Molybdenum: Benefits, Side Effects, Best Time to Take It & More

Molybdenum

(Mo)

Evidence: Low
Potential Benefits: Low
Safety: High

What is molybdenum?

Molybdenum is an essential mineral our body needs for multiple functions, the most important of which is the conversion of toxic sulfite to useful sulfate. Extra molybdenum from supplements is only helpful if you are deficient in the nutrient. If you already get enough molybdenum from food, you should not need to take the supplement. This article is about the main benefits of molybdenum as a supplement, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.

What does molybdenum do?

Molybdenum has four main functions in the body:
1) It helps detoxify many toxins and drugs, such as nicotine.
2) It protects DMA from damage.
3) It converts sulfite, a toxic form of sulfur, to sulfate, a non-toxic and highly useful form of sulfur.
4) It creates uric acid that acts as an antioxidant in small amounts.

Of these four, the ability to convert sulfite to sulfate is the most important function of molybdenum. Nearly all problems associated with a deficiency in the mineral are caused by too much sulfite in the body.

Potential benefits

It is important to note that all of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. Generally, the higher the dose, the more pronounced the effects are. However, they do reach a plateau at a certain point. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.

Many possible benefits fall under the umbrella of ‘correcting a deficiency’ and are therefore not mentioned in the article. If you are deficient, the supplements can affect your cognition, performance, and overall health in a remarkably positive way.

Major benefits

Correcting or preventing a deficiency – Molybdenum deficiency can be terrible for your health and overall quality of life. Fortunately, a severe deficit is relatively rare. A mild deficiency is much more common and can lead to many problems mentioned later in the article. If you are experiencing symptoms of deficiency or know that your levels are too low, correcting a deficiency is the main benefit of molybdenum supplements.

Minor benefits

The supplement doesn’t seem to have any benefits other than correcting or preventing a deficiency.

Possible side effects

These side effects are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.

High uric acid – This side effect has only been observed in very high doses (10-15 mg). While a low amount of uric acid is usually a good thing because of its antioxidant properties, too much uric acid can lead to multiple health problems, such as joint pain and uric acid-induced gout. This is not something to worry about if you stick to regular doses in micrograms.
Reproductive defects – These have only been in female mice at doses that would be equal to about 55 mg in women of average weight. Just like high uric acid, this side effect is not something to worry about. However, it is a good enough reason to not take milligrams of this mineral at once.
Diarrhea – Diarrhea caused by this supplement is not dangerous (assuming it doesn’t lead to severe dehydration) and usually only occurs if you take very high doses at once.
Nausea – Just like diarrhea, this side effect is not dangerous but can be unpleasant.
Contamination – Contaminated supplements are uncommon in the USA and other well-regulated countries. However, if you wish to buy products from China, India, or other countries without strict regulations, beware that the supplements may be contaminated. Either way, you need to choose the brand you order from wisely. It is highly recommended to check the certificates or read through some reviews for the specific product before you buy it. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has the power to regulate dietary supplements but can only do so after they have been on the market for a while. That’s because supplement companies are not obligated to announce to the FDA when releasing a new product on the market. The FDA has to discover the product and test it for potential impurities, which can take a lot of time. During that time, the supplement can be sold on the market even if it’s impure. Also, the supplement companies can change their manufacturers at any time without announcing it to the FDA.

Who should not take molybdenum?

You should probably avoid taking the supplement if you:

already consume enough molybdenum from food
experience a severe adverse reaction after taking the supplement
are on a tight supplement budget (since there are more cost-effective supplements on the market)

Who will benefit the most?

You should consider taking the supplement if you:

experience symptoms of deficiency, or you know you are deficient based on blood tests
don’t get enough molybdenum from food (the easiest way to find out how much of this nutrient you are getting in your diet is to track your food intake for a while with Cronometer.com)
are a fruitarian, a person on a keto diet, or a carnivore (however, fruitarians can get enough molybdenum from bananas and keto people/carnivores can get enough from eating liver)
have a very high intake of sulfite

Types of molybdenum

The different types of molybdenum supplements include:

Molybdenum chloride
Sodium molybdate
Molybdenum glycinate
Molybdenum citrate
Molybdenum amino acid chelate

All of these forms are virtually identical as far as their effects on the body, at least from what we know today.

Symptoms of molybdenum deficiency

Most of the symptoms below are related to a sulfite overload caused by a lack of molybdenum. The most common signs of deficiency and sulfite overload include:

insomnia
fatigue
allergies
seizures
longer-lasting effects of caffeine and nicotine
chronic pain
glutamate toxicity
vitamin B1 and B6 deficiency
morning sickness in pregnancy
not feeling good after eating foods high in sulfur
rapid heart rate
headaches
night blindness
mood problems
blurry vision

Keep in mind that these signs are just indications of a deficiency. If you experience some or even most of them, it does not necessarily mean you need more molybdenum. On the other hand, some people may be deficient even though they are completely asymptomatic.

With that said, if you experience many or most of these symptoms, there is a high chance that you are not getting enough molybdenum. The more of these symptoms you have and the more severe they are, the more likely you are to have a deficiency.

How much molybdenum should you take?

The RDA (recommended daily allowance) for this nutrient is 45 mcg for most adults. For pregnancy and lactation, this increases to 50 mcg. This should be enough to avoid symptoms of deficiency. Children should optimally get at least 23 mcg for every 1000 calories they eat.

