What Is Molybdenum?
What's found in unfiltered water,
cheese, grains, leafy greens, nuts and liver? If you said molybdenum,
you're right, but few realize that this little-known trace element is
crucial to nearly every life form on earth. Molybdenum is an essential catalyst for enzymes to help metabolize
fats and carbohydrates and facilitate the breakdown of certain amino
acids in your body.1 Its role is crucial to your health. In humans, a molybdenum deficiency, albeit a rarity (and usually
exclusive to those who have to be fed intravenously), can be the source
of such maladies as headache, rapid heartbeat, mental health problems, and even coma. Signs of deficiency might include problems with uric acid production
and decreased metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids. Tooth enamel
contains high amounts of molybdenum, and the mineral might even help
decrease tooth decay. It's a good thing it's in all those foods listed above. However, the
amount found in plant-based foods is in direct relation to how much is
found in the soil in which they grow. Molybdenum is available as a
supplement in liquid and capsule form. Tetrathiomolybdate is a form of molybdenum that lowers copper levels
in the body, so it's effective in treating fibrotic, inflammatory and
autoimmune diseases. As reported by Livestrong, molybdenum is a necessary element in soil
to prevent the production of cancer-causing agents known as nitrosamines
in plant foods, and it's been shown in animal studies that it: "Dramatically inhibits pulmonary and liver fibrosis, which is
thickening and scarring of tissue, helps prevent liver damage from
acetaminophen and reduces heart damage from doxorubicin, a bacterial
antibiotic. Tetrathiomolybdate also shows a partially protective effect
against diabetes."2,3 In technical terms, for humans molybdenum is known to function as a
cofactor (a compound needed for an enzyme to do its job) for four
enzymes: One way molybdenum helps you stay healthy is by breaking down what
you eat, including proteins. What's not used immediately can be stored
for future use but most of it leaves your body through urination. Interestingly, grazing animals known as ruminants have multiple
stomachs. In their digestive tracts, compounds containing sulfur and
molybdenum form thiomolybdates, which prevent copper absorption and can
trigger fatal copper-dependent disorders.5 A similar problem can happen in humans, so thiomolybdate therapy is
sometimes used as a promising treatment for a genetic disorder called
Wilson's disease, which causes copper to build up and eventually damage
your liver and brain. It's also used for inflammatory diseases and certain types of cancer. According to the Linus Pauling Institute: "Copper is also a required cofactor for enzymes involved in
inflammation and angiogenesis, known to accelerate cancer progression
and metastasis. Copper depletion studies employing TM [thiomolybdate] have been initiated in patients with advanced malignancies with the aim of preventing disease progression or relapse. These pilot trials showed promising results in individuals with
metastatic kidney cancer, metastatic colorectal cancer and breast cancer
with high risk of relapse."6
Most people in the U.S. obtain the molybdenum they need exclusively
through their diets, which is preferable, but if this isn't possible
supplementation is another option. According to the National Institute
of Medicine, the recommended daily allowances (RDA) of molybdenum, per
day, are:
Adults 45 micrograms Teenagers age 14 to 18 43 micrograms Children age 9 to 13 34 micrograms Children age 4 to 8 22 micrograms Under age 4 17 micrograms Pregnant or lactating women 50 micrograms However, while these amounts will likely prevent a deficiency,
there's currently no scientific evidence that taking more is healthy;
and too much has been proven to be harmful. In areas where there is little access to molybdenum-rich foods,
minimal dietary molybdenum is associated with esophageal and stomach
cancer. For instance, in a small region of Northern China, cancer of the
esophagus and stomach is 10 times higher than China's national average
and 100 times higher than the average in the U.S. According to one
study: "The soil in this region is low in molybdenum and other mineral elements; therefore, dietary molybdenum intake is also low. Studies conducted in other areas of low and high incidence of
esophageal cancer showed that content of molybdenum and zinc in hair and
nails is significantly lower in inhabitants of high-risk regions
compared to cold spots. Moreover, esophageal cancer patients display reduced content of the trace elements compared to healthy relatives."7 It's thought that by adding ammonium molybdate to the soil, the
cancer cases will decrease. However, dietary supplementation of
minerals, including molybdenum, and vitamins in the Linxian area of
China did nothing to decrease the cancer mortality rates over a
five-year period.8 At the same time, Rugao, a county in the Chinese province of Jiangsu,
is known for its octogenarian residents. Dietary habits, traditions and
lifestyles are similar to surrounding areas, with this one difference:
Rugao has a "large number" of different soil types,
which may have something to do with the remarkable longevity of its
residents. According to a study published in the journal Environmental
Geochemistry and Health: "The ratio of people over 90 years old per 100,000 inhabitants
(90-rate) based on village (about 4,000 residents in 4 km(2)) was
correlated with trace elements in soil, drinking water, and rice by
means of correlation analysis … Similar relationships between the available elements in soils and elements in water and rice were found. These results suggest that: (1) the available forms of elements
in soil were more crucial to elemental bio-availability in the ecosystem
and human health than total elements in soil; and (2) the element
association above might have affected the 90-rate positively and could
be an important environmental geochemical factor influencing the
longevity of humans."9 Scientists believe high incidences of certain cancers are linked to
dietary or environmental factors including increased intake of
nitrosamines, which are known carcinogens that are found more often in
plant foods grown in molybdenum-deficient soils. Livestrong notes that: "When there's a deficiency of molybdenum uptake in plants,
nitrosamines are produced because nitrate reductase — an enzyme — can't
perform properly without its molybdenum co-factor."10 According to a National Toxicology Program report of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,11
in the case of tobacco use, saliva can reduce nitrates to nitrites to
form these harmful compounds in the gastrointestinal tract, an internal
formation that is a "major cause of human exposure to N‑nitrosamines." Further, a derivative, MNNG (N-Methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine)
was shown to be "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based
on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental
animals." It caused tumors in several different animals through
different types of exposure. According to the U.K.'s Department for Business, Enterprise and
Regulatory Reform, nitrosamines are toxic in more animal species than
any other category of chemical carcinogen.12
Health concerns from nitrosamines include cancer, organ system
toxicity, endocrine disruption and more. Molybdenum's antioxidant
properties may help to break down toxins in your body, including
cancer-causing nitrosamines from foods and other sources.
Molybdenum and Supplemental Amounts
Soil Lacking Molybdenum Linked to Cancer of the Esophagus
Nitrosamines and NMMG — Known Carcinogens
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