Ingredient research
Chromium Picolinate and Weight Loss: What the Research Shows
Very little. Pooled trials found chromium picolinate gave about 1.1 to 1.7 pounds (0.5 to 0.75 kg) more weight loss than placebo, an effect the authors called small and of uncertain clinical relevance (Onakpoya et al.: chromium and weight (meta-analysis)) (Tsang et al.: chromium and body measures (meta-analysis)). Slim Metrix has 50 mcg per capsule. Its label says 41.67% of the Daily Value, but against today's 35 mcg Daily Value that is about 143%.
Written by the Slim Metrix editorial teamUpdated · 7 min read
The basics
What is chromium, and why is it in weight-loss products?
Chromium is a trace mineral your body needs in tiny amounts, about 20 to 35 mcg a day for adults (NIH ODS: chromium fact sheet). It is sold for weight because it plays a part in how the body handles blood sugar.
Slim Metrix uses chromium picolinate, a common supplement form, at 0.05 mg per capsule (Slim Metrix label graphic). That is 50 mcg. Unlike the blend ingredients, it has its own printed amount.
The seller ties the formula to "reduced cravings." The trials below measured weight, not cravings.
The research
What do the chromium meta-analyses show?
They show a very small edge over placebo, about 1 to 2 pounds. Every set of authors doubted that the difference matters in real life.
| Analysis | Trials | Extra loss vs placebo | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onakpoya et al., 2013 | 11 | About 1.1 lb (0.5 kg) | Small; clinical relevance uncertain (Onakpoya et al.: chromium and weight (meta-analysis)) |
| Tsang et al., 2019 | 21 (1,316 adults) | About 1.7 lb (0.75 kg); BMI 0.40 lower; body fat 0.68% lower | Relevance as a weight-loss aid uncertain (Tsang et al.: chromium and body measures (meta-analysis)) |
| NIH chromium fact sheet | 21 (a 2019 meta-analysis) | About 1.7 lb (0.75 kg) | "Very small" (NIH ODS: chromium fact sheet) |
| NIH weight-loss fact sheet | Reviews it summarizes | About 2.4 lb (1.1 kg) | Debatable clinical relevance (NIH ODS: weight-loss supplements (health professional fact sheet)) |
The NIH chromium fact sheet and Tsang et al. both describe 21 trials from 2019 with the same result, so they may describe the same work.
Putting it in context
How much is 1.7 pounds of extra weight loss?
Not much, next to a realistic goal. For a 200-pound person, losing 5% means 10 pounds, and that much can improve blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar (CDC: losing weight).
Chromium's best pooled result is about one-sixth of that first goal.
If you try a product with chromium, do not expect the scale to move from the capsule alone. Our guide to a healthy weight-loss pace shows what to aim for.
Read the label
Why does the Slim Metrix label say 41.67% for chromium?
It reflects a Daily Value that has since changed. Tap the chromium line below to see the math.
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Capsule · Servings Per Container: 30 · typed from the brand's label graphic
One capsule a day, so one bottle lasts 30 days. Two bottles cover the full 60-day refund window.
Effectively no calories. Nothing on this label replaces a meal plan or changes what you eat.
Half the Daily Value. Adults should stay under 40 mg a day from all sources, so count any multivitamin too.
0.05 mg is 50 mcg. The 41.67% matches an old 120 mcg Daily Value; against today's 35 mcg it is about 143%.
Eight ingredients share 276 mg with no single amounts. If split equally, each would be about 34.5 mg; the real split is not published.
Blend ingredients are listed from most to least by weight, so this is likely the largest share. It may lower blood sugar.
Standardized extracts. Green tea extract is a rare but well-documented cause of liver injury.
Printed “HCL (from Berberis aristata Root 97% Berberine)”. Studies used 250 to 500 mg two or three times a day; the whole blend is 276 mg.
The last four in the blend, so likely the smallest shares. Ginseng may lower blood sugar; cayenne adds pepper heat.
Hypromellose, microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide. No cinnamon anywhere on the label.
Typed from the label graphic (Slim Metrix label graphic). Check it against your own bottle.
The brand's own Supplement Facts graphic. Tap a line of the panel to see what it means for you. The graphic shows no lot number, best-before date or company name.
The 41.67% figure matches the old Daily Value of 120 mcg. Today's Daily Value is 35 mcg (NIH ODS: chromium fact sheet), so 50 mcg is about 143%. So one capsule gives more than a full day's Daily Value, not less than half. See the full Supplement Facts, line by line.
