Ingredient profile
Chromium Picolinate in Sugar Defender: 0.7 mcg Next to the Research
Chromium picolinate in Sugar Defender is the only ingredient with a printed amount: 0.7 mcg in each 1 mL serving, or 2% of the Daily Value. Glucose studies of chromium used 200-1,000 mcg a day, and their results were mixed. So 1 mL of the drops holds about 0.35% of the smallest studied dose.
Written by the Sugar Defender label deskUpdated
On the label01
What is chromium picolinate in Sugar Defender?
Chromium picolinate in Sugar Defender is the trace mineral chromium in its picolinate form. The label prints it above the herbal blend at 0.7 mcg per mL.
It is the only line on the Supplement Facts panel with its own amount. The other 22 ingredients share one 200 mg total.
The 0.7 mcg equals 2% of the Daily Value, which is 35 mcg for chromium (NIH ODS, Chromium).
| Name on the label | Chromium (as chromium picolinate) |
|---|---|
| What it is | Trace mineral |
| Place on the label | Chromium line, above the blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | 0.7 mcg per mL (2% DV) |
| Amount used in research | 200-1,000 mcg a day |
| Strength of evidence | Mixed; small effect in some people with diabetes |
| Marketed or traditional use | Helps insulin do its job |
| Main caution | Can add to the effect of diabetes medicines. |
The panel reads "Chromium (as chromium picolinate) 0.7 mcg, 2% DV". Picolinate is the form most glucose trials used, so the form matches the research. The amount does not. See the line in place on the supplement facts page.
Dose math02
How does 0.7 mcg of chromium in Sugar Defender compare with the studies?
Chromium picolinate in Sugar Defender comes to 0.7 mcg a day at the label dose, while glucose studies gave 200-1,000 mcg a day (NIH ODS, Chromium).
That makes one serving about 0.35% of the low end of the studied range.
To reach 200 mcg from the drops alone, you would need about 286 mL in one day. That is close to five bottles.
| Amount | mcg per day | mL of drops to match it |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar Defender, 1 mL | 0.7 | 1 |
| Daily Value | 35 | 50 |
| Low end of glucose studies | 200 | about 286 |
| High end of glucose studies | 1,000 | about 1,429 |
Divide each amount by 0.7 mcg per mL to get the last column. A full 60 mL bottle carries 42 mcg in all, less than one trial day.
What studies found03
What did chromium research find for blood sugar?
Research on chromium picolinate, the form in Sugar Defender, is mixed: a 2019 review found slight drops in fasting glucose and A1C in people with diabetes (NIH ODS, Chromium).
The NIH calls the clinical meaning of those drops unclear.
In healthy people, chromium does not appear to change glucose at all (NIH ODS, Chromium).
No trial has tested Sugar Defender, so none of these results belong to the drops.
People with diabetes
Slight drops in fasting glucose and A1C in a 2019 review, at doses of about 200-1,000 mcg a day.
Small, uncertainThe drops
No published trial. With 0.7 mcg per mL, the drops sit far below the amounts any study tested.
Not studiedNCCIH rates the evidence for chromium in diabetes as weak (NCCIH, Diabetes and Dietary Supplements). The ADA finds no supplement proven to help, and no benefit without a deficiency (ADA, Vitamins & Supplements).
Daily need04
How much chromium does an adult need each day?
Adults need about 20-35 mcg of chromium a day, by sex and age, so the 0.7 mcg of chromium picolinate in Sugar Defender covers only a sliver of it (NIH ODS, Chromium).
Men aged 19 to 50 have an Adequate Intake of 35 mcg. Women aged 19 to 50 have 25 mcg.
The Daily Value on labels is 35 mcg, which is why 0.7 mcg prints as 2%.
| Adequate Intake, men 19-50 | 35 mcg a day |
|---|---|
| Adequate Intake, women 19-50 | 25 mcg a day |
| Daily Value (labels) | 35 mcg |
| Sugar Defender, 1 mL | 0.7 mcg, 2% DV |
| Share of a 25 mcg Adequate Intake | about 2.8% |
An Adequate Intake is a normal daily need, not a treatment dose. The trials went far above it. The drops sit far below it.
Sugar Defender: from $49 a bottle60 mL · 1 mL a day · 2, 3 or 6 bottles · free US shipping on 3 or 6 · 60-day guarantee
See packsSales copy05
What does the Sugar Defender sales page say about chromium?
