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Binge Eating and Chromium Study

Chromium Picolinate in Binge Eating Disorder: A Feasibility Study

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 1Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT00904306
Acronym
BEACh
Enrollment
26
Registered
2009-05-19
Start date
2008-07-31
Completion date
2011-07-31
Last updated
2012-04-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Binge Eating Disorder

Keywords

binge eating, chromium, mood, glucose, appetite

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 6-month chromium picolinate (CrPic) treatment trial in binge eating disorder (BED).

Detailed description

Binge eating (i.e., the consumption of unusually large amounts of food with a sense of loss of control) is a common problem with serious public health implications in large part due to its role in obesity. Binge eating leads to weight gain and is common in overweight individuals. Current treatments for binge eating disorder (BED) are inadequate, and previous randomized treatment trials have suffered from high drop out rate due to the adverse effects of pharmacological agents. Chromium picolinate is a dietary supplement that has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and appetite regulation problems in patients with atypical depression; chromium picolinate also affects insulin regulation and has been shown to improve glucose levels in patients with type-2 diabetes. This pilot study will evaluate the effect of chromium picolinate on binge eating, mood, body weight, and glucose regulation in overweight individuals with BED.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTSugar Pill

placebo oral tablet taken once per day

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTchromium picolinate

1000 ug/day chromium picolinate for 6 months

Sponsors

National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression
CollaboratorOTHER
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 55 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Currently meets DSM-IV criteria for binge eating disorder (BED); 2. Is able to provide informed consent and meet study visit requirements; and 3. Is psychiatrically stable (e.g., no current suicidal or homicidal intent or other psychiatric condition that requires acute intervention).

Exclusion criteria

1. Body mass index (BMI) \< 24.9 kg/m\^2 (underweight or normal weight) or ≥ 40 kg/m\^2 (severely obese); 2. Postmenopausal; 3. Age \< 18 or \> 55 years; 4. Pregnant, planning on becoming pregnant during the study period, or lactating; 5. Current psychotropic medication use; 6. Current use of insulin or other medications to control glucose metabolism; 7. Current use of medications known to significantly influence appetite or weight \[i.e., over-the-counter appetite suppressants that contain phentermine or sibutramine, atypical antipsychotic agents with high weight gain liability (such as olanzapine, risperidone, etc), prednisone, etc.\]; 8. Fasting glucose level \> 126 mg/dL (indicative of diabetes); and 9. Creatinine level indicating renal insufficiency (\> 1.0 for women; \> 1.2 for men).

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
binge eating frequencybaseline, 3 and 6 months, 3-month followup

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
moodbaseline, 3 adn 6 months, 3-month followup
insulin sensitivitybaseline, 3 adn 6 months, 3-month followup
body weightbaseline, 3 adn 6 months, 3-month followup

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 23, 2026