I have an extensive review of the research surrounding Chromium, but I have not done any research on Magnesium yet. It appears that studies are associating low levels of Magnesium with insulin utilization problems and Type 2 Diabetes. Read the study – Serum zinc, chromium and magnesium levels in Type 2 diabetes, published in 2006.

The complete article I found is here.

Magnesium appears to be an important mineral and I am going to do more research into this mineral for Diabetes.

The research study in reference 2 suggests that chromium supplementation can lower the risk of vascular inflammation in diabetes. Results indicated that metabolic disorders such as type2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity are associated with variations in serum levels and poor delivery of certain mineral elements like magnesium, copper, zinc, chromium and nickel. (Ref 3)

Research study showed that chromium picolinate has marked beneficial effects against macrovascular complications and its potential role in diabetes management. (Ref 4)

Dyslipidemia, often found in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, plays an important role in the process of cardiometabolic syndrome. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was done to evaluate the effect of chromium picolinate and biotin on lipid and lipoprotein levels. Data suggests that intervention with chromium picolinate biotin improves cardiometabolic risk factors. (Ref 5, 9)

Chromium yeast supplementation can be considered to improve carbohydrate and lipid metabolism amongst human patients featuring type 2 diabetes mellitus. (Ref 6)

Another research suggests that chromium niacinate supplementation may be useful in reducing vascular inflammation and the risk of CVD in diabetes. (Ref 7)

Chromium supplementation significantly improved glycemia in diabetic patients as per a systemic review of the effect of chromium supplementation on glucose metabolism and lipid levels. (Ref 8)

Glucose intolerance (type 2 diabetes mellitus) is an important factor that disturbs Chromium metabolism. (Ref 10)

Data supports the safety and therapeutic value of Chromium picolinate for the management of cholesterolemia and hyperglycemia in subjects with diabetes. (Ref 12)

According to a pilot study in diabetes type 2 patients chromium/biotin supplementation may represent an effective adjunctive nutritional therapy to people with poorly controlled diabetes with the potential for improving lipid metabolism. (Ref 13)

Results of study in reference 14 indicated that the effect of decreasing blood sugar by chromium complexes of D-glucosaminic acid was comparable to that of chromium complex currently used worldwide. (Ref 14)

Chromium picolinate supplementation in subjects with type2 diabetes who are taking sulfonylurea agents significantly improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control, and chromium picolinate supplementation significantly attenuated body weight and visceral fat accumulation compared with placebo group. (Ref 15)

Intake of milk powder containing 40 mcg/d of chromium for 16 weeks in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus resulted in lowering of FPG, fasting insulin, and improvement of metabolic insulin control in male patients. (Ref 16)

Chromium included early in the complex therapy is beneficial in the reduction of the degree of insulin resistance. (Ref 17)

Data from research study suggest that supplementation of well-controlled type 2 diabetes with chromium enriched yeast is safe and can result in improvements in blood glucose variables and oxidative stress. (Ref 18)

1. Chromium in metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Horm Metab Res. 2007 Oct; 39(10):743-51.

1. Effect of chromium niacinate and chromium picolinate supplementation on lipid peroxidation, TNF-alpha, IL-6, CRP, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels in blood of streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats. Free Radic Biol Med. 2007 Oct 15; 43(8):1124-31. Epub 2007 May 18.

1. Plasma mineral content in type-2 diabetic patients and their association with the metabolic syndrome. Ann Nutr Metab. 2007; 51(5):402-6. Epub 2007 Sep 11.

1. Effect of chromium on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in a rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus: the fat-fed, streptozotocin-treated rat. Metabolism. 2007 Sep; 56(9):1233-40.

1. Combination of chromium and biotin improves coronary risk factors in hypercholesterolemic type 2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized clinical trial. J Cardiometab Syndr. 2007 Spring; 2(2):91-7.

1. Chromium yeast supplementation improves fasting plasma glucose and LDL-cholesterol in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2006 Nov; 76(6):391-7.

1. High glucose and ketosis (acetoacetate) increases, and chromium niacinate decreases, IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 secretion and oxidative stress in U937 monocytes. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2007 Oct;9(10):1581-90.

1. Effect of chromium supplementation on glucose metabolism and lipids: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Care. 2007 Aug; 30(8):2154-63. Epub 2007 May 22.

1. Chromium picolinate and biotin combination improves glucose metabolism in treated, uncontrolled overweight to obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2007 May 16; 24(1):41-51 [Epub ahead of print]

1. Longitudinal hair chromium profiles of elderly subjects with normal glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism. 2007 Jan; 56(1):94-104.

1. Chromium picolinate supplementation attenuates body weight gain and increases insulin sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetes: response to Martin et al. Diabetes Care. 2006 Dec; 29(12):2764; author reply 2764-5.

1. Clinical studies on chromium picolinate supplementation in diabetes mellitus–a review. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2006 Dec;8(6):677-87.

1. The effect of chromium picolinate and biotin supplementation on glycemic control in poorly controlled patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized trial. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2006 Dec;8(6):636-43.

1. Chromium (III) complexes of D-glucosaminic acid and their effect on decreasing blood sugar in vivo. Arch Pharm (Weinheim). 2006 Sep; 339(9):527-30.

1. Chromium picolinate supplementation attenuates body weight gain and increases insulin sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2006 Aug; 29(8):1826-32.

1. The influence of chromium chloride-containing milk to glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Metabolism. 2006 Jul; 55(7):923-7.

1. Effect of chromium on the insulin resistance in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2005; 47(3-4):59-62.

1. Influence of chromium-enriched yeast on blood glucose and insulin variables, blood lipids, and markers of oxidative stress in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2006 Mar; 109(3):215-30.