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Molybdenum Research & Evidence

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Evidence Level

Moderate

Molybdenum research in supplement form is limited because deficiency is virtually nonexistent in free-living populations. The most important clinical context is molybdenum cofactor deficiency, an ultra-rare genetic disorder (estimated 1 in 100,000-200,000) causing severe neurological damage from inability to metabolize sulfites. For supplementation, Turnlund et al. (1995) established that molybdenum absorption from sodium molybdate exceeds 88% regardless of dose, and urinary excretion adjusts rapidly to maintain homeostasis. The interest in molybdenum for sulfite sensitivity comes from case reports and functional medicine practice rather than RCTs.

Evidence by Condition

ConditionStudied DoseEvidence
General health45-150mcg dailyModerate
Sulfite sensitivity100-500mcg dailyEmerging
Detoxification support150-500mcg dailyPreliminary

References

  1. (). Molybdenum absorption, excretion, and retention studied with stable isotopes in young men at five intakes of dietary molybdenum. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. DOI
  2. (). Molybdenum cofactors, enzymes and pathways. Nature. DOI
  3. (). Molybdenum. Advances in Nutrition. DOI