Molybdenum

Molybdenum is a relatively hard but brittle heavy metal. In the periodic table of elements, it has the atomic number 42 and the chemical symbol Mo. In its pure form, it has a color comparable to tin. It oxidizes in air. It is superconducting at low temperatures. It is the 39th most common element in the earth's shell. The Swedish chemist Peter Jakob Hjelm (1746-1813) succeeded in producing the metal for the first time in 1781. The name is derived from the Latin term "molybdaena" for galena, as at that time it was not possible to distinguish galena from molybdenum. It does not occur in nature in elemental form. The most important molybdenum compound is molybdenum sulphide. In technology, molybdenum is used in a range of alloys to manufacture high-quality tools. It is also used as glow wire in lamps, as heating wire in electrical heating systems or as resistance wire. It is also a component of the anode material in electron tubes, such as X-ray tubes. Together with the element tungsten, which has a very high melting point and is very brittle, it forms an alloy suitable for the manufacture of the anode plate in X-ray tubes. Molybdenum is also used as an alloy with titanium, tungsten and zirconium in rocket technology as a turbine material. The human body contains around 10mg of molybdenum, mainly in the skeleton, internal organs and skin.

Functions in the body

As a cofactor, molybdenum supports a number of important enzymes in the metabolism, especially those responsible for the breakdown of nitrogenous or sulphur-containing compounds. These include, for example, amino acids, which are broken down into urea. Two examples of enzymes that have incorporated molybdenum (together with iron) into their structure and active centers are xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase. Xanthine oxidase is involved in purine metabolism and leads to the formation of the end product uric acid. Aldehyde oxidase is responsible for the breakdown of alcohol in the liver. In addition to its metabolic function, molybdenum is a component of teeth. Here it has a bacteriostatic effect, i.e. it inhibits the growth of bacteria.

Molybdenum-containing foods

Molybdenum is found in significant quantities in parsley, dill, pulses, potatoes, eggs and offal.

Deficiency symptoms

Molybdenum deficiency symptoms are hardly known. A deficiency may promote the development of tooth decay, as molybdenum is involved in the incorporation of fluorine into the teeth. Among other things, uric acid also plays an important role in the chemical binding of free radicals in the body. A molybdenum deficiency leads to a reduction in the concentration of uric acid and thus increases the exposure of cells to free radicals, which can cause mutations in DNA. Disorders also occur in the amino acid metabolism, whereby the breakdown of toxic sulphur-containing amino acids is reduced. Purine metabolism is also disrupted and xanthine, which is normally converted to uric acid by xanthine oxidase, accumulates. If the xanthine concentration increases, xanthine stones can form in the kidneys. In addition, a number of non-specific symptoms such as excitability, night blindness, shortness of breath, itching or nausea may occur.

Overdose

An overdose of molybdenum from food is normally harmless. Higher additional amounts ingested can lead to increased uric acid formation and thus promote the development of gout. If too much molybdenum is taken in, the renal (via the kidneys) excretion of copper increases, which can lead to a copper deficiency.

Requirements

The German Society for Nutrition states that the daily requirement of molybdenum is 50 to 100 µg for children from the age of 12 and adults. This daily requirement can be considered to be well covered with a normal diet. An additional molybdenum requirement can arise in some inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, or in the case of absorption disorders. A deficiency can also occur in the case of anorexia or prolonged artificial nutrition.

Safety and side effects

Molybdenum is probably safe and harmless for adults when taken orally in appropriate amounts. Molybdenum is safe and harmless in amounts not exceeding 2 mg per day. However, molybdenum may not be safe and harmless when taken orally in high doses. Adults should not exceed 2 mg per day.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Molybdenum is probably safe and safe for pregnant and lactating women in amounts not exceeding the upper tolerated intake level. This amount is 1.7 mg molybdenum per day for women aged 14 to 18 and 2 mg molybdenum per day for women aged 19 and over. Molybdenum in higher amounts may not be safe and harmless for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Children: For children, molybdenum is probably safe and harmless in amounts not exceeding the upper tolerated intake level. This amount is 0.3 mg molybdenum per day for children aged 1 to 3 years, 0.6 mg molybdenum per day for children aged 4 to 8 years, 1.1 mg molybdenum per day for children aged 9 to 13 years, and 1.7 mg molybdenum per day for teenagers. However, molybdenum may not be safe and harmless in higher amounts.

Gout: Very high amounts of molybdenum, such as 10 to 15 mg of molybdenum per day, can cause gout. Molybdenum supplements may aggravate gout. For this reason, adults should not exceed an intake of 2 mg molybdenum per day.