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4.12.9: Molybdenum

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    Molybdenum also acts as a cofactor that is required for the metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids, nitrogen-containing compounds found in DNA and RNA, and various other functions. Deficiency of molybdenum is not seen in healthy people, however, a rare metabolic effect called molybdenum cofactor deficiency is the result of an insufficient amount of molybdoenzymes in the body. Due to rapid excretion rates in the urine of the mineral, molybdenum toxicity is low in humans.

    Dietary Reference Intakes of Molybdenum

    The recommended intake for molybdenum is 45 mcg per day for both adult males and females.

    Table \(\PageIndex{1}\): Dietary Reference Intakes for Molybdenum
    Age group RDA (μg/day) UL (μg/day)
    Infants (0-6 months)   –
    Infants (6-12 months)   –
    Children (1-3 years) 17 300
    Children (4-8 years) 22 600
    Children (9-13 years) 34 1,100
    Adolescents (14-18 years) 43 1,700
    Adults (19-50 years) 45 2,000
    Adults (51-70 years) 45 2,000
    Adults (>71 years) 45 2,000

    Source: The National Academies Press (2006). Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. The National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine. 356. Dietary Sources of Molybdenum: The food sources of molybdenum varies depending on the content in the soil in the specific region. Legumes, grain products, and nuts are rich sources of dietary molybdenum. Animal products, fruits, and most vegetables are low in molybdenum.[1]

    Query \(\PageIndex{1}\)

    References

    1. Gropper, S. A. S., Smith, J. L., & Carr, T. P. (2018). Advanced nutrition and human metabolism. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. ↵

    This page titled 4.12.9: Molybdenum is shared under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennifer Draper, Marie Kainoa Fialkowski Revilla, & Alan Titchenal via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.