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Chromium side effects: is chromium safe?

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

NIH says chromium from food and supplements does not appear to cause harm, though research is limited and no upper limit is set. Rare case reports tie large doses, 1,200 mcg or more, to kidney, liver and muscle problems, and some prescription medicines need a doctor's check before you add chromium.1,2,3,4

Key facts

  • No tolerable upper intake level has been set for chromium.2
  • In a pooled analysis of 25 randomized trials, adverse events were no more common with chromium than with placebo.5
  • The toxic industrial form, hexavalent chromium, is a different substance from the trivalent chromium in food and supplements.2
  • The effects of taking chromium for many years have not been well studied.6

Side effects reported

Chromium supplements may cause stomach pain and bloating.6

A few reports describe kidney damage, liver damage, muscle problems and skin reactions after large doses of chromium. The effects of taking it long term have not been well studied.6

In a pooled analysis of 25 trials in people with diabetes, adverse events were no more common with chromium than with placebo.5

Chromium trials have mostly lasted 3 weeks to 6 months, at up to 1,000 mcg a day, so they say little about years of use. The panel that reviewed chromium in 2001 set no upper limit but noted the data were too limited to rule out harm at high intakes.2

What the case reports describe

Isolated case reports link chromium supplements to weight loss, anemia, low platelet counts, liver dysfunction, kidney failure, muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), dermatitis and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).2

A woman who took 1,200 to 2,400 mcg of chromium picolinate a day for 4 to 5 months developed anemia, liver dysfunction and kidney failure, and recovered with hospital care. A bodybuilder developed muscle breakdown after taking 1,200 mcg over 48 hours.3,4

Case reports cannot show how often a problem happens or prove that the supplement caused it. In one report, a young man needed dialysis after two weeks of a workout product that combined chromium picolinate with stimulants such as synephrine and guarana, so chromium was not the only suspect.7

Laboratory safety studies

A 2003 review raised the question, from cell and rat studies, of whether chromium picolinate could damage DNA, and said its relevance to people was unknown.8

The US National Toxicology Program then fed chromium picolinate to rats and mice for 2 years, at up to 5% of their diet. It caused no exposure-related lesions in female rats or in mice, the finding in male rats was equivocal, and it did not cause mutations in standard bacterial tests.9

Who should ask a doctor first

  • People with kidney or liver disease, who the 2001 review said might be more susceptible to harm from high intakes2
  • People who take insulin, metformin or another diabetes medicine, because chromium might add to their effect and cause low blood sugar1,2
  • People who take levothyroxine, because chromium picolinate taken at the same time lowered its absorption in a small study2,10
  • Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding

Chromium in everyday food

Chromium from food is not the concern. NIH says chromium from food and supplements does not appear to cause harm, and the body absorbs only a small share of what is eaten.1,2

Questions people ask

Is chromium safe in cookware?

Stainless steel equipment, pots and pans can add small amounts of chromium to food, and NIH counts this among the ways food comes to contain chromium. NIH says chromium from food does not appear to cause harm. The toxic form, hexavalent chromium, is a by-product of industrial manufacturing.1,2

Can chromium cause low blood sugar?

It might, mainly in people who take insulin or other diabetes medicines. NIH lists low blood sugar among the effects in case reports and says chromium could add to the effect of those medicines.2

Can chromium hurt the kidneys?

Kidney failure has been reported in a few people who took large amounts, such as 1,200 to 2,400 mcg a day for months, and the US experts who reviewed chromium said people with kidney or liver disease might be more susceptible. Ask your doctor first if you have either.2,3

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Sources

  1. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Chromium: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated March 22, 2021. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Chromium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated June 2, 2022. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. Cerulli J, Grabe DW, Gauthier I, Malone M, McGoldrick MD. Chromium picolinate toxicity. Ann Pharmacother. 1998;32(4):428-431. Opened 2026-10-07.
  4. Martin WR, Fuller RE. Suspected chromium picolinate-induced rhabdomyolysis. Pharmacotherapy. 1998;18(4):860-862. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. Suksomboon N, Poolsup N, Yuwanakorn A. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of chromium supplementation in diabetes. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2014;39(3):292-306. Opened 2026-10-07.
  6. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Diabetes and Dietary Supplements. Last updated November 2023. Opened 2026-10-07.
  7. Wani S, Weskamp C, Marple J, Spry L. Acute tubular necrosis associated with chromium picolinate-containing dietary supplement. Ann Pharmacother. 2006;40(3):563-566. Opened 2026-10-07.
  8. Vincent JB. The potential value and toxicity of chromium picolinate as a nutritional supplement, weight loss agent and muscle development agent. Sports Med. 2003;33(3):213-230. Opened 2026-10-07.
  9. National Toxicology Program. Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Chromium Picolinate Monohydrate in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Feed Studies). Technical Report 556. June 2010. Opened 2026-10-07.
  10. John-Kalarickal J, Pearlman G, Carlson HE. New medications which decrease levothyroxine absorption. Thyroid. 2007;17(8):763-765. Opened 2026-10-07.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.