In addition to very low molybdenum many times accompanying various forms of spinal degeneration, |
ongoing dizziness is another factor with craniocervical disturbances, or those of the cranial ganglia, |
and it isn't always clear which came first - the symptoms, or the low molybdenum - unless a known |
injury triggered the problem. Nevertheless, if matched to the problem, I have seen molybdenum relieve |
the dizziness within a few hours following its supplementation. |
To a much lesser extent the above also applies to vanadium -- at least in theory. In practice, vanadium |
rarely becomes as deficient as molybdenum. In fact, it is very uncommon that vanadium would require |
supplementation at all (ankylosing spondylitis being a rare exception), because of the chemical inter- |
actions it is part of, and where molybdenum and chromium levels would both have to be much higher than vanadium. |
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Molybdenum is a component of xanthine oxidase, aldehyde oxidase, and sulfite oxidase, which are |
important enzyme systems. Xanthine oxidase is involved in converting nucleic acid to uric acid, a |
waste product of protein / purine metabolism, and although elevated uric acid can cause gouty attacks |
in susceptible individuals, normal uric acid levels are actually beneficial, as they have antioxidative properties and protect cells from free radicals. I have not seen moderate molybdenum supplementation cause gout in patients who exhibit low molybdenum levels even when they were prone for suffering from gout attacks, however very high molybdenum intake is capable of triggering inflammatory joint disease. |
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Aldehyde oxidase helps in the oxidation of carbohydrates, and sulfite oxidase helps to detoxify sulfites, which used to be common food preservatives (salad bars), and which some sensitive individuals have a severe allergic reaction to. |
While sulfur and molybdenum compete for uptake in plants, supplementing either one in humans |
helps uptake of the other by inhibiting copper, which is an antagonist to sulfur and molybdenum, so for |
practical purposes (and confirmed in thousands of clinical applications), they work as synergists with |
one another. There is an identical relationship between vanadium and selenium against chromium, |
resulting in the same synergism. |
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In animal studies, vanadium has been found to function similarly to insulin by helping to maintain blood glucose levels the same as in the control group, despite lower serum insulin, while at the same time |
making cell membrane insulin receptors more sensitive to insulin. |
In human studies, daily insulin requirements in Type I diabetics decreased by as much as 14%, and in Type II diabetics, there was an increase in insulin sensitivity observed following vanadium treatments |
using either vanadyl sulphate or sodium metavanadate. |
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So why don't doctors tell their patients to supplement vanadium in order to reduce insulin requirements? |
Well, perhaps some studies just don't compare to clinical applications in the real world. My own patient |
feedback has not been favorable to vanadium supplementation so far for diabetes. Instead of reducing insulin requirements, blood sugar had gone up following vanadium supplementation! |
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Both, vanadium and molybdenum have anticarcinogenic (anti-cancer) properties in regard to breast cancer (V+Mo) in animal models, and esophageal cancer and stomach cancer (Mo) in humans, which |
may be due to the copper-inhibiting effect of molybdenum, or possibly by Mo protecting the body from |
nitrosamine formation as a result of consuming foods (meats or vegetables) high in nitrates or nitrites. |
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According to some sources, supplementing vanadium has the potential to improve athletic performance |
because of the anabolic effect of vanadyl sulfate being similar to insulin (supposedly resulting in higher |
liver and muscle glycogen stores), however the validity of that claim is not universally accepted. |
For individuals suffering from bipolar / manic-depressive illness, there is evidence of possible adverse effects from increased vanadium intake due to its causative or aggravating impact on reduced sodium pump activity. |
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Short of minimal amounts present in some multi-mineral formulations, the effects of supplementing higher amounts of vanadium (as vanadyl sulphate) on a regular basis - when not indicated - can have |
detrimental side effects that may include anything from various aches and pains and flu-like symptoms (partly as a result of inhibiting chromium), to eventually vanadium causing all kinds of bizarre, chemical imbalances. Supplementing higher amounts of vanadium can also cause a very noticeable green discoloration of the tongue. ¤ |
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Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) is the latest term replacing daily dietary reference values such as |
Adequate Intake (AI), Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), Estimated Average Requirements (EAR), |
Nutrient Reference Value (NRV), and Recommended Dietary Allowance / Intake (RDA / RDI). |
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Vanadium / Vanadyl Sulfate:   Molybdenum: |
|
DRI (RDA):  none   DRI (RDA): new old |
       0-6 months 2mcg 30mcg |
       6-12 months 3mcg 40mcg |
       1-10 years 17-34mcg 75mcg |
       11-18 years 43mcg 150mcg |
18 years + (suggested) 100mcg+  18 years + 45mcg 250mcg+ |
       pregnant / lactating: +5mcg |
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Therapeutic Range: 1mg - 100mg  Therapeutic Range: 0.5mg - 2.5mg+ |
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Cellular / Intracellular Attributes and Interactions: |
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Vanadium Synergists:    Molybdenum Synergists: |
Selenium (see text above), zinc, fluoride,  Sulfur (see text above), potassium, chloride |
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Vanadium Antagonists / Inhibitors:  Molybdenum Antagonists / Inhibitors: |
Chromium, chloride, calcium, potassium, iodine, Copper, fluoride, magnesium, zinc, tungsten, |
sodium, sulfur, rutin, sugar,    phosphorus, selenium, tin, hesperidin, |
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Low Levels / Deficiency - Symptoms and/or Risk Factors: |
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Vanadium:      Molybdenum: |
Spinal degeneration, ankylosing spondylitis (with Spinal degeneration, ankylosing spondylitis |
elevated molybdenum, calcium and magnesium), (with high vanadium, calcium and magnesium), |
reduced growth and reproductive ability in animals, higher risk for several cancers, insufficient uric |
elevated cholesterol,     acid, elevated triglycerides, |
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High levels / Overdose / Toxicity / Negative Side Effects - Symptoms and/or Risk Factors: |
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Vanadium:      Molybdenum: |
Arthritis, aching bones, jaw, teeth, tonsils, ears, Skin eruptions, itchy skin, inflammatory spinal / |
weakened immune system, chronic colds,  joint disease, trabecular bone loss (spine, end- |
gastrointestinal problems, trabecular bone loss, part of bone), decreased growth in all species, |
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Vanadium Sources:    Molybdenum Sources: |
Vegetable oils, fats, olives, black pepper, seafood, Grains, organ meats, (soy) beans, lentils. ¤ |
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General recommendations for nutritional supplementation: To avoid stomach problems and promote |
better tolerance, supplements should always be taken earlier, or in the middle of a larger meal. When |
taken on an empty stomach or after a meal, there is a greater risk of some tablets causing irritation, or eventually erosion of the esophageal sphincter, resulting in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). |
It is also advisable not to lie down immediately after taking any pills. |
When taking a very large daily amount of a single nutrient, it is better to split it up into smaller doses to |
not interfere with the absorption of other nutrients in food, or nutrients supplemented at lower amounts. |
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Copyright © 2000-2008 Ronald Roth      Acu-Cell Nutrition: Vanadium & Molybdenum |
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