The Sugar Defender sales page says chromium "Reduces Obesity & Lowers Blood Pressure" (Sugar Defender sales page). We found no support for either part in the NIH chromium fact sheet.
The fact sheet discusses glucose and insulin, with mixed results. It does not back a weight or blood pressure claim (NIH ODS, Chromium).
The FTC expects health claims to rest on human trials of the same product and dose (FTC, Health Products Compliance Guidance).
Even if chromium did help weight or blood pressure at study doses, a claim for the drops would have to fit 0.7 mcg a day. No study we found tested an amount that small. The label itself says only "Blood Sugar Support Formula".
Every sales line for the eight named ingredients is laid out next to its evidence on the claims vs evidence page.
Safety06
Who should be careful with chromium in Sugar Defender?
People on insulin or other diabetes drugs should ask a doctor before using chromium picolinate, including the small amount in Sugar Defender, because chromium may add to those drugs and raise the risk of lows (NIH ODS, Chromium).
People taking levothyroxine should ask too: chromium may reduce how much of that thyroid drug the body absorbs (NIH ODS, Chromium).
Anyone taking any other medication is asked by the label to consult a physician first.
Never stop or change a diabetes or thyroid drug because you started a supplement. Show the bottle to your doctor or pharmacist.
For many people a low is under 70 mg/dL, with shaking, sweating, hunger or confusion (NIDDK, Low Blood Glucose). Insulin, sulfonylureas and meglitinides can cause lows. The blend also holds gymnema and ginseng, which carry their own notes. Read supplements and diabetes medicines before you start.
Bottom line07
Is chromium picolinate a good reason to buy Sugar Defender?
No, chromium picolinate is not a strong reason to buy Sugar Defender, because the drops hold 0.7 mcg and the studied range starts at 200 mcg.
The form is the right one and the amount is printed honestly, which is more than the blend offers.
If chromium is what you want, talk to your doctor about whether you need it at all.
What the label gets right
- The amount is printed, not hidden
- Picolinate is the form most trials used
- Low enough to stay well under the Daily Value
What the label cannot show
- 0.7 mcg is about 0.35% of the low studied dose
- Results were mixed even at study doses
- No support found for the weight or blood pressure line
The rest of the formula, line by line, is on the ingredients page.
FAQ08
What do people ask about chromium picolinate?
People most often ask: How much chromium is in Sugar Defender? The short answer, and 5 more, open below.
Each answer starts with the direct reply, then the reason, with a source where one exists.
How much chromium is in Sugar Defender?
Each 1 mL serving lists 0.7 mcg of chromium, as chromium picolinate, or 2% of the Daily Value. At the label's 1 mL a day, a full 60 mL bottle holds about 42 mcg in total, spread over 60 days.
Is chromium picolinate safe?
For most adults the 0.7 mcg in the drops is a very small amount, well under the 20-35 mcg Adequate Intake. The main cautions the NIH lists are interactions: chromium may add to diabetes drugs and may reduce levothyroxine absorption (NIH ODS, Chromium).
Does chromium lower blood pressure?
We found no good evidence that it does. The NIH chromium fact sheet covers glucose and insulin, not blood pressure (NIH ODS, Chromium). The sales page line about blood pressure is a claim, and at 0.7 mcg a day the drops are far below any studied dose.
Can chromium cause low blood sugar?
It may, mainly when taken with insulin or other diabetes drugs, because chromium may add to their effect (NIH ODS, Chromium). The drops hold very little, but the blend has other herbs, so ask your doctor first.
Can I take chromium with thyroid medicine?
Ask your doctor or pharmacist first. The NIH says chromium may reduce the absorption of levothyroxine (NIH ODS, Chromium). A pharmacist can tell you whether spacing the two apart makes sense for you, and the label asks anyone on other medication to check first.
Is 0.7 mcg of chromium a lot?
No, it is a very small amount. It is 2% of the 35 mcg Daily Value and about 0.35% of the 200 mcg low end used in glucose studies. You would need about 286 mL of drops in one day to match that low end.
Who wrote this09
Who wrote and reviewed this Sugar Defender guide?
The Sugar Defender label desk wrote it from the label, the sales page and linked public sources.
A medical reviewer's name goes in the box below once a review is on file.
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . See our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a U.S. authorized Sugar Defender merchant, not by the manufacturer or the label distributor. We are paid when you buy through our order links.
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