While these recommendations were made with only a small amount of evidence, they are good amounts to shoot for and should be sufficient for most people.

Beware that the more sulfite you consume, the more molybdenum you need. Sulfite is found primarily in food additives, animal-based protein, onions, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables.

Supplements often provide 100-500 mcg. Even the lower end of this dose should be more than enough for the vast majority of people. However, if you know that you have a sulfite overload, you can safely take as much as 2 mg for a few weeks and then lower the dose to 100-500 mcg.

The upper safety limit is set at 2 mg. Higher doses may cause problems if you take the supplement for a prolonged period. Do not take more than this amount unless you have a great reason to do so.

The higher the dose you take, the higher the risk for side effects. Taking more than 2 mg daily should not be necessary and is not recommended unless you have a great reason to do so.

Food sources of molybdenum

This nutrient is abundant in food. If you stick to a whole food diet and eat a decent amount of legumes, grains, or vegetables, you are unlikely to become deficient.

Oats and legumes are by far the richest sources of molybdenum, as little as 50 grams of oats and most legumes should provide more than enough molybdenum for the day.

Pasta, rice, bananas, and liver should provide enough of the nutrient in 1-2 servings. Nuts and grains are a bit trickier as we don’t have much data about their molybdenum content. From what we know, they are usually rich in this mineral. Vegetables are usually a good source but some of them contain little to no molybdenum. 225 grams of asparagus should give you the recommended 45 mcg, while you’d need around 900 grams of squash, tomatoes, or bean sprouts to get the same amount. Cabbage, potatoes, and leafy greens generally give you enough molybdenum if you eat 700 grams of them.

Foods that do not contain a reasonable amount of this mineral are fats, oils, most fruits, and meat.

Sulfite content in food is also important to consider. The more sulfite you consume, the more molybdenum you need.

Most sulfite from food comes from the breakdown of sulfur-containing amino acids. Therefore, high-protein foods are almost always high in sulfite. This is especially the case for meat and animal products. These have about twice as much sulfur per gram of protein as plant foods.

Food additives, preservatives, onions, garlic, cruciferous vegetables, and many nutritional supplements also contain sulfite.

The easiest way to find out how much molybdenum you are getting in your diet is with Cronometer.com – this free app allows you to track all vitamins, minerals, and more.

Best time to take molybdenum

Some forms of molybdenum are water-soluble while some are fat-soluble. To maximize the absorption of this nutrient, take it with a meal. Taking the supplement with food is also better if it causes stomach upset when you take it on an empty stomach.

One thing to consider is that molybdenum competes with sulfate for absorption. If you take supplements with ‘sulfate’ in their name (eg. magnesium sulfate), you want to take them at a different time.

Whether you take the supplement in the morning or the evening doesn’t matter. It does not interrupt your sleep in any way.

Interactions with other supplements

Copper
Molybdenum could deplete copper levels in people with sulfite overload. Molybdenum can bind to sulfite, which allows copper to bind to it as well and get excreted. This point is purely theoretical and not yet shown in humans.

Where to buy molybdenum

Amazon seems to be the best option for ordering molybdenum supplements in most countries. They offer some very affordable products backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands without having to search through other markets on the internet.

Beware some brands display the dosage per serving instead of per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.

FAQ

You can take the supplement daily and do not need to cycle it. However, it is certainly not a problem if you don’t take it daily. Not taking the supplement every once in a while could lead to better absorption, but no studies have proven this yet.

All of these options are fine. The two most important things to consider are the price and dosing. Powders are almost always the cheapest form. However, to dose them correctly, you may need a highly accurate scale (preferably 0.001g). You can get one for as little as $20 from Amazon. Dosing the powders also takes some time that can add up over months or years. The disadvantage of capsules is that they are sometimes made of unethical ingredients, such as bovine gelatine.

Yes. The nutrient doesn’t impact your sleep in any negative way in the short term.

The supplements rarely go bad, but they can lose potency over time.

Keep the supplements in a cold, dark, and dry place, and they will remain just as potent for many months or even years.

The supplement doesn’t directly reduce acne, unfortunately.

While toxicity is rare, extremely high doses of molybdenum can cause some health problems, such as joint pain, uric acid-induced gout, and birth defects. To stay on the safe side, it is best to stay below 2 mg a day to prevent these side effects.

All the different types of molybdenum supplements are roughly equal as far as their effects.

The most common reason people become deficient is that they are on a carnivore/keto/fruitarian diet and do not get enough of this mineral from food. However, high sulfite intake can also hurt your molybdenum status.

You may need more of the nutrient if you:
– experience signs of deficiency, or know that you are deficient from blood tests
– don’t get enough molybdenum from food (the easiest way to find out how much of this nutrient you are getting in your diet is to track your food intake for a while with Cronometer.com)
– are on a keto/carnivore/fruitarian diet and don’t eat liver/bananas
– have a high sulfide intake

The half-life of molybdenum is about 66. The nutrient stays in your system for many months after you consume it.

In the long-term, it typically takes about a month after you start taking the supplement to start noticing the benefits.

The majority of molybdenum supplements on the market are vegan-friendly but always check the label to be sure.

No, it doesn’t. The supplement does not interfere with fasting in any significant way. However, taking it with a meal is still better because dietary fat increases its absorption.

References

Most of the information provided in this guide is supported by scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything said in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.

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