How does chromium affect glucose and NEFA metabolism?
Trivalent chromium has received a lot of attention in human nutrition and medicine throughout the past 50 years, particularly in regard to glucose homeostasis and management of Type II diabetes. Trivalent chromium increases the insulin sensitivity of some peripheral tissues including adipose and muscle. Because glucose transport in mammary tissue is not insulin-regulated, glucose transport by mammary would not be altered by trivalent chromium. This is important, as glucose is the major substrate for lactose synthesis, and lactose is the primary determinant of milk volume. Trivalent chromium may also alter the insulin sensitivity of liver. If insulin and peror glucagon responsiveness were altered by trivalent chromium supplementation, we would expect to see alterations in rates of gluconeogenesis. In a study with primiparous cows, those that were supplemented with trivalent chromium had significantly higher rates of gluconeogenesis and peror glycogenolysis in their livers. In another st
