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- Why molybdenum is good for you
- Important molybdenum facts
- Groups at risk of molybdenum deficiency
- Symptoms of molybdenum deficiency
- Molybdenum and health
- Molybdenum in foods
- Molybdenum recommended daily intake (RDI)
- Molybdenum works best with
- Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for molybdenum
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 oxidize purines and pyrimidines, and produce uric acid, an important waste product.
- Molybdenum and copper interact, share or compete for common enzyme systems in the body
- Molybdenum 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.
- An excess of copper, tungsten and sulphates can deplete molybdenum. Heat and moisture change supplemental molybdenum
People in these groups at risk of deficiency should talk to a medical professional about molybdenum supplements BEFORE taking them.
Dietary molybdenum deficiency has never been observed in healthy people.
- No information available at present
The following foods all contain molybdenum:
|TOLERABLE UPPER LIMIT||lifestage||age||AMOUNT|
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).
Dosages of more than 15 milligrams may be toxic and excess molybdenum in the body can interfere with the metabolism of copper in the body, which can give symptoms of gout, and may cause diarrhea, anemia and slow growth.
- 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