Freyja, the Norse goddess of beauty, fertility and luster, and the Scandinavian goddess of youth and beauty, presumably called Vanadi, are the name source of this recently acclaimed trace mineral. Though evidence remains circumstantial as to how essential it is for humans, for many of us, the name implies, perhaps, that vanadium somehow aids in the maintenance of a beautiful and youthful vigor in life. There have been research attempts to this end as in studies regarding body-builders and the use of vanadium for building lean muscle mass, but to date there is little-to-no proof validating this belief.

Vanadium is present in varying amounts in the earth's crust. It is in bituminous materials (or mineral ore), carbons, heavy oils, and, quantities dependent on environmental presence, in most organic life forms, including terrestrial and aquatic animals. Vanadium has physical and chemical properties utilized in industrial applications such as oil refineries, siderurgical industries, boiler-cleaning activities, and heating with fossil fuels.

Vanadium, or chemical designation V, is frequently found concentrated in human renal tissue. It is therefore suspected that the kidneys are a major site of action. According to Michael Murray, vanadium, in the form of vanadate, is a known, and reversible, potent inhibitor of the sodium-potassium pump, and may play a regulatory role in salt and water excretion through this action. Excessive levels of vanadium, are also implicated in the presence of manic depression. This form of depression is routinely treated with Lithium, which reverses vanadium's inhibition of the sodium-potassium pump.

It is suspected, even hoped, that vanadium will prove to have a profound effect for use in the treatment of diabetes. Therapeutic potential has been shown in clinical studies of both insulin and non-insulin dependent diabetics. Though as long ago as 1985 vanadium's ability to restore elevated blood glucose levels to normal, and in 1991 the reduction of hyperglycemia, was demonstrated in the treatment of diabetic rats, there remains no validation in human trials, despite the fact that more and more research reports present evidence of this potential biological function.

Toxicity levels of vanadium remain a concern for toxicologists. Occupational exposures to vanadium have been implicated in causing asthma, bronchial hypereactivity to histamine, inflammation in the upper and lower respiratory systems, and changes in pulmonary function. Testing urine levels of workers exposed to vanadium at start of shift (S-O-S) and end of shift (E-O-S) suggests a rapid initial clearance of vanadium, followed by a slow clearance, not yet completed 38 hours after termination of exposure. Known to be toxic to lower-form animals, but is used for chemoprotection against cancers in animals, creating somewhat of a paradox. It is proposed that the mechanism for vanadium-dependent toxicity is due to DNA cleavage by generated hydroxyl radicals. Research has shown that vanadium can activate the immune system, yet at different levels, can suppress the immune system. It has also been shown to cause depressive-type changes in brain chemistry at excessive levels. Yet, what are those excessive levels?

It remains unclear as to what role vanadium plays in the human body, and even what constitutes an acceptable daily intake. Total amounts naturally found within the human body are estimated to be anywhere from 20-100mcg. No RDA's have been established, yet it is considered essential, and has been so established in lower animals. Human daily dietary intake has been estimated in ranges from 10 mcg. to 15 mg. Research outcomes vary widely, and it has been suggested that establishing new RDA's require increased attention. A new paradigm for establishing required amounts is emerging, and asks for consideration of overall health effects, not just the minimum, deficiency-preventing requirement, as nutrients are consumed in combination, not in isolation. It has also been recommended that a new designation be established, ABI or Apparent Beneficial Intake, as opposed to Required Daily Amount, or RDA.

Due to the unavailability of definitive appropriate dosages, supplementation with vanadium remains risky, at best. In one test in particular, using a vanadium-deficient diet fed to goat mothers, second-generation kids were born with severe skeletal damage, and many died within three days, suggesting the seriousness of vanadium deficiency. In 1994, BF Harland stated that pharmocologic amounts of vanadium, up to 100 times normal intake, "affect cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism, influence the shape of erythrocytes, and stimulate glucose oxidation and glycogen synthesis in the liver." Harland also claims that "vanadium's primary mode of action is as a cofactor that enhances OR inhibits enzymes", making the idea of supplementation an even greater risk. Available in a variety of foods, especially black pepper, buckwheat, soybeans, dill, shellfish, and parsley supplementation, at this point, appears unnecessary.

Five forms of vanadium exist. Eleven vanadium compounds have been tested for physiologic stability. Several of these compounds were stable upon dissolution in distilled water, but lost that stability when dissolved in distilled water at pH7, suggesting that the body's acid/alkaline balance plays a critical role in absorption. Eleven forms have also been shown to have strong spermicidal use against human sperm, and may be useful as a contraceptive agent. The most popular form used in supplementation is vanadyl sulfate. Again, there is no consensus as to appropriate dosages, or even price. One local healthfood store carries vanadyl sulfate in amounts of 5,000 mcg at approximately $.08/per capsule, and an internet store carries it in amounts of 15 mg at $.33/per capsule, with a wide variety of content amounts and prices in between from other vendors.

There have been recent applications of an alternative nature. Within the medical field of plastic surgery, vanadium has been mixed with titanium and aluminum, producing a titanium alloy used as a metal plating system for bony fixation. This alloy has an ease of bending, a low bioreactivity and corrosivity, is lightweight, nonallergenic, noncarcinogenic, resistant to stress and strain, is sterilizable and possesses no magnetic properties. In spite of its lack of magnetic properties, and that it is considered a metal, vanadium, surrounded by the organic molecule tetracyanoethylene, or TCNE, is in current use as a component of nonmetallic magnets, with the future hope of use in high-density optical data storage systems.

Despite years of research, vanadium remains an enigma. Its value has been proven in plastic surgery, industrial applications, and the potential for a myriad of health applications, including alleviating diabetic symptoms in humans. Yet it remains an industrial pollutant, is definitively toxic to lab and/or farm animals, and has the potential to disrupt a number of biological systems. At this point in time, given this state of being, I feel it would be a disservice to clients to recommend supplementation of vanadium beyond normal dietary intake.