Molybdenum

Why molybdenum is good for you

Molybdenum is a trace mineral, which means the body only needs a very small amount of it to maintain good health.

Molybdenum assists the body by fighting nitrosamines, which are associated with cancer, may prevent cavities and may help to prevent anaemia. It is needed for normal cell function and nitrogen metabolism. With these qualities, there might be evidence of antioxidant properties in this nutrient.

Molybdenum is part of sulphite oxidase, an enzyme that breaks down sulphites. Sulphites are found in protein food as well as chemical preservatives in certain foods and drugs. Should your body not be able to break down these sulphites, toxic build-up results, and your body may react with an allergic reaction.

These allergic reactions can be respiratory problems such as asthma and others. Molybdenum is also part of xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase – both involved in the body’s production of genetic material and proteins. Xanthine oxidase also helps the body to oxidise purines and pyrimidines and produce uric acid, an important waste product.

Molybdenum is needed by the cells to enable them to function properly, by producing healthy DNA and RNA

Important molybdenum facts

Molybdenum:

• along with copper interacts, shares or competes for common enzyme systems in the body
• is needed for a number of enzymes to work properly
• helps the amino acids containing sulphur – methionine and cysteine
• is part of tooth enamel
• helps to make uric acid, which is part of urine
• is a component of three different enzymes, which is involved in the metabolism of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), iron as well as food into energy. These three enzymes are sulphite oxidase, xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase
• can be depleted if there is an excess of copper, tungsten and sulphates
• supplements can be depleted by heat and moisture change

Molybdenum works best with

• Vitamin B2
• Vitamin B3
• Chloride
• Iron
• Potassium
• Sulfur

Molybdenum and health

• Molybdenum eliminates uric acid
  Molybdenum is also an integral part of the enzymes xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase, both of which are involved in the production of genetic material and proteins in the body (DNA and RNA). Xanthine oxidase also helps the body to produce and eliminate uric acid, an important waste product. Uric acid is produced when proteins are metabolised and high uric acid levels are found in people with gout.
• Molybdenum helps the body use nitrogen
  Molybdenum assists with the usage of nitrogen in the body, in particular by helping to remove nitrogen waste from the body through the formation of uric acid. Nitrogen levels can become higher when the body is undergoing a high amount of physical activity and it is released by the muscles (through their metabolic activity), but it needs to be removed as it can have toxic effects on the body.
• Molybdenum is required for energy metabolism
  Molybdenum, through its function in a number of enzyme processes (via sulphite oxidase, xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase), is involved in the metabolism of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), iron, and also food into energy.
• Molybdenum is needed for normal cell function
  Molybdenum is needed by the cells to enable them to function properly, by producing healthy DNA and RNA (through the enzyme processes), thus ensuring the cells are healthy.
• Molybdenum has anti-carcinogenic properties
  Molybdenum has anti-carcinogenic properties because it helps the body by stopping nitrosamines from causing damage to the cells and causing cancer. Nitrosamines are produced  from nitrites and secondary amines, which often occur in the form of proteins.

Groups at risk of molybdenum deficiency

• Diet consisting mainly of refined foods – if the diet consists of mainly refined foods, the RDIA of molybdenum will not be reached
• People taking copper supplements – people that take copper supplements may be low on molybdenum, as copper can compete with and block molybdenum absorption

People in these groups at risk of deficiency should talk to a medical professional about molybdenum supplements before taking them.

Symptoms of molybdenum deficiency

Dietary molybdenum deficiency has never been observed in healthy people. If deficiency were to occur, the following are the molybdenum deficiency symptoms:

• Elevated excretion of enzymes
• Gout
• Low uric acid levels
• Mental disturbances
• Susceptibility to sulphite toxicity

People who experience any of the symptoms above should seek the advice of their doctor.

Molybdenum in food

The following foods all contain molybdenum:

• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Grains
• Lima beans
• Liver
• Milk
• Peas
• Spinach

Molybdenum recommended daily intake (RDI)

The tolerable upper limits should only be taken for short periods and only under medical supervision.

* The tolerable upper limit for molybdenum for infants aged 0-12 months has not yet been determined due to a lack of data about the adverse effects in this age group. The only source of molybdenum intake should be from food (breast milk and/or baby formula).

Toxic levels of molybdenum

Molybdenum is toxic at doses greater than 2,000mcg (2mg). Severe molybdenum toxicity is rare and caused by environmental exposure or workplace exposure.

Acute molybdenum toxicity

Acute toxicity from taking too much in molybdenum supplements – over 2,000mcg (2mg) can cause the following symptoms:

• Aching joints
• Gout-like symptoms
• Severe diarrhoea

Chronic molybdenum toxicity

Chronic toxicity of molybdenum from taking higher than the therapeutic dose of supplements for a long time can cause the following symptoms:

• Anaemia
• Copper deficiency
• Depression
• Gout
• High uric acid levels

People who experience any of the above toxicity symptoms should discontinue their molybdenum supplements and see their doctor for advice. Overdosage and toxicity is more likely to occur from taking too many supplements, whereas dietary intake of molybdenum is highly unlikely to cause overdosage.

Other factors linked to high molybdenum levels

These can potentially elevate molybdenum levels:

• Cigarette smoking
• Hemodialysis
• Intense physical activity
• Impaired liver function
• Impaired kidney function
• Metal hip implants

Precautions

Certain people should not take molybdenum supplements at all:

• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are advised not to take molybdenum supplements, as the supplements have unknown effects on the unborn foetus and developing child once it is born.

Certain people should not take molybdenum supplements without first consulting their doctor for advice to ensure magnesium supplementation does not conflict adversely with their condition:

• People that have high uric acid levels
• People with a copper deficiency
• People with gout
• People with kidney or liver disease

Interactions with medications and supplements

The following are the medications and supplements that are more likely to cause a reaction with molybdenum supplements:

• Copper
  Copper is needed to ensure that there are correct and balanced levels of both copper and molybdenum in the body. If high levels of copper supplements are taken, then this can cause blood levels of molybdenum to decrease and may precipitate a deficiency if continued for too long.
• Sulphur
  Increased intake of foods and supplements with high amounts of sulphur can cause a reduction in the blood levels of molybdenum and may precipitate a deficiency if continued for too long.

Molybdenum has no other known reactions with medications.

Other interactions with molybdenum

There are none reported.

Molybdenum’s effect on lab tests

Molybdenum has the following effect on lab tests:

• Serum copper

Molybdenum supplements can cause a reduction in serum copper levels.

References

• USDA National Nutrient Database – provides nutrient values for foods (accessed 5 January 2005)
• Osiecki, H. The Nutrient Bible. Bio-Concepts Publishing QLD, 2002
• Whitney EN, Cataldo DB, Rolfes SR. Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition, 6th Edition. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002

Last updated: 6 May 2024