Chromium’s Help with Mood and Concentration

Hi Dr. Mcleod,

This is a comment and a question. But first, I want to say I’m very
happy you have done this research on chromium. I have known about the
benifits of this mineral for years. Read more

Thank You for Changing My Life

Hi Dr. McLeod,

Before I ask my question I would like to thank you for changing my life.  I have struggled with life for the last 6 years. My emotional challenges cost me a fiance and nearly my life last winter.  It was blind luck that I was searching through the web and happened upon your book, Liftting Your Depression. I started supplementing Chromium in May and have not felt weepy, confused, depressed, or isolated as I had on and off for years.  Read more

Rapidity of Response and Recurrence

Rapidity of Response and Recurrence

Dr. McLeod,

I have recommended chromium picolinate to two friends (one male, one female) with good results — both felt much more energetic and much more positive — although because of safety concerns both are reluctant to go above 500 µg a day despite my assurances that this is perfectly acceptable.

In one case, my friend L has been able to return to work. My other friend — a political scientist who — despite being in the middle of a messy divorce — finds that the Chromax keeps him on an even keel. He has even managed to reduce his antidepressant by half and reckons that when the divorce is finalised he will have the courage to stop it altogether to test whether it is still having a positive effect or not.

Interestingly, at one stage he ran out of the Chromax and his mood and energy levels deteriorated after about five days. He promptly bought another bottle of the supplement and notice how the energy started to flow again on the same day as taking a dose.
Regars and thanks,

S.C
ANSWER
Dear S.C.
Your friend’s relapse in 5 days after stopping Chromax sounds very much like the case of George which I presented in Lifting Depression: The Chromium Connection. Just to briefly recap, George added a chromium-rich supplement to his onging antidepressant sertraline with dramatic improvement in one day. He had more enery and his appetite was curbed. I suggested he stop the supplement as a test of the efficacy of chromium. After he stopped the chromium supplement, his symptoms returned within a week. Based on George’s rapid response and rapid return of symptoms after discontinuation of chromium, I decide on weekly segments for my initial single-blind studies. That is, he took various supplements for 5 days, Monday through Friday, and nothing on Saturday and Sunday. On the following Monday he would begin a new supplement, and so forth. The only ingredient he responsed to was chromium. In this way we determined the specificity of chromium.

Thank you for this interesting observation.

Malcolm McLeod, MD

Ms. Western's first appointment: sudden sadness, exhaustion and craving for chocolate

Ms. Western’s first appointment: sudden sadness, exhaustion and craving for chocolate

Three weeks ago I met with a new patient, a woman in her 50s, whom I’ll call Ms. Western.

She said she had had three episodes of uncontrollable crying and agitation over the past six months. She consulted her family physician who prescribed Zoloft, which “helped considerably.” But Zoloft did not relieve her exhaustion, and her daily afternoon mood plummets. Due to the persistence of her problems, her family insisted she see a psychiatrist, so she contacted me and we arranged an appointment.

Ms. Western described her daily episodes as follows, “I suddenly lose my starch at 3:30 in the afternoon. I get limp and really tired. I crave chocolates. They give me a boost, a second wind. I call this my ‘crave chocolate and tired syndrome.’”

I asked, “What do you mean by ‘losing your starch?’” She answered, “That’s a phrase mid-westerners use to describe a sudden fall in mood and loss of energy.”

I added, “In the South, where I grew up, the sudden onset of depression and exhaustion is referred to as a ‘sinking spell.’ Other regional descriptions are ‘My wheels fell off’,’ and ‘My bucket’s got a hole in it.’”

Undoubtedly there are many more phrases that are used to describe this widespread, frequent and troublesome experience. Fortunately such episodes are usually brief. Unfortunately, organized psychiatry has not directed much attention to this problem.

Then I said to Ms. Western, “Here is what I suspect causes you to ‘lose your starch.’ In almost all people, there are fluctuations in mood and energy during a 24-hour period. All of us have heard people describe themselves as ‘a morning person’ or ‘a night owl.’ They are referring to the time of day when they have the most energy and alertness.

”
But the daily swings in your mood and energy have become too wide. That may be caused by low blood sugar in the afternoon.

“Many of my patients — who have been troubled by “losing starch,” “sinking spells,” and “bucket’s got a hole in it,” — have benefited enormously from chromium. I think that’s because chromium smoothes out fluctuations in blood sugar, which in turn elevates mood.

Therefore I said to Ms. Western, “I certainly think you should also take 500 micrograms a day of Chromax. Chromax is a special brand of chromium. And you should continue to take Zoloft. Please let me know if Chromax helps you.”

I gave Ms. Western another appointment and also asked her to send me an email after she started taking Chromax, and tell me if she had any response to it.

Ms. Western's second visit: follow-up after starting Chromax

Ms. Western’s second visit: follow-up after starting Chromax

Follow-up e-mail and visit from Ms. Western after starting Chromax

Ms. Western send me this email: “Three days ago I started taking Chromax. It has definitely curbed my craving for chocolates. Not completely, but greatly reduced. I’m not losing my starch in the afternoon. My energy level is better, much better. No doubt about it. And my mood is better. See you in a few days.”

During our second meeeting, she was emphatic about how much Chromax had helped her energy, mood, and it had greately reducted her cravings for chocolate. Then she added, “One of my daughters has the same problem. I’m going to recommend Chromax to her.”

I gave Ms. Western another appointment and advised her to stay the course, that is, to continue Chromax, eat a healthy diet and to continue her two-miles walks every day or two.

Ms. Western's third visit: "Why do I crave chocolate over other sweets?"

Ms. Western’s third visit: “Why do I crave chocolate over other sweets?”

Q: During our third meeting, Ms. Western, to whom I have referred in two earlier blogs, said to me, “Chromax has really curbed my cravings for chocolate and has given me much more energy. No doubt about it. Before I was so tired I couldn’t exercise. Now I have enough energy to exercise and am walking a couple of miles a day.” Then she added, “I like all sweets, but I prefered chocolate over all other sweets. Why?”

A: I said to Ms. Western, “Consuming sugar often makes people feel better and of course chocolate contains sugar. You probably prefer chocolate because, in addition to sugar, chocolate contains two substances that help mood. One is a mood-enhancing chemical called phenethylamine. The other one is a caffeine-like stimulant named theobromine.”

While chocolate may lift your mood and gives you energy over the short time, eating too much chocolate may do more harm that good over the long term. Within an hour or two after eating chocolate, people often crash and are ravenously hungry again. Their body needs more chocolate. Over time, a person puts on weight and blood sugar fluctuations become even more of a problem. More and more chocolate is required for a fix. Yes, many patients refer, as you do, to eating chocolate as a “fix,” an addiction.

Ms. Western said she felt so much better that she didn’t think more visits with me were necessary. I agreed and told her that my door will always be open to her if she needs to come back. I also told her I would be pleased to receive e-mails from her about how she was doing. Meanwhile, I suggested she continue to take Chromax indefinitely to keep her chocolate cravings in check,and to continue Zoloft and exercise. She thanked me and we said goodbye.