Safety
Is chromium picolinate safe with diabetes medicine?
Ask your doctor first. NIH says chromium may add to the glucose-lowering effect of insulin or metformin (NIH ODS: chromium fact sheet).
That matters most if your sugar already runs close to normal on medicine. A low usually means a reading below 70 mg/dL, and the risk is higher with insulin and sulfonylureas (NIDDK: low blood glucose). Slim Metrix also lists alpha-lipoic acid and Korean ginseng, which may lower blood sugar too (MSK About Herbs: alpha-lipoic acid) (NCCIH: Asian ginseng).
The other mineral
Is the zinc in Slim Metrix a safe amount?
Yes, 5.5 mg is a modest amount. Adult men need 11 mg a day and women 8 mg, and the upper limit is 40 mg a day from all sources (NIH ODS: zinc fact sheet).
Add up any multivitamin you take. Too much zinc over time can lower copper, and zinc can reduce how well quinolone and tetracycline antibiotics are absorbed (NIH ODS: zinc fact sheet). Read more on the chromium and zinc page.
Bottom line
Is chromium worth taking for weight loss?
Not as a main tool. The best pooled result is about 1 to 2 pounds over placebo. If you take diabetes medicine, talk to your doctor before adding any chromium product.
FAQ
Chromium and weight: your questions
How many mcg of chromium does Slim Metrix contain?
Each capsule has 50 mcg of chromium as chromium picolinate, printed on the label as 0.05 mg (Slim Metrix label graphic). The label calls that 41.67% of the Daily Value, which matches an old 120 mcg reference. Against today's 35 mcg Daily Value, 50 mcg is about 143% (NIH ODS: chromium fact sheet).
How much weight can chromium help you lose?
About 1 to 2 pounds more than placebo, at best. Pooled trials found 0.5 kg in one analysis and 0.75 kg in another (Onakpoya et al.: chromium and weight (meta-analysis)) (Tsang et al.: chromium and body measures (meta-analysis)), and NIH summarizes reviews at about 1.1 kg (NIH ODS: weight-loss supplements (health professional fact sheet)). The authors called these effects small, with uncertain value in real life.
Does chromium picolinate reduce cravings?
The sources here do not show that it does. The sales page links the formula to reduced cravings, but the chromium trials we cite measured body weight, and the extra loss was very small (NIH ODS: chromium fact sheet). Claims about a product's effects need trials of that product (FTC: Health Products Compliance Guidance).
Is chromium picolinate safe to take every day?
For most adults the main concern in our sources is diabetes medicine. Chromium may add to the glucose-lowering effect of insulin or metformin (NIH ODS: chromium fact sheet), so anyone on those drugs should ask a doctor first. Take no more than one Slim Metrix capsule a day, as the label says.
Why is the chromium Daily Value on the Slim Metrix label out of date?
The label's 41.67% uses the old 120 mcg Daily Value for chromium. FDA's current Daily Value is 35 mcg (NIH ODS: chromium fact sheet), which makes 50 mcg about 143%. Check the percent on your own bottle, and read it as more than a full day's Daily Value.
Can chromium cause low blood sugar with metformin?
It may add to metformin's glucose-lowering effect, according to NIH (NIH ODS: chromium fact sheet). Lows are a reading below 70 mg/dL for many people with diabetes, with shakiness, hunger and dizziness as signs (NIDDK: low blood glucose). Ask your doctor before adding chromium, and never stop a prescribed medicine.
Does Slim Metrix have too much zinc?
No. Slim Metrix has 5.5 mg of zinc, half the Daily Value and far under the adult upper limit of 40 mg a day from all sources (NIH ODS: zinc fact sheet). Count any multivitamin too, since too much zinc over time can lower copper levels.
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Plain-language pages built from the brand's label graphic, the sales page and linked medical sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a U.S. stocking partner for Slim Metrix, not by the manufacturer. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
Keep reading
More about Slim Metrix
Chromium and zinc
Chromium and zinc in Slim Metrix: the only printed amounts, the outdated 41.67% and the weight trials.
Read moreSupplement Facts
Every line of the Slim Metrix label typed out, with the chromium DV fix and what the label leaves out.
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Berberine research
What a 2025 review found for berberine, how strong the trials were, and how one Slim Metrix capsule compares.
Read moreU.S. stocking partner for Slim Metrix
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