Supplement Label Index

Chromium Chloride vs. Chromium Nicotinate Glycinate Chelate

Among 4,926 on-market chromium products with an identifiable primary form, 14.2% use Chromium Chloride (700 products) and 13.4% use Chromium Nicotinate Glycinate Chelate (661).

Chromium ChlorideChromium Nicotinate Glycinate Chelate
Quality tierTier 3Unrated
Chromium by weight19.5%
Share of market14.2%13.4%
On-market products700661
Median declared dose100 elemental mcg
middle half: 35–120
100 elemental mcg
middle half: 40–200
Most common brandsNew Chapter, GNC Mega Men, Nature MadeXYMOGEN, Bluebonnet, Ultima

Doses are declared per serving in elemental mcg. “By weight” is the share of the ingredient that is the nutrient itself (e.g. elemental magnesium in a magnesium salt).

Why Chromium Chloride is tier 3

Produced significantly lower 24h urinary Cr than picolinate in the same crossover study -- cheapest/most common multivitamin form but weakest absorption signal.

Source: DiSilvestro RA, Dy E. 2007, PMID 17499152

Why Chromium Nicotinate Glycinate Chelate is unrated

No dedicated bioavailability study on this specific named complex was located.

Source: none found -- insufficient evidence

Tiers summarize published comparative bioavailability or outcome evidence for each form (see methodology). This page describes the market; it is not a recommendation to take either form. Talk to a clinician about what's right for you.

Other chromium comparisons