NUTRIENT LIBRARY

Nutrient Library - Molybdenum

Molybdenum

What does it do?
How much do you need?
What are the best food sources?
What happens if you don’t get enough?
What happens if you get too much?
What are some recipes that are good sources of molybdenum?
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What does it do?

Molybdenum is a mineral that serves as a part of several key enzymes that help the body use carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

How much do you need?

The following table lists the recommended intake for healthy people based on current scientific information.

Life Stage Group	Recommended Dietary Allowance / Adequate Intake (see note below)	Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
Infants	(micrograms/day)	(micrograms/day)
0-6 mo. 7-12 mo.	2* 3*	Not determinable for infants due to lack of data on adverse effects in this age group and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.
Children
1-3 yr. 4-8 yr.	17 22	300 600
Males
9-13 yr. 14-18 yr. 19-30 yr. 31-50 yr. 51-70 yr. > 70 yr.	34 43 45 45 45 45	1,100 1,700 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000
Females
9-13 yr. 14-18 yr. 19-30 yr. 31-50 yr. 51-70 yr. > 70 yr.	34 43 45 45 45 45	1,100 1,700 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000
Pregnancy
< 18 yr. 19-30 yr. 31-50 yr.	50 50 50	1,700 2,000 2,000
Lactation
< 18 yr. 19-30 yr. 31-50 yr.	50 50 50	1,700 2,000 2,000

NOTE: The table is adapted from the Dietary Reference Intakes reports. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), when available, are in bold type; Adequate Intakes (AIs) are followed by an asterisk(*). RDAs and AIs may both be used as goals for individual intake. RDAs are set to meet the needs of almost all individuals (97 to 98 percent) in a group. For healthy breastfed infants, the AI is the mean intake. The AI for other life stage and gender groups is believed to cover the needs of all individuals in the group, but lack of data means the percentage of individuals covered by this intake cannot be specified with confidence.
UL = The maximum level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse effects. Unless otherwise specified, the UL represents total intake from food, water and supplements.

What are the best food sources?

Major food sources of molybdenum include legumes, grain products and nuts. Fruits, many vegetables and most animal products are usually low in molybdenum. See more food sources and calculate your daily intake.

What happens if you don’t get enough?

It’s not likely you’ll need to worry about whether you are getting enough of this mineral. Deficiency has not been observed in healthy people.

What happens if you get too much?

Harmful effects from too much molybdenum are quite uncommon. This could be because the mineral is rapidly excreted when consumed at high levels. Because so few cases have been reported, it’s hard for scientists to identify harmful effects and their symptoms. Still, stay within the recommended intakes.