The uptake and excretion of chromium by the elderly.

Metabolic balance studies for chromium have been carried out on 22 apparently healthy elderly people and one subject with impaired glucose tolerance. All subjects were aged between 69.7 and 85.5 yr, ate self-chosen diets, and lived in their own homes during the study. The mean daily intake of chromium for the healthy subjects was 471 nmol (24.5 micrograms) with a mean retention of 3 nmol (0.2 microgram). The subject with a raised plasma glucose was in positive balance for chromium. Although the daily chromium intake was below the lower limit of the estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake proposed by the American Food and Nutrition Board it appeared to be adequate for these subjects.