✓ No active regulatory warningsFDA MedWatch, EMA EudraVigilance, WHO VigiBase, WADA Prohibited List · 2026-05-29
📰Read the full Vanadium evidence review on GMJ News →Complete clinical article, references and updates on news.gmj.ge. This page is the structured safety summary.⚠ Supplements often exceed UL (1.8 mg/day) [1]
⚠ Abandoned as diabetes treatment due to toxicity [2]
⚠ Use metformin/GLP-1/SGLT2i instead [2]
ℹ️ Not obtained from food. An ultra-trace element from food; no formal daily dietary target is established.
🔬 Lab interpreter
⚕ For professionals — confirm ranges against your local laboratory.
Clinical verdict
1 How much do I need?
👤 Adults: Specific dosage data under clinical review
👴 Elderly: Specific dosage data under clinical review
🤰 Pregnancy: See guidance
AVOID [1].
👦 Pediatric: See guidance
AVOID [1].
🏃 Athletes: Standard dose
⚖️ Obesity: Standard dose
Fat-soluble compounds may require dose adjustment in obesity.
🩺 Renal: Consult specialist
Dose adjustment may be needed in renal impairment.
🌱 Vegan: Standard dose
How to take
🍽 Timing: NOT recommended [2].
💊 With food: N/A [2].
🚫 Avoid: Use approved diabetes medications instead [2].
2 Which form?
| Form | Bioavailability | Vegan | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ['Vanadyl sulfate', 'common', '10–100 mg. Often exceeds UL [1].'] | Standard | Check label |
3 Common questions
Is vanadium a diabetes treatment? ▼
NO — modest glucose lowering was demonstrated but the narrow therapeutic window and GI toxicity make it impractical. Metformin, GLP-1 agonists, and SGLT2 inhibitors are far superior [2].
4 Clinical evidence
Strong
Moderate
Modest glucose lowering in 1990s trials [2]. MODERATE
Insufficient
Clinical diabetes management — abandoned due to toxicity [2]. LOW
5 Safety, toxicity & adverse events
Relative
⚠ Diabetes on medication — additive hypoglycemia at studied (high) doses
⚠ Renal impairment — vanadium accumulation/toxicity
⚠ GI upset and possible toxicity at supplement doses — narrow margin
⚠ Bipolar disorder — theoretical caution
🚩 Red flags
● Supplement exceeding 1.8 mg/day UL [1]
● Patient using vanadium for diabetes — redirect to proven medications [2]
6 Interactions
Drug interactions
7 Regulatory
IOM: UL: 1.8 mg/day. Many supplements exceed this [1].
8 US supplement products
680
on-market products containing Vanadium (NIH DSLD)
Brands carrying Vanadium (195)
Click a brand to see its Vanadium products.
9 Frequently paired with
10 Cite this page
Vancouver: Pkhakadze G. Vanadium — safety profile [Internet]. Tbilisi: PHIG; 2026 [cited 2026 Jul 17]. Available from: https://supplement.ge/ingredients/vanadium/
APA 7th: Pkhakadze, G. (2026). Vanadium — Safety profile. Public Health Institute of Georgia. https://supplement.ge/ingredients/vanadium/
📋 Editorial information
Author: Prof. G. Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Institution: Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG)
Affiliation: David Tvildiani Medical University (DTMU)
First published: January 2026
Last reviewed: 2026-05-29
Next review: January 2027
References: 2 cited sources
COI: SupplementIndex receives no funding from supplement manufacturers. All content independently authored by PHIG.
Process: Systematic literature review
📄 License & reuse
Published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). You may share and adapt for any purpose with attribution.
Pkhakadze G. "Vanadium — Safety Profile." SupplementIndex, PHIG, 2026. https://supplement.ge/ingredients/vanadium/ CC BY 4.0.
GP
Prof. G. Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Professor of Public Health · Head of Department, DTMU
Editor-in-Chief, Georgian Medical Journal (ISSN 3088-4322)
Chair, Public Health Institute of Georgia · UEMS Public Health Section
Educational and public health purposes. CC BY 4.0. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Corrections: info@accreditation.ge. Publisher: PHIG