[Role of essential trace elements in the disturbance of carbohydrate metabolism]

Abstract

Zinc and chromium have been well known to be important trace elements in diabetes as a cofactor for insulin, although their real mechanisms in carbohydrate metabolism are not clear. Especially, chromium is considered essential for maintenance of normal glucose tolerance, and a chromium complex occurring in brewer's yeast, termed glucose tolerance factor (GTF), was found to be of outstanding activity. Recently, some essential trace elements such as vanadium and selenium were observed to have several physiological insulin-like effects by a post-insulin receptor kinase mechanism. It is very likely that chromium, manganese, vanadium, and selenium have a favorable effect on carbohydrate metabolism.