2002
John Hathcock, PhD, and Cathy Fomous, PhD. Safety issues for chromium picolinate, chromium and picolinic acid. Council for Responsible Nutrition, Washington, D.C. January 2002.

According to the authors, “the safety of chromium picolinate is apparent when the vast array of peer-reviewed literature on chromium picolinate is considered, including genotoxic assays, long-term studies in rats, and clinical studies with human subjects.” The authors point to a report from The National Academies Food and Nutrition Board Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) committee that concluded, “No adverse effects have been convincingly associated with excess intakes of chromium from food or supplements…” Numerous investigations have established [the] safety of chromium picolinate, say the authors, who add that “research that falls outside federal guidelines must be examined with the proper perspective.” Studies involving isolated DNA, cell cultures, or unrealistic concentrations of the supplement must be considered speculative and inapplicable to living organisms, especially when substantial data from human and experimental animals indicate an extremely low order of toxicity, they conclude.

1997
Richard A. Anderson, Ph.D., Noella A. Bryden, B.S., and Marilyn M. Polansky, M.S. Lack of toxicity of chromium chloride and chromium picolinate in rats, Journal of the American College of Nutrition 16(3):273-279, 1997.

In a rat model, the authors examined the safety of chromium chloride and what they referred to as “a more bioavailable form of trivalent chromium, chromium picolinate.” The paper demonstrated the safety (lack of toxicity) of trivalent chromium at levels that are several thousand times above the upper limit of the estimated safe and adequate daily intake for humans.