Molybdenum

Mar 27, 2024

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This is a general overview of Molybdenum. For more in-depth information, see our health professional fact sheet on Molybdenum.

Molybdenum is a mineral that you need to stay healthy. Your body uses molybdenum to process proteins and genetic material like DNA. Molybdenum also helps break down drugs and toxic substances that enter the body.

The amount of molybdenum you need depends on your age. Average daily recommended amounts are listed below in micrograms (mcg).

Many foods contain molybdenum. The amount of molybdenum in food depends on the amount of molybdenum in the soil and in the water used for irrigation. You can get recommended amounts of molybdenum by eating a variety of foods, including the following:

Some multivitamin/multimineral supplements contain molybdenum. Other supplements contain molybdenum alone or together with other minerals.

Most people in the United States get enough molybdenum from the foods they eat.

Molybdenum deficiency is very rare in the United States. It happens only in people with a very rare genetic disorder called molybdenum cofactor deficiency. This disorder prevents the body from using molybdenum. It can cause seizures and severe brain damage that usually leads to death within days after birth.

Whether molybdenum affects any disease or health condition isn’t known.

Molybdenum from food and beverages doesn’t cause any harm. However, people exposed to high levels of molybdenum in the air and soil, such as miners and metalworkers, sometimes develop achy joints, gout-like symptoms, and high blood levels of uric acid (a substance that is normally excreted in your urine).

The daily upper limits for molybdenum include intakes from all sources—food, beverages, and supplements—and are listed below in micrograms (mcg).

Molybdenum is not known to interact or interfere with any medicines. But it’s always important to tell your doctor, pharmacist, and other health care providers about any dietary supplements and prescription or over-the-counter medicines you take. They can tell you if these dietary supplements might interact with your medicines or if the medicines might interfere with how your body absorbs, uses, or breaks down nutrients, such as molybdenum.

People should get most of their nutrients from food and beverages, according to the federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Foods contain vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other components that benefit health. In some cases, fortified foods and dietary supplements are useful when it is not possible to meet needs for one or more nutrients (for example, during specific life stages such as pregnancy). For more information about building a healthy dietary pattern, see the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate.

This fact sheet by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) provides information that should not take the place of medical advice. We encourage you to talk to your health care providers (doctor, registered dietitian, pharmacist, etc.) about your interest in, questions about, or use of dietary supplements and what may be best for your overall health. Any mention in this publication of a specific product or service, or recommendation from an organization or professional society, does not represent an endorsement by ODS of that product, service, or expert advice.

Updated: March 22, 2021 History of changes to this fact sheet