Abstract
The chemical element vanadium was first discovered by Spanish-born Mexican mineralogist, Andrés Manuel del Río, in 1801. He originally named the element “panchromium” because of the spectrum of colors associated with various oxides of the metal, but changed the name to “erythronium,” because most of the mineral salts turned red upon heating. Later, del Rio was convinced by fellow scientists that he had really found impure chromium and not a new element. To his regret, that same element was “discovered” 30 years later by Swedish chemist, Nils Gabriel Sefstrom, who named it vanadium, after the Nordic goddess of beauty, Vanadis (Freyja).1 Nutritionally, vanadium is thought to be a cofactor in various enzymatic reactions. Data from animal and human studies suggest vanadium mimics the action of insulin.2 Consequently, it may serve a beneficial role in promoting healthy glucose metabolism in individuals with diabetes or dysglycemia. Dietary sources for vanadium include mushrooms, shellfish, black pepper, parsley, dill seed, and grains.