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VANADIUM
Physiology
and Clinical Effects
Vanadium is an ultra-trace mineral found in the human diet and body. It is
essential for some animals, and deficiency symptoms in these animals
include growth retardation, bone deformities, and infertility. However,
vanadium has not yet been proven to be an essential mineral for humans.
Vanadium may play a role in building bones and teeth.
Vanadyl
sulfate, a form of this mineral, may improve glucose control in
individuals with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM),
according to a study of eight diabetics supplemented with 100 mg of the
mineral daily for four weeks.1 However, the researchers of this
study caution that the long-term safety of such large doses of vanadium
remains unknown. Many doctors expect future research is likely to show
that amounts this high will turn out to be unsafe.
Food
Sources
Vanadium is found in very small amounts in a wide variety of foods,
including seafood, cereals, mushrooms, parsley, corn, soy, and gelatin.
Deficiency
Risk and Symptoms
Deficiencies of the mineral vanadium have not been reported and appear
unlikely.
Recommended
Dosage
As yet, research indicates that most people would not benefit from
vanadium supplementation. Optimal intake of vanadium is unknown. The
estimated requirement is probably less than 10 mcg per day, while an
average diet provides 15–30 mcg per day.
Contraindications
Information about vanadium toxicity is limited. Workers exposed to
vanadium dust can develop toxic effects. High blood levels have been
linked to manic-depressive mental disorders, but the meaning of this
remains uncertain.2 Vanadium sometimes inhibits, but at other
times stimulates, cancer growth in animals. The effect in humans remains
unknown.3
Vanadium is
not known to interact with other nutrients.
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.
Metab Clin Exp 1996;45(9):1130–5.
2. Naylor GJ. Vanadium and manic depressive psychosis. Nutr Health
1984;3:79–85 [review].
3. 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.
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