Molybdenum – The Superhero’s Sidekick of the Essential Nutrient World

By Patrick Brian O’Neill

There are a few facts about the essential nutrient molybdenum that you should know. It is found in what nutritionists and health experts consider the world’s healthiest foods. The foods which contain high levels of molybdenum also deliver other minerals, vitamins and nutritional good guys that your body craves. If you like beans, a staple of any smart disaster preparedness pantry, you are probably already getting enough molybdenum in your diet. What exactly is this difficult to pronounce nutrient, what health benefits does it deliver and what foods do you need to eat to get it? Good questions one and all, so let’s get started.

What is Molybdenum?

Consider molybdenum as the 6th man on a basketball team. It’s a president’s analyst. Molybdenum is the sidekick of a superhero. This essential nutrient does not get the limelight that some minerals do, usually playing second fiddle (or third, or fourth) to better marketed nutrients like calcium.

However, it is still extremely important to many of your bodily functions. Actually, the human understanding of molybdenum began with research on the microorganisms in water and soil. Since it is a fundamental component in the dirt and water used to grow our foods, it ends up in our bodies. And that’s a good thing, because it is very important for you to receive the following health benefits.

What Benefits Do I Get From Molybdenum?

Scientists do not mind admitting they know a lot more about the role of molybdenum in the environment than they do its function in the human body. However, it has still been tracked as an important contributor to the proper functioning of 7 enzymes in your body, and multiple physiological systems. These are some of the benefits you receive when you get enough molybdenum in your diet:

• Your body detoxes unwanted chemicals properly
• Contributes to healthy antioxidant levels
• Supports healthy connective tissue development
• Helps prevent development of gout
• Healthy nervous system metabolism is regulated
• Your digestive tract works properly

A Lack of Molybdenum Contributes to the Following Medical Conditions

What happens when you don’t give your body the molybdenum it requires? The following list of health problems can be a possible result:

• Gout
• Seizures
• Mental problems
• Altered visual perception
• Slow developmental progress
• Night blindness
• Headaches
• Accelerated heart rate
• Impaired sexual functions

Molybdenum is sometimes used for treating:

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Mercury toxicity
• Candida
• Cancers
• Skin Problems
• Gout
• Cavities
• Sexual Impotence

What Foods Do I Eat to Get Molybdenum?

First off, you need to know how much molybdenum your body requires on a daily basis. Despite the fact that this essential mineral must be present for so many important healthy bodily functions, an extremely small amount is required in your diet.

There are 1,000 micrograms (mcg) in 1 mg. You only need to ingest 45 mcg of molybdenum each day. The US Department of Agriculture ranks lentils, peas and beans as the top 8 sources of molybdenum. Let’s take a look at those foods which deliver 100% or more of your daily requirement, and a few others:

• Lentils, dried peas and lima beans – Just 1 cup of these versatile foods provides anywhere from 310% to 330% of your daily required intake of molybdenum.
• Kidney beans, soybeans, black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans – 1 cup of each of these beings delivers 123 to 132 mcg of molybdenum, 270% to 290% of your daily requirement.
• Oats and barley – 1/4 to 1/3 cup of oats or barley offers 28 of the 45 daily mcgs of molybdenum your body needs.
• Yogurt, peanuts, sesame seeds, eggs, walnuts and tomatoes deliver between 8 and 11 mcg of this essential nutrient in a single serving.
• Nutrient Dense Meals – Yevo Meals contain molybdenum as well as all 43 Essential Nutrients