Vanadium
Mineral ·Exploratory record · not publication-reviewed ·Updated July 13, 2026
Ultra-trace mineral that mimics insulin action for blood sugar support.
Exploratory record, not a reviewed medical publication.
See the editorial and medical-review policies for the publication gate.
This generated database record has not completed a claim-level review by a qualified human medical reviewer. Bibliography links and evidence labels are not approval. The page remains available for reference and is excluded from search indexing.
What the research says.
A quick, data-only summary. The full evidence, dosing, and sources are below.
Vanadium is a mineral most often used for blood sugar support, insulin sensitivity. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as emerging. A typical adult dose is 10-50 mcg daily, commonly taken as vanadyl sulfate or bis(maltolato)oxovanadium. This profile indexes 16 sources.
The bottom line
Evidence rating emerging. Most-documented uses: blood sugar support, insulin sensitivity. 16 sources indexed (1996–2025), with 0 interaction records on file.
How it works, mechanistically.
Core mechanism
Vanadyl ion inhibits protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), enhancing insulin receptor signaling. Stimulates glucose transporter (GLUT4) translocation to cell surface.3,4
Dosing & protocol.
What it actually costs.
Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Vanadyl Sulfate.
Weak estimate: assumes 10-50 mcg/day. Vendor basis: iHerb, Vitacost, Amazon marketplace, and specialty trace-mineral products; standalone retail options are sparse. Updated 2026-05-28.
The same dose, as food.
How much you'd eat to match a supplemental dose.
Vanadium content varies widely and routine supplementation is not usually diet-equivalent.
Full safety detail.
Sources, by evidence tier.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Meta-analyses & systematic reviews
2- 1Vanadium and biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in diabetes: A systematic review of animal studiesPMIDGhalichi F, Ostadrahimi A, Saghafi-Asl M · Health promotion perspectives · 2022
Ghalichi F, Ostadrahimi A, Saghafi-Asl M. Vanadium and biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in diabetes: A systematic review of animal studies. Health promotion perspectives. 2022
- 2A systematic review of vanadium oral supplements for glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitusPMIDSmith DM, Pickering RM, Lewith GT · QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians · 2008
Smith DM, Pickering RM, Lewith GT. A systematic review of vanadium oral supplements for glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus. QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians. 2008
Randomized controlled trials
3- 3Vanadyl sulfate improves hepatic and muscle insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetesPMIDCusi K et al. · J Clin Endocrinol Metab · 2001
In type 2 diabetic subjects, vanadyl sulfate increased glucose infusion rate approximately 82%, improving hepatic and muscle insulin sensitivity.
- 4Metabolic effects of vanadyl sulfate in humans with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: in vivo and in vitro studiesPMIDGoldfine AB et al. · Metabolism · 2000
Fasting glucose and HbA1c decreased significantly in 150- and 300-mg vanadyl sulfate groups; reduced endogenous glucose production by about 20%.
- 5Oral vanadyl sulfate improves insulin sensitivity in NIDDM but not in obese nondiabetic subjectsPMIDHalberstam M et al. · Diabetes · 1996
Vanadyl sulfate improved insulin sensitivity specifically in diabetic subjects but did not alter insulin sensitivity in nondiabetic obese volunteers.
