If you’re anything like me, you LOVE a good in-season asparagus! But if you’re only mildly excited by asparagus then let me give you another reason – a BIG reason – to eat asparagus…

Chromium.

Chromium is a trace mineral in asparagus that helps insulin do it’s thanggg. It’s currently the most active component in Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF). GTF plays a BIG role in blood sugar levels.

Chromium increases the action of insulin. So it’s no shock that being deficient in it can lead to insulin resistance.

Studies done on people with type 1 show that we tend to be depleted of trace minerals in general, chromium being one of them.

Two of the biggest factors that can deplete you is having diabetes (type 1 or 2) and/or having high blood pressure. And taking medications like antacids, calcium supplements, and Aspirin can lead to poor absorption of the trace mineral.

Speaking of Aspirin, see HERE why I chose to decline taking a daily baby Aspirin for my T1D pregnancy and what I chose to do instead.

Getting It From Your Diet

Chromium is in a lot of foods, but in very small amounts. Thankfully, the body doesn’t need a lot of it to operate optimally. Females, aged 14-40, require around 25 mcg and men, same age group, require around 35 mcg. Here are some foods with high counts:

Asparagus: 10 spears contain 675 mcg (2700% DV)
Brazil Nuts: 3.5oz nuts contains 100 mcg (400%)
Broccoli: 1 cup contains 22 mcg (88% DV)

Show Me The Studies

While there have been tons of studies on people with type 2 diabetes taking chromium supplements and seeing improvement in glycemic control, there haven’t been any done on people with type 1.

Surprised? Probably not. Story of our lives…amiright?

HOWEVER….

“…studies with mouse models (with type 1 diabetes) found that chromium supplementation improved glycemic control.”

Pass The Asparagus

Just another reason to love asparagus.

If you want to learn more, check out some of the sources I used below.

Sources:

https://restorativemedicine.org/library/monographs/chromium/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9188189/
https://www.eufic.org/en/whats-in-food/article/chromium-in-the-diet
https://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2015/11000/Chromium,_zinc_and_magnesium_status_in_type_1.11.aspx#:~:text=No%20chromium%20supplementation%20is%20needed,chromium%20supplementation%20improved%20glycemic%20control.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26406393/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Chromium-HealthProfessional/