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Featured Nutrient: Vanadium

This element may help regulate blood-glucose levels.

When I hear the word “vanadium,” images of lunar rovers clad in shiny foil and the pricy lacrosse stick my son covets come to mind. This element, used to forge lightweight-yet-strong alloys, may be a great choice if you’re building robots or sports gear—but humans? As it turns out, vanadium is found in almost every living cell and is prevalent in a variety of foods including black pepper, parsley, mushrooms and shellfish. Although scientists don’t yet know enough about vanadium’s biological role to set a recommended intake, preliminary research suggests it may help regulate blood-glucose levels.

Blood-glucose benefits? In the late 19th century, vanadium was one of a few options for treating diabetes. Since it wasn’t very effective and the high doses of the form prescribed were often toxic, its use was abandoned after insulin—a far more efficacious treatment—became pharmaceutically available in 1922. Scientists haven’t given up on the possibility that vanadium might help people with diabetes: recent studies indicate that large doses may enhance insulin’s activity. Exactly how this works—and how much vanadium it takes—is unclear.

Performance enhancer? Uncertain science hasn’t stopped supplement manufacturers from promoting vanadium, in the form of vanadyl sulfate, with claims it enhances athletic performance by improving glucose metabolism. There’s no clinical evidence to support such claims. Supplements make it possible to exceed a daily intake of 1.8 mg, a level (defined by the Institute of Medicine) beyond which the risk of adverse effects increases. Such health risks are mostly unknown, since few studies have examined the long-term effects of high vanadium intakes in humans; animal research suggests that too much vanadium may damage kidneys. Even though vanadyl sulfate is poorly absorbed, and it’s unlikely that one will accumulate toxic levels from these “performance-enhancing” supplements, most experts advise against their use and say they may be simply a waste of money.

Bottom line: A typical American diet provides .01 to .06 mg of vanadium daily. Until research reveals more about vanadium’s biological role, most people don’t need to be concerned about getting enough—or too much.

—Sylvia M. Geiger, M.S., R.D.

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