Does anyone have information and the differences between these GTF Chromium vs. Chromium Picolinate? I know the Hellers recommend not taking chromium picolinate because ate the time they wrote their book there was not enough studies done, but it's been a while since they wrote it. Has there been studies? What are your opinions or facts you've found?

I stopped using chromium picolianate and will only use GTF chromium.

http://www.nspforum.com/faq/bbs.cgi?read=729

Chromium - Picolinate Vs GTF
Posted By: Georgiana Duncan <GeorgianaDuncan~aol.com>
Date: Saturday, 22 July 2000, at 12:53 a.m.
**HEALTH NEWS**
CHROMIUM PICOLINATE:
This report was taken from the December issue of the GASEB Journal, a publication of the Federation of American Societies of experimental Biology. It reported that Chromium Picolinate was found to be clastogenic, meaning that it damaged chromosomes, but his finding doesn't necessarily mean that it is carcinogenic, or a definite substance or agent that produces cancer. The fact that a substance damages chromosomes is considered a good indicator of its carcinogenicity. "This is the first test to directly link carcinogenicity to a form of chromium that is used as a supplement: it predicts, not proves that Chromium Picolinate is a human carcinogen." The research reported that not only did chromium picolinate damage chromosomes, but so too did picolinic acid when tested alone, although to a lesser extent. Other chromium compounds--such as Chromium Nicotinate and nicotinic acid did not produce the same damage. My note: In case you're wondering .... Nature's Sunshine has always used Chromium Nicotinate and although popularity was selling the Picolinate, they refused to manufacture it. Safety is always before sales for NSP.
More on Chromium Nicotinate: Chromium GTF It is estimated that Americans get only half of the chromium they need each day. Although humans need chromium only in trace amounts, too little chromium in the human diet can lead to serious health problems. After chromium enters the human body, it teams up with other elements to keep our metabolism tuned and efficient. Food processing techniques can remove nearly all of it, leading to dietary deficiencies. Minerals by themselves are usually hard to absorb and require helper molecules as chaperones to usher them into the bloodstream, and through the cell wall where they can be put to work. Certain bonding molecules are better than others in order for us to efficiently absorb and utilize chromium. For proper absorption of chromium, the body depends on a natural form of chromium which is "chelated," or joined to helper molecules.
The general environment of the bowel is also important for absorption. Such factors as enzymes, pH (acidity or alkalinity), and bacterial action on food in the bowel can make a big difference on how much chromium gets into the bloodstream. Chromium is the central atom in the "glucose tolerance factor" (GTF), a hormone-like compound that works with insulin to transport glucose -- the body's quickest fuel-out of the blood and into the cells.
GTF is composed of two niacin molecules, three amino acids, zinc and manganese. With chromium present in the diet, intestinal bacteria can produce GTF for you. The National Research Council tells us that in animal experiments, chromium is needed to help maintain normal blood sugar, acting as a cofactor with insulin. The council goes on to say that juvenile diabetes and coronary artery disease are associated with low concentrations of chromium in the blood
(Recommended Dietary Allowances, 10 ed., p. 241 ). Taking chromium supplements is the next best thing to ingesting it through everyday eating. But putting a mineral supplement in an absorbable form is another matter. Nature's Sunshine has modified its chromium supplement to reflect current research on increasing absorbability by adding chromium nicotinate to its regular chromium amino acid chelate. Added to 500 mcg of GTF Chromium in each tablet is a blend of red clover tops, yarrow flowers and horsetail herb. Each of these herbs by nature have higher concentrations of chromium than other botanicals.
The Sunshine Journal

http://www.sportron.com/tomlinson_hr_010_120503.htm

FoodMatrix™ VS Chromium Picolinate
The question was recently asked, “What is the difference between FoodMatrix Chromium and Chromium Picolinate?” There are a lot of marketing materials promoting Chromium Picolinate, let’s look at the facts.
Chromium is an essential trace mineral for the human body. The chromium found in natural foods is referred to as Chromium GTF (Glucose Tolerance Factor.) According to the National Institute of medicine, chromium helps maintain proper blood glucose levels.

In addition scientists believe Chromium GTF can:
• Reduce fat levels in blood
• Control blood cholesterol levels
• Increase HDL cholesterol
• Reduce arteriosclerosis
• Stimulate production of essential nerve substances
• Increase resistance to infection
• Stimulate protein synthesis
• Suppress hunger symptoms through brain “satiety center”
According to the United States Federal Trade Commission, sales of chromium-based supplements are approximately $100 million a year. Chromium is sold generally as a chelate, the mineral salt chelated with, or bound to another compound.
Chromium Picolinate is a chelate of one chromium molecule linked to three picolinate molecules.
Chromium Picolinate studies have been mixed, while some show health benefit, many others showed little, if any results. Research on chromium metabolism has concluded that while picolinates may be absorbed, the minerals were not effectively metabolized or incorporated into the tissues. Recent articles have questioned its overall safety.
Remember that Professor Thomas O’Halloran of Northwestern University reported that proteins act as a “chauffeur” to assist the transport of minerals to the proper tissues in the body. This breakthrough science was based on research on the protein signaling system that won the 1999 Nobel Prize.
The American Society for Nutritional Sciences published an article from The Department of Chemistry at the University of Alabama in 2000. The article entitled “The Biochemistry of Chromium” discusses chromium and its role in glucose metabolism. The author describes the specific metal transport protein (protein chauffeur) found in dietary forms of chromium and states that “Chromium from the popular dietary supplement Chromium Picolinate enters cells via a different mechanism,” and further warns that Chromium Picolinate metabolism can produce dangerous free radicals.
What this means to you and me is that taking Chromium Picolinate can possibly help, but that it is not effective as Real Food Chromium GTF and may be creating toxic substances in our bodies.
Further clinical results conclude that Real Food nutrients are better at helping the body to metabolize or utilize blood sugars, a major culprit in the growing diabetes epidemic.
A study published in Nutritional Reports International compared the glucose lowering effects of FoodMatrix Chromium and Chromium Picolinate. In this published study, the FoodMatrix nutrient was found to be almost three times as effective in lowering patients blood sugar levels than the chelated nutrient.
Another study, this one published in Diabetes, the journal of the American Diabetes Association, found that FoodMatrix Chromium was able to lower blood sugar levels and help with cholesterol levels in elderly diabetic patients.
The University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter recommends that consumers do not take Chromium Picolinate because of some recent disturbing findings (including the University of Alabama study.)
In this time of great nutritional crisis, we simply cannot give our bodies synthetic chemicals or foreign substances. When it comes to chromium, it is clear that the only way we should be supplementing our bodies is with Real Food forms of Chromium GTF...like FoodMatrix.
For more information on FoodMatrix, Click Here.

Thanks Zule for the good info, just what I was looking for. I am going with the GTF, now if I could only find it in town.