Vanadium

Why vanadium is good for you

Vanadium is a trace mineral which is found in the soil and in small amounts in many common foods.

Vanadium is required for proper growth and bone development and also for normal reproduction.

Vanadium is an essential trace mineral that is required in the diet in very small amounts – the actual levels required to meet recommended intake have not yet been confirmed, so use supplements with caution.

Important vanadium facts

• Vanadium is a trace mineral
  Vanadium is one of the trace minerals, which means only a small amount of it is required in the diet to ensure good health.
• The body’s ability to absord vanadium from food is low
  Vanadium absorption by the body fro foods is very low. Studies show that between only 1-5% of the vanadium intake is absorbed by the intestines.
• Vanadium is eliminated through the urine and stools
  Vanadium, if ingested, is eliminated mainly unabsorbed in the stools, while absorbed (or inhaled) vanadium is eliminated through the urine.
• Vanadium is concentrated in the liver, kidneys and lungs
  The vanadium in the body is predominantly in the kidney, liver and lungs, but it is also in breast milk and saliva and passes through the blood-brain barrier. Animal studies show that the highest levels of vanadium are in the bones and teeth.
• Vanadium supplements can be found in many forms
  Vanadium supplements are available in many forms, with vanadyl sulphate and vanadate being two of the most common forms.
• Vanadium occurs in food, water and the environment
  Vanadium occurs naturally in a number of foods, in water and also in the environment at different levels, so most people get adequate amounts of this mineral naturally without the need for supplementation.
• Vanadium is released by petroleum products
  Vanadium is released by a number of petroleum products, such as the petrol that is used to fuel car engines.

Vanadium and health

• Diabetes
  Limited animal and human studies have shown vanadium stabilises blood glucose levels for all types of diabetes and also reduced LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. These studies are only in the preliminary stage and more research is required to confirm their results
• Vanadium is required for proper growth and development
  Vanadium is required to maintain and regulate proper growth and development of the cells and tissues in the body.
• Vanadium is required for bone health
  Vanadium is needed to help ensure that bone health is regulated and that bone tissue develops properly.
• Vanadium is needed for enzyme absorption
  Vanadium is required to enable various enzymes, the chemical metabolic process reaction initiators to be absorbed properly, so that the enzymes can work effectively in the body.
• Vanadium is needed for fat metabolism
  Vanadium is needed to ensure that there is proper fat metabolism, especially in cholesterol metabolism. This function of vanadium has beneficial implications in heart disease.
• Vanadium may be needed for thyroid health
  Recent studies show that vanadium may play a part in maintaining the health of the thyroid (together with selenium and iodine).
• Vanadium may be important for diabetes
  Studies on animals have shown that vanadium in the form vanadyl, are effective in diminishing the diabetic state in the rat by substituting for and replacing insulin or possibly by enhancing the effects of endogenous insulin.

People who wish to take an vanadium supplement should talk to a medical professional before taking it.

Groups at risk of vanadium deficiency

Vanadium deficiency is extremely rare in human as so little is required to maintain good health. There are no known groups who may be at risk of vanadium deficiency, as so little of this mineral is needed for good health.

In general, vanadium supplements are not needed as there is no current evidence that anyone is at risk of deficiency of this mineral.

Symptoms of vanadium deficiency

Vanadium deficiency is extremely rare in human as so little is required to maintain good health. If there is a vanadium deficiency, it may cause the following symptoms, which have only been reported in animal studies:

• elevation of molybdenum, calcium and magnesium levels
• reduced bone development, growth and reproductive ability (this has only been shown in animal studies)
• elevation of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
• higher levels of infant mortality

Vanadium in food

Vanadium can be found in:

• Black pepper
• Dill seed
• Peanut butter
• Cod fish
• Scallops
• Chicken breast
• White rice
• Egg yolk
• Mushrooms
• Olives
• Shellfish
• Vegetable oils

Vanadium recommended daily intake (RDI)

The tolerable upper limits should only be taken for short periods and only under medical supervision.

* The recommended daily intake of vanadium for infants, children and pregnant / lactating women has not yet been determined due to a lack of data about the adverse effects in this age group. The only source of vanadium intake should be from food.

** The tolerable upper limit for vanadium for infants, children and pregnant / lactating women has not yet been determined due to a lack of data about the adverse effects in this age group. The only source of vanadium intake should be from food.

Vanadium works best with

• Calcium
• Chromium
• Fluoride
• Magnesium
• Molybdenum
• Selenium
• Zinc

Toxic levels of vanadium

In general, high level vanadium supplements should not be taken by anyone, as they could cause some adverse health effects. Vanadium is toxic if blood levels are higher than 2-50mg per ml of blood.

Vanadium dust that is inhaled is more toxic than orally ingested vanadium supplements.

Vanadium is toxic if blood levels are higher than 2-50mg per ml of blood

Overdosage and toxicity symptoms

Vanadium dust inhalation causes the following symptoms:

• Asthma-like symptoms
• Bronchial irritation
• Nose bleeds
• Wheezing

Vanadium supplements higher than the tolerable upper limit (more than 2.5mg a day) cause the following symptoms:

• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Diarrhoea
• Fatigue and lethargy
• Green tongue
• Nausea
• Neurosis
• Stomach cramps
• Vomiting

People experiencing any of the above toxicity symptoms should discontinue their vanadium supplements and seek medical advice. Overdosage and toxicity is more likely to occur from taking too many supplements, whereas dietary intake of vanadium is highly unlikely to cause overdosage.

Precautions

The toxicity and safety of vanadium supplements have not been thoroughly studied and some supplements have very high doses and should not be taken.

Get your vanadium from your food.

Interactions with medications and supplements

The following are the medications and supplements that are more likely to cause a reaction with vanadium supplements:

• Heparin
  Heparin, which is used to break up and disintegrate potentially dangerous blood clots in the arteries, may stop working properly (by reducing the action of the medication and reduce the break-up of the blood clot) if taken with vanadium supplements. People taking the drug Heparin should not take vanadium supplements.
• Choline and vitamin C
  The vitamins choline and vitamin C can interfere with the action of the vanadium supplements as they have an antagonist effect on each other. This means that vanadium also can interfere with the action of choline and vitamin C supplements too.
• Chromium and magnesium
  The minerals chromium and magnesium can interfere with the action of the vanadium supplements as they have an antagonist effect on each other. This means that vanadium also can interfere with the action of chromium and magnesium supplements too.
• Lithium
  The medication lithium can interfere with the action of the vanadium supplements as they have an antagonist effect on each other. This means that vanadium also can interfere with the action of lithium too.

  Other interactions with vanadium

  There are none reported.

  Vanadium’s effect on lab tests

  There are none reported.

Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for vanadium

Vanadium has an antagonistic effect on the following nutrients:

• choline
• vitamin C
• chromium
• magnesium

References

• Bhanot S, McNeill JH. Vanadyl sulfate lowers plasma insulin and blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Hypertension. 1994;24:625-632
• Brichard SM, Henquin JC. The role of vanadium in the management of diabetes. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 1995;16(8):265-270
• Goldwaser I, Gefel D, Gershonov E, Fridkin M, Shechter Y. Insulin-like effects of vanadium: basic and clinical implications. J Inorg Biochem. 2000;80(1-2):21-25
• Osiecki, H. The Nutrient Bible. Bio-Concepts Publishing QLD, 2002
• Whitney EN, Cataldo DB, Rolfes SR. Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition, 6th Edition. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002

Last updated: 6 May 2024