Chromium is a vital trace mineral required by our body to maintain normal blood sugar, insulin, and cholesterol levels. Intake of food containing chromium is important to maintain nucleic acid metabolism. It is also an active component of glucose tolerance factor (GTF), a deficiency of the mineral may cause insulin resistance. Chromium is a required only in limited quantities, so incorporation of foods rich in the mineral is more than sufficient, and supplements need not be taken. However, there are no documented adverse effects of excess chromium intake.

So how much chromium do you actually need? Given below is a table that gives the Adequate Intake Limits of Chromium.

Food Sources of Chromium

Animal sources of chromium are beef, eggs, liver, chicken, oysters, and brewers yeast. Plant foods that are rich in chromium are wheat germ, apples, green peppers, black pepper, butter, spinach, bananas, cereals, cheese, mushrooms, asparagus, green beans, potatoes, prunes, nuts, molasses, orange juice, and thyme.

Top 10 Food Containing Chromium

1. Brewer’s Yeast:  It is the richest source of chromium, a mere two table spoon intake can help an adult meet their total mineral demand.
2. Sweet Potato: A medium sized sweet potato contains about 35 μg of chromium.
3. Corn: A good source of chromium, one cob can give you around 52 μg of chromium.
4. Broccoli: Half cup of this vegetable contains 11 μg of chromium.
5. Grape Juice: This delightful drink has a chromium content of 8 μg per cup.
6. Whole grains & their Products: Cereals and their products like muffins, bread, etc. give you an average of 5 - 14 μg chromium.
7. Meat and poultry: Non vegetarian sources like beef, turkey, liver and other organ meat liver contain high amounts of chromium.
8. Seafood: seafood like oysters and other shellfish are the rich sources of chromium.
9. Vegetables: Vegetables that contain high amount of chromium are tomato, spinach, onion, garlic, green beans, basil, lettuce, fresh chili, green pepper, and beet. 
10. Fruits and Fruit Juices: Single standard serving of apple , banana, and orange juice provide adequate amounts of chromium.

Chromium helps improve glucose uptake and insulin use among diabetic, but it has many more health benefits too - Learn more about them and consume Chromium Rich Foods!
 

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