Vanadium

About Vanadium

Vanadium is a transition metal with atomic number 23. It was first identified in 1801 by Andres Manuel del Rio and rediscovered in 1830 by Nils Gabriel Sefstrom, who named it after Vanadis, a name of the Norse goddess Freyja, because of its colorful compounds. Some organisms concentrate vanadium strikingly, including certain sea squirts and the fly agaric mushroom. In the 1980s vanadium salts were found to have insulin like effects in diabetic rats, and compounds such as vanadyl sulfate enhance insulin signaling partly by inhibiting protein tyrosine phosphatases. Human diabetes trials produced small, inconsistent effects, often with gastrointestinal side effects, and vanadium has not become an accepted treatment. Its essentiality in humans has not been established and no recommended intake exists. Dietary sources include mushrooms, shellfish, black pepper, dill, and grains. Supplements have been marketed for diabetes and bodybuilding without good evidence. Occupational exposure to vanadium dust causes respiratory irritation and a characteristic green discoloration of the tongue.