GENERAL INFORMATION

 Cobalt is an alkaline-forming and somewhat toxic element. It is widely distributed in foods.  It is required for the formation of vitamin B12, also called cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin.

Use in industry. Cobalt is used a lot in industry in the manufacture of hardened steel and other hard metal alloys.

FOOD SOURCES OF COBALT

 Seafood – sardines, salmon, herring

Meat/Organs – liver, kidney

Nuts/seeds – peanuts

Vegetables – peas, okra

Dairy – butter

Grains – buckwheat, wheat bran, wheat germ

Miscellaneous – molasses, raw sugar, cornstarch, cornmeal, some artificial prosthetic hips

FUNCTIONS OF COBALT (and vitamin B12)

Circulatory – increases cardiac glycogen

Excretory – stimulates erythropoietin in kidney

Respiratory – maintains red blood cell production

Digestive – maintains gastrointestinal mucosa

Nervous – maintains myelin sheath

Special Sensory – maintains vision and coordination

Reproductive – prevents congenital abnormalities and gametogenesis

Endocrine – release of glucagon, erythropoietin and T4, inhibition of insulin

Muscular – muscle homeostasis and control

Skeletal – maintains bone marrow and skin

Metabolic – nucleic acid, protein and lipid synthesis

Detoxification – methylation and sulfhydryl reactions

COBALT-CONTAINING METALLOENZYMES

• Glycylglycine dipeptidase – hydrolyzes dipeptides
• Catalase (in bacteria) – breaks down hydrogen peroxide
• Pyrophosphatase (in bacteria) – converts pyro- to orth-PO4

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS

The main deficiency symptom is pernicious anemia, a megaloblastic anemia that causes central nervous system damage.  Other possible deficiency symptoms are glossitis (inflammation of the tongue), and sprue, a digestive disturbance.

TOXICITY SYMPTOMS

This can occur due to occupational exposure to cobalt.  However, a more insidious source are mental-on-metal hip replacements and some knee replacements.  These contain cobalt and chromium. The metal rubs against metal, and particles of cobalt flake off and go into the body.  It can be quite serious, and the makers of some hip replacements have been sued for this problem.

• Toxicity symptoms may include:
• congestive heart failure,
• insulin inhibition ,
• polycythemia,
• pericardial effusion,
•  neurological abnormalities  and mental difficulties,
• thyroid dysfunction,
• vertigo,
• fatigue,
•  visual problems,
• impaired concentration,
• rashes,
• dementia,
• tremors,
• hearing loss

COBALT SYNERGISTS

copper, zinc, iodine, molybdenum, iron deficiency, vitamin C, folic acid

ANTAGONISTS

iron, manganese, protein in diet

HAIR ANALYSIS NOTES

Hair useful to assess cobalt status.  Hair mineral analysis has some value to assess the level of cobalt in the body.  No test can detect all the cobalt – or other minerals – in the body.

Ideals.  I use an ideal cobalt level of 0.001 mg%.  A hair cobalt level above about 0.003 mg% or about 0.03 ppm is associated with some cobalt toxicity, usually from taking a lot of vitamin B12.

An important “amigo” element.  Cobalt can be one of the ‘amigos’.  These are elements that can become oxides and irritants to the body when they are in a toxic form.