Molybdenum Deficiency
Recommended Daily Allowance of Molybdenum
The recommended daily allowance was established by the food and nutrition board, and is used for the general term of reference for a healthy diet. These guidelines include the average daily intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%-98%) healthy individuals. The adequate intake established when evidence is insufficient to develop and recommended daily allowance, but is still set to allow for a person to get nutritional adequacy.
The recommended daily allowance of molybdenum, according to the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of National Academies, is the following: infants age zero to six months male two micrograms per / day, infants age zero to six months female two micrograms per / day, infants age seven months to twelve months male three micrograms per / day, infants age seven months to twelve months female three micrograms per / day, children ages one year to three years male seventeen micrograms per / day, children ages one year to three years female seventeen micrograms per / day, children ages four years to eight years male twenty-two micrograms per / day, children ages four years to eight years female twenty-two micrograms per / day, children ages nine years to thirteen years male thirty-four micrograms per / day, children ages nine years to thirteen years female thirty-four micrograms per / day, adolescents ages fourteen years to eighteen years male forty-three micrograms per / day, adolescents ages fourteen years to eighteen years female forty-three micrograms per / day, adults ages nineteen years and older male forty-five micrograms per / day, adults ages nineteen years and older female forty-five micrograms per day, females age eighteen and younger pregnant two hundred fifty micrograms per / day, females age nineteen and older pregnant fifty micrograms per / day, females age eighteen and younger lactating fifty micrograms per / day, females age nineteen and older lactating fifty micrograms per / day.
Molybdenum Deficiency
Having a deficiency of molybdenum in people is very uncommon and not seen in healthy people. The only time a molybdenum deficiency happens under the most uncommon circumstances. Molybdenum deficiency happens when a person cannot use molybdenum found in foods or the person is fed intravenous. Deficiencies have been found in areas where soils that contain a low concentration of molybdenum can possibly be linked to an increased rate of esophageal cancer. It also has been found that if a person has complete intravenous feeding for greater amounts of time, this person could possibly have a greater chance of having a molybdenum deficiency.
The only reported case of a person having a molybdenum deficiency was in a patient who had Crohn’s disease and was fed intravenously, and molybdenum was not added to the solution. This patient had symptoms of a rapid heart rate, increased breathing rates, headaches, and night blindness. The only way a person can become deficient in molybdenum is if they only eat foods that are grown in areas where the soil has a low concentration of molybdenum. However, it has been found that symptoms of a molybdenum deficiency include an irregular heartbeat and irritability. Other symptoms of a molybdenum deficiency are mouth and gum disease, hypouricemia (a below normal level of uric acid), hyperoxypurinemia, and coma. Studies have shown that if a person diet is mainly refined foods or if the person is taking a copper supplement, the amount of molybdenum in the body may be low.
Molybdenum Toxicity
Most molybdenum toxicity occurs when there is too much molybdenum in the body and not enough copper. For example, molybdenum toxicity in animals that graze will happen when the soil they are grazing on has high amounts of molybdenum and deficient amounts of copper. When there is an excess of molybdenum, the excess will cause copper to be sent through the body as waste, which will then lead to a copper deficiency and a premature death. There is no data on human toxicity of molybdenum, however many studies have been done with the molybdenum toxicity in animals. Studies have shown that if more than ten micrograms per / day of molybdenum on a consistent basis can possibly cause diarrhea, infertility, low birth rates, the retardation of growth, and gout. Toxicity can also possibly affect the lungs, kidneys, and liver. When a person has an excess of molybdenum, it has been found that this excess of molybdenum also results in a deficiency of copper. These two metals work together in the body.
Women who are pregnant and take large amounts of molybdenum can cause harm to the baby and the mother. The same symptoms and effects happen in pregnant women as non-pregnant women.
Getting Enough Molybdenum in a Diet
Even though most people have healthy diets and get enough molybdenum by eating foods such as beans, rice, whole grains, milk, and green vegetables, sometimes we need just a little bit more help. We can get that help by taking a multivitamin. Taking a multivitamin can help a person get the essential amounts of the vitamins and minerals our bodies need each day.
However, we can’t solely rely on a multivitamin. It is important to eat a balanced diet. Making sure that the diet is filled with a variety of foods can help a person to ensure they are eating the correct vitamins and minerals. Using a multivitamin can help a person fill in the gaps of those vitamins and minerals they are getting enough of. The amount of molybdenum a person gets from foods depends on the amount of molybdenum that is present in the soil it is grown in.
Surprisingly most people do not get the amounts of vitamins and minerals the Food and Nutrition Board recommend a person get. Due to living in a fast paced world sometimes people neglect these proper amounts that are recommended. Taking a multivitamin can not only give us the vitamins and minerals we may be lacking, but a multivitamin can also help prevent disease. If a person is getting the daily recommended amounts, the chances of possible becoming deficient in a vitamin or mineral lessens. Eating the amounts of processed foods that are eaten today cuts back on those vitamins and minerals our body needs.
The best thing a person can do is to eat a well balanced diet and take a multivitamin. This will ensure our bodies are getting the right amounts of vitamins and minerals. Make sure you find a multivitamin that is gender specific. Men and women need different amounts of vitamins and minerals; especially women who are pregnant. Women who are pregnant need higher levels of folic acid, calcium, and iron to help with the development of the baby. Folic acid helps with the prevention of neural tube defects, calcium helps the baby develop strong bones and teeth, and iron helps the development of blood and muscle cells in the baby. It is important to be concerned about the type of multivitamin you are taking because they need to be gender specific.