Reviews & position papers
9- 6Cytotoxicity of Vanadium(IV) and Vanadium(V) on Caco-2 Cells: The Important Influence of Vanadium SpeciationPMIDDu XY, Yu YQ, Yang J et al. · Biological trace element research · 2025
Du XY, Yu YQ, Yang J et al.. Cytotoxicity of Vanadium(IV) and Vanadium(V) on Caco-2 Cells: The Important Influence of Vanadium Speciation. Biological trace element research. 2025
- 7Vanadium - good or bad - The role of vanadium in the central nervous system disorders, potential therapeutic targets and its toxicityPMIDStachowicz K · Toxicology letters · 2025
Stachowicz K. Vanadium - good or bad - The role of vanadium in the central nervous system disorders, potential therapeutic targets and its toxicity. Toxicology letters. 2025
- 8Vanadium(V) complexes derived from triphenylphosphonium and hydrazides: cytotoxicity evaluation and interaction with biomoleculesPMIDMartins FM, Iglesias BA, Chaves OA et al. · Dalton transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003) · 2024
Martins FM, Iglesias BA, Chaves OA et al.. Vanadium(V) complexes derived from triphenylphosphonium and hydrazides: cytotoxicity evaluation and interaction with biomolecules. Dalton transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003). 2024
- 9Vanadium toxicity was alleviated by supplementation of silicon in tomato seedlings: Upregulating antioxidative enzymes and glyoxalase systemPMIDAltaf MA, Shahid R, Naz S et al. · Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB · 2024
Altaf MA, Shahid R, Naz S et al.. Vanadium toxicity was alleviated by supplementation of silicon in tomato seedlings: Upregulating antioxidative enzymes and glyoxalase system. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB. 2024
- 10Vanadium Toxicity Is Altered by Global Warming Conditions in Sea Urchin Embryos: Metal Bioaccumulation, Cell Stress Response and ApoptosisPMIDMartino C, Geraci F, Scudiero R et al. · Journal of xenobiotics · 2024
Martino C, Geraci F, Scudiero R et al.. Vanadium Toxicity Is Altered by Global Warming Conditions in Sea Urchin Embryos: Metal Bioaccumulation, Cell Stress Response and Apoptosis. Journal of xenobiotics. 2024
- 11Vanadium: Risks and possible benefits in the light of a comprehensive overview of its pharmacotoxicological mechanisms and multi-applications with a summary of further research trendsPMIDCrans DC et al. · J Inorg Biochem · 2020
Organic vanadium compounds are much safer than inorganic salts with no GI discomfort, hepatic or renal toxicity; toxicity increases with valence state.
- 12Vanadium (V) and magnesium (Mg) - In vivo interactions: A reviewPMIDŚcibior A · Chemico-biological interactions · 2016
Ścibior A. Vanadium (V) and magnesium (Mg) - In vivo interactions: A review. Chemico-biological interactions. 2016
- 13An evidence-based systematic review of vanadium by the Natural Standard Research CollaborationPMIDDefined TN et al. · J Diet Suppl · 2012
Vanadyl sulfate appears safe at therapeutic doses for 6 weeks but does not dramatically improve insulin sensitivity or glycemic control at tolerated doses.
- 14Vanadium compounds as insulin mimetics and their potential as therapeutic agentsSource linkedPMIDCrans DC, Smee JJ, Gaidamauskas E, Yang L · J Inorg Biochem · 2004
Reference material
2- 15Ghalichi F, Ostadrahimi A, Saghafi-Asl M. Vanadium and diabetic dyslipidemia: A systematic review of animal studies. Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS). 2022Source linkedPMID
- 16Jaiswal MR, Kale PP. Mini review-vanadium-induced neurotoxicity and possible targets. Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology. 2020Source linkedPMID
Common questions.
Quick answers about Vanadium, drawn from the data on this page.
What is Vanadium?
Ultra-trace mineral that mimics insulin action for blood sugar support.
What is Vanadium used for?
Commonly cited benefits of Vanadium include: Blood sugar support; Insulin sensitivity. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as emerging.
What is a typical dose of Vanadium?
A typical adult dose of Vanadium is 10-50 mcg daily. The commonly recommended form is Vanadyl sulfate or bis(maltolato)oxovanadium. These are general ranges, not personalized advice; confirm the right dose with a clinician.
What are the side effects of Vanadium?
Reported side effects include gi upset, green tongue, kidney toxicity at high doses. This is educational information; check with a healthcare professional before use.
How strong is the evidence for Vanadium?
NutriStack rates this as Emerging, meaning early RCT signal, mechanistic data, or limited human evidence. Full tier criteria are at https://nutristackapp.com/methodology/evidence-tiers.
Use this with your stack
Vanadium in NutriStack.
Add it to your stack, see how it interacts with everything else you take, and get a Stack Score that updates the moment it does.