:Vanadium:

:Vanadium is an ultra-trace mineral that is known to be essential for some animals. Deficiency symptoms in these animals include growth retardation, bone deformities, and infertility. Vanadium is not proven essential for humans. Vanadium may help build bones and teeth.

Vanadyl sulfate may improve glucose control in people with type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus, according to a study of eight people with diabetes who supplemented with 100 mg of the mineral daily for four weeks. 1 Long-term safety of large doses of vanadium is unknown. Vanadium may not help people with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. 2

Sources: Vanadium is found in very small amounts in a wide variety of foods, including seafood ,cereals ,mushrooms , parsley, corn, soy , and gelatin.

Traditional clinical use:

Diabetes

Deficiency: Deficiency of vanadium is not documented in humans.

Dosage: Most people may not benefit with vanadium supplementation, and optimal intake is unknown. If vanadium is essential for humans, the requirement is probably less than 10 mcg per day. Average dietary intake is 15–30 mcg per day.

Side-effects: Not much is known about vanadium toxicity, except in workers exposed to vanadium dust. High blood levels link with manic-depressive mental disorders. 3 Vanadium can inhibit or stimulate cancer growth in animals, but similar effects are unknown in humans. 4

The ratio of Vanadium to Chromium may be important in sugar regulation.

There are no known drug interactions with vanadium.

References:

1. Boden G, Chen X, Ruiz J, et al. Effects of vanadyl sulfate on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Metabolism 1996;45:1130–5.
2. Aharon Y, Mevorach M, Shamoon H. Vanadyl sulfate does not enhance insulin action in patients with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care 1998;21:2194 [letter].
3. Naylor GJ. Vanadium and manic depressive psychosis. Nutr Health 1984;3:79–85 [review].
4. Chakraborty A, Ghosh R, Roy K, et al. Vanadium: a modifier of drug metabolizing enzyme patterns and its critical role in cellular proliferation in transplantable murine lymphoma. Oncology 1995;52:310–4.