Is Chromax SAFE for Breastfeeding Mothers?

As a nutrition support pharmacist, you often get questions about the safety of weight loss products like chromium (Hydroxycut, Hi Chrome, Mepaco Slim, Chromax, etc) during breastfeeding!

Oral chromium can help control blood sugar in people with diabetes, especially at doses above 200 mcg per day. However, its ability to prevent diabetes and impact on weight loss for obese individuals are uncertain. During breastfeeding, it's generally safe to take oral chromium as long as the dose doesn't exceed the recommended levels.

• For individuals aged 14-18, the recommended daily intake is around 44 mcg, while for those aged 19-50, it's 45 mcg. However, there's limited data on the safety of higher doses while breastfeeding.
• Chromax contains 35 mcg of chromium (in the form of 281.6 mcg of chromium picolinate) and 500 mg of Garcinia Cambogia.
• Garcinia Cambogia, when taken in divided doses of 1000 to 4667 mg (with 50% or 60% hydroxycitric acid), may slightly reduce weight in some obese or overweight individuals.
• However, there are conflicting findings regarding its effectiveness, and the optimal dosage is still unclear.
• It's important to note that there isn't enough reliable information on using Garcinia Cambogia during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Therefore, it's advisable to avoid its use during these periods due to potential risks of liver failure.
• Additionally, we recommend against using Chromax or similar products for weight loss while breastfeeding.

NPS-adv

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References

1. National Institutes of Health (2017). Office of dietary supplements - dietary supplement fact sheet: Chromium. [online] Nih.gov. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Chromium-HealthProfessional.
2. FDA. Qualified Health Claims: Letter of Enforcement Discretion - Chromium Picolinate and Insulin Resistance(Docket No. 2004Q-0144). August 2005.
3. Rabinovitz H, Friedensohn A, Leibovitz A, Gabay G, Rocas C, Habot B. Effect of chromium supplementation on blood glucose and lipid levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus elderly patients. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2004 May;74(3):178-82.
4. Kleefstra N, Houweling ST, Jansman FG, Groenier KH, Gans RO, Meyboom-de Jong B, Bakker SJ, Bilo HJ. Chromium treatment has no effect in patients with poorly controlled, insulin-treated type 2 diabetes in an obese Western population: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Diabetes Care. 2006 Mar;29(3):521-5.
5. PubMed. (2006). Garcinia. [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501896.
6. Melendez-Rosado J, Snipelisky D, Matcha G, Stancampiano F. Acute hepatitis induced by pure Garcinia cambogia. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2015 May-Jun;49(5):449-50.
7. Heymsfield SB, Allison DB, Vasselli JR, Pietrobelli A, Greenfield D, Nunez C. Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) as a potential antiobesity agent: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 1998 Nov 11;280(18):1596-600.

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