Randomised trial, 2013
Does chromium supplementation help with menstrual cycle-related mood symptoms?
Possibly, but this is very preliminary evidence from a tiny study. Most women noticed improved mood and health satisfaction. Some improved on chromium alone, others improved more when combined with an antidepressant.
What they did
5 women were studied openly knowing they received chromium. 6 other women completed a double-blind crossover study receiving chromium with placebo one month and chromium with sertraline another month. Treatments ran from mid-cycle to menses. Women reported daily symptoms and clinicians used depression and clinical impression scales.
What they found
Chromium treatment was associated with reduced mood symptoms and improved overall health satisfaction in most participants. In some women, chromium alone led to marked clinical improvement. In others, chromium combined with an antidepressant produced greater improvement than either treatment alone.
What it means for you
Chromium may help some women with menstrual cycle-related mood symptoms, possibly as a single treatment or combined with antidepressants. However, this is very early-stage research. Major limits include tiny sample size (only 6 women in the controlled portion), mixed study designs, and no placebo-only control group.
5
Women in open-label study
6
Women in double-blind crossover study
About the study
- Original title
- Chromium supplementation for menstrual cycle-related mood symptoms
- Authors
- Brownley KA, Girdler SS, Stout AL et al.
- Journal
- Journal of dietary supplements
- Year
- 2013
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 6
- What was tested
- Chromium supplementation from mid-cycle to menses, tested alone and combined with sertraline
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3109/19390211.2013.830678
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