Chromium Polynicotinate vs. Chromium Amino Acid Chelate
Among 4,926 on-market chromium products with an identifiable primary form, 24.6% use Chromium Polynicotinate (1,211 products) and 9% use Chromium Amino Acid Chelate (445).
| Chromium Polynicotinate | Chromium Amino Acid Chelate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 2 | Unrated |
| Chromium by weight | — | — |
| Share of market | 24.6% | 9% |
| On-market products | 1,211 | 445 |
| Median declared dose | 120 elemental mcg middle half: 50–200 | 100 elemental mcg middle half: 32.25–120 |
| Most common brands | Douglas Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, Wonder Laboratories | Trace Minerals Research, The Vitamin Shoppe, Douglas Laboratories |
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 Polynicotinate is tier 2
Nicotinate-based forms absorbed better than chloride but worse than picolinate in the same comparative study.
Source: DiSilvestro RA, Dy E. 2007, PMID 17499152 (form-class evidence, not this specific branded complex)
Why Chromium Amino Acid Chelate is unrated
No dedicated human or animal comparative bioavailability study for this 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
- Chromium Picolinate vs. Chromium Polynicotinate
- Chromium Picolinate vs. Chromium Chloride
- Chromium Picolinate vs. Chromium Nicotinate Glycinate Chelate
- Chromium Picolinate vs. Chromium Amino Acid Chelate
- Chromium Polynicotinate vs. Chromium Chloride
- Chromium Polynicotinate vs. Chromium Nicotinate Glycinate Chelate
- Chromium Chloride vs. Chromium Nicotinate Glycinate Chelate
- Chromium Chloride vs. Chromium Amino Acid Chelate
- Chromium Nicotinate Glycinate Chelate vs. Chromium Amino Acid Chelate