs with a total of 622 subjects to assess the effects of Chromium picolinate (CrP) supplementation in overweight or obese people.
The interventions were mainly delivered by health professionals. The studies had a follow-up up to 24 weeks. Three RCTs compared CrP plus resistance or weight training with placebo plus resistance or weight training, the other RCTs compared CrP alone versus placebo. The results were assessed according to CrP dose. The effect of all pooled CrP doses versus placebo on body weight only was also analyzed.
Across all CrP doses investigated (200 µg, 400 µg, 500 µg, 1000 µg) a small effect on body weight in favour of CrP after 12 to 16 weeks of treatment was noted: mean difference (MD) -1.1 kg (95% CI -1.7 to -0.4; P = 0.001; n = 392; 6 trials). No firm evidence and no dose gradient could be established when comparing different doses of CrP with placebo for various weight loss measures (body weight, body mass index, percentage body fat composition, change in waist circumference). Information on adverse effects was provided in three trials only.
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