Chromium supplements are widely consumed for their antidiabetic activity as chromium(III) enhances the insulin sensitivity of cells. In specific,orthomolecular practitioners believe in the favourable effects of providing the body with extra amounts of fundamental trace elements. As Australian and American scientists now report in the journal Angewandte Chemie, chromium(III) dietary supplements are oxidized to a certain extent in living cells to their carcinogenic and genotoxic chromium(V) and chromium(VI) counterparts, or which raises questions about potential risks of such therapies.
Source: phys.org