Bought some fiber pills with green tea and chromium and I am wondering if they are healthy.

There are lots of claims for chromium, mostly that can't be substantiated. Here in the US some chromium supplement producers have been forced to pay penalties for false claims.

What health benefit do you hope to achieve by taking chromium?

Nothing really specific by taking chromium. My initial intent was to add fiber by taking 1 fiber pill each day. I worry about the lack of fiber. There was a "weight management" version of the fiber pills which contained green tea and chromium. I already drink green tea so I figured... "Why not?" but now that I have the pills, I am wondering what the deal is with the chromium. I just read on the internet that athletes take it to increase their lean body mass. If it works and its safe, then why not. I am just skeptical, I guess.

Claims used to be that it increased lean body mass, and that it helped keep blood sugar levels even. But it hasn't been borne out in studies, and although most studies don't seem to think taking it is dangerous, there are some studies which suggest that it can actually lead to DNA damage.

If you are interested in looking to icrease your lean body mass I would recommend CLA. Opinions vary as to whether or not it works, but the research is much more promising. And it doesn't seem to have any downside.

If you are looking to control blood sugar swings, CLA is supposed to help with that. So is cinnamon, which you could simply sprinkle on top of your daily tea!

Lots of people take chromium. I wouldn't.

If you scroll down there is a nutrition and supplement forum under the health and technical support area. If I were you I'd check there to see what people are saying about chromium. You can also do a search of the word...

Thank you... I appreciate it.

I've been chewing on those myself- I never thought much about the chromium, more about the fiber aspect, and the green tea is definitely a good thing. They help with my sweet tooth, too!

I stubbornly took chromium last year and I gained weight. Although I am peri-menopausal, I blame chromium for the sudden gain. I will never take it again, no matter what research shows or positive experiences others have had with it.

imho

Fiber is unnecessary.

I would consider chromium neccessary.

http://www.vitacost.com/articleResu...=1&Ntt=chromium

http://www.worldhealth.net/p/aadr-chromium.html

http://search.lef.org/search/defaul...&QUERY=chromium