Molybdenum: