Cholesterol is a type of lipid, or fat, that your liver produces daily to sustain normal body and metabolic functions. Vanadium is a mineral that your body needs in tiny amounts for bone growth and may have effects on your cholesterol levels and diabetes condition, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Although vanadium's role in metalworks and construction are well known, more research is needed for its specific function in the human body.
Function
Cholesterol provides structures for your cell membranes that separate the internal fluid environment of the cells from the external fluid environment. It regulates what goes in and out of the cells and provides structures for steroid hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, according to former nutrition professor Gordon Wardlaw of Ohio State University.
Vanadium in your body reduces blood sugar levels and improves sensitivity to insulin in people with type 2 diabetes. It also helps reduce the levels of low-density lipoproteins that carry cholesterol to your arteries.
Sources
You can get cholesterol mainly from animal sources, such as meats, seafood, poultry and dairy products. According to Wardlaw, you can get vanadium from mushrooms, shellfish, whole grains, edible algae and alcoholic drinks. One large egg contains about 210 mg of cholesterol, which is about 66 percent of your recommended daily intake. Three oz. of beef contain 333 mg.
Recommended Levels
The American Heart Association recommends that you maintain your blood cholesterol level below 200 ml per deciliter. This is about four grains of sand in every half cup of blood. Currently, there is no recommended intake for vanadium, according to Wardlaw.
Interactions
The University of Maryland Medical Center warns that you should not take vanadium supplements if you have high cholesterol, anemia, an infection, or any health problem causing a low white blood cell count. Side effects with certain medications for diabetes and high cholesterol include vomiting, nausea, headaches and excess gas. Take vanadium only with a physician's consultation.
Warning
Too much blood cholesterol puts you at risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Since cholesterol also accompanies with high-fat intake from animal source, you can easily gain fat weight with a potential risk of becoming obese.
The University of Maryland Medical Center states that too much vanadium in your body--more than 1.8 mg--causes kidney and liver damage.
References
- "University of Maryland Medical Center"; Vanadium
- "American Heart Association"; Cholesterol Levels
- "Perspective in Nutrition"; Gordon Wardlaw; 2002
