Vanadyl sulfate is a trace mineral that is needed in small quantities by your body. It is found in soybeans, mushrooms, shellfish, carrots, oat, cabbage and vegetable oils, such as sunflower, soybean, safflower and olive oil. Like most water-soluble sulfates, vanadyl sulfate is only rarely found in nature. Vanadyl sulfate exhibits insulin-like effects. Vanadyl sulfate is a component of food supplements and experimental drugs. Vanadyl sulfate has been extensively studied in the field of diabetes research as a potential means of increasing insulin sensitivity. No evidence indicates that oral vanadium supplementation improves glycaemic control. Vanadyl sulfate could play an important role in the treatment of metabolic syndrome, contributing to a decrease in obesity and T2DM, through different ways, such as euglycemia, satiety, weight loss, and lipid profile optimization, among others. However, more research is needed to confirm this suggestion.

There is no information about pharmacological and biological application of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5). However, inhalation of this substance is a toxic for mammalian and repeated exposures to V2O5 containing particles may augment lung carcinogenesis in susceptible individuals through oxidative stress mediated pathways.

Vanadium (V) is a steel-grey, corrosion-resistant metal. Because of its hardness and its ability to form alloys, vanadium (i.e., ferrovanadium) is a common component of hard steel alloys used in machines and tools. Although most foods contain low concentrations of vanadium (< 1 ng/g), food is the major source of exposure to vanadium for the general population. Vanadium is probably an essential trace element, but a vanadium-deficiency disease has not been identified in humans. At pharmacological doses, vanadium compounds display relevant biological actions such as mimicking insulin and growth factors as well as having osteogenic activity. Some vanadium compounds also show antitumoral properties.