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Vanadium

Don't know much about vanadium

Vanadium is a mystery. Does it play any nutritional, biochemical, or biologic role in the human body? No one seems to know. For the time being, the best that researchers, scientists, and nutritionists can say is: maybe. One speculation is that vanadium may help in the metabolism of cholesterol and glucose.

Stay tuned, though. Researchers, scientists, and nutritionists like nothing better than solving a mystery.

Quick Facts About Vanadium
  • No RDA. Estimated requirements for adults is 0.1 to 0.3 mg per day (100 to 300 mcg per day).
  • Food sources of vanadium include fish, liver, whole grains, nuts, and vegetable oil.
  • No deficiency symptoms have been reported.

You May Need More Vanadium if You Have (or Have Had)

No need has been reported for vanadium supplementation.

What Works Best -- and Worst -- with Vanadium

No known adverse interaction with medicine, vitamins, or other minerals has been reported.

Forms Available
  • Capsules
  • Combined with many multivitamin/mineral preparations

Chemical Forms
  • Vanadyl sulfate
  • Vanadate salt
Comments on Vanadium
  • Vanadium is not absorbed well by the body.
  • Vanadium can exist in a positively (vanadyl) or negatively (vanadate) charged state.
  • It is supposed that vanadate is converted to vanadyl in the stomach before absorption.

Known Benefits of Vanadium

The biological role of vanadium is still under investigation. Vanadium can influence some biological activities, such as
  • Inhibits Na,K-ATPase
  • Affects cAMP (a cell regulatory molecule) levels
  • Increases glucose tolerance
Unproven Claims

Reduces the incidence of prostate cancer.

Vanadium May Prevent These Signs of Deficiency

Clinical deficiency has not been reported.

Recommended Dosage Range for Vanadium
  • There is no suggested recommended daily allowance for vanadium.
  • In the United States, the average consumption of vanadium is 10 to 60 mcg per day.
  • Consult your physician before starting any high-dose supplement regimen.
Dietary Sources

Foods High in Vanadium
Black pepper
Dill seeds

When and How to Take Vanadium
  • Swallow tablets whole with a glass of water.
  • Take with food or immediately after meals to enhance absorption.
  • Vanadium is poorly absorbed.
What to Take with Vanadium
  • Vanadium biochemistry is still being studied.
What Not to Take with Vanadium
  • Vanadium biochemistry is still being studied.
Storage
  • Keep vanadium in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and air.
  • Don't store vanadium in your bathroom medicine cabinet. Heat and moisture may make it less effective.
  • Store safely out of children's reach.

Warnings

Consult a physician before use or do not use vanadium if:
  • You are about to start a high-dose supplement program
Vanadium May Have Interactions with

None anticipated

Side Effects
  • None known
Signs of Overdose
  • Green tongue
  • Diarrhea
  • Cramps
Doses higher than 10 mg per day are associated with overdose symptoms. The threshold of toxicity appears to be between 10 to 20 mg.

What to Do in Case of Overdose

Stop use and contact your physician immediately.

Sources & Further Reading

Books

1. Dell, BL and Sunde, RA.Handbook of Nutritionally Essential Mineral Elements. Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, NY 1997.
2. Groff, JL, Gropper, SS, Hunt, SM.Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, Second Ed. West Pub. Co. St. Paul, MN 1995.
Find more books on health and wellness at barnesandnoble.com.

Articles

1. Abou-Seif MA.Oxidative stress of vanadium-mediated oxygen free radical generation stimulated by aluminium on human erythrocytes. Ann Clin Biochem 1998 Mar 35 ( Pt 2): 254-60.

2. Altamirano-Lozano M.[Genotoxic effects of vanadium compounds]. Invest Clin 1998 Apr 39 Suppl 1: 39-47.

3. Boden G, Chen X, Ruiz J, van Rossum GD, Turco S.Effects of vanadyl sulfate on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Metabolism 1996 Sep 45:9 1130-5.

4. Sekar N, Li J, Shechter Y.Vanadium salts as insulin substitutes: mechanisms of action, a scientific and therapeutic tool in diabetes mellitus research. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 1996 Dec 31:5-6 339-59.

5. Shi SJ, Preuss HG, Abernethy DR, Li X, Jarrell ST, Andrawis NS.Elevated blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats consuming a high sucrose diet is associated with elevated angiotensin II and is reversed by vanadium. J Hypertens 1997 Aug 15:8 857-62.
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