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MANFRED ANKE AN. R. ACAD. NAC. FARM.

Varying with species, meat and fish contain little vanadium (20
to 40 µg/kg dry matter). The vanadium content in hen’s eggs varies
extremely. The cause of vanadium accumulation in hen’s eggs may
be a high vanadium content in the calcium carbonate fed to hens, or
the vanadium emission from the burning of fuel oil for heating. A
high vanadium amount accumulated in eggs has no adverse effect
on human health. Organic farming animal foodstuffs may contain
significantly less vanadium than conventionally produced ones.

The main vanadium supplier of man is beer, which contains
between 18 and 36 µg V/L. Vanadium enrichment of beer has been
traced back to filtration with filters containing diatomaceous earth.
White, red and sparkling wines are also very rich in vanadium. The
reason for this could be the use of the unwashed grape, with depo-
sits of dust from the environment and vanadium emissions (vana-
dium steel, silica gel, bentonite) during the different stages of pro-
duction (65, 64, 15, 13, 74) and/or filtration with diatomaceans earth.

Beer and wine have been found to be the main suppliers of va-
nadium to men and women in Europe, supplying 75% and 41% of
the daily intake, respectively. Thus, vegetable food supplies 17 and
43%, and food of animal origin 8 and 16 % of the intake of men and
women, respectively (13).

Vanadium Intake

The vanadium intake of women and men was systematically
investigated by the duplicate portion technique in Germany and
Mexico. 19 test populations at the age of 20 to 69 years collected
duplicates of all consumed foodstuffs, sweets and beverages on 7
consecutive days (Table 13).

In Germany, men with mixed diets take in double the vanadium
amount ingested by women. The high intake results from the higher
beer consumption of men (1 L beer ~ 28 µg V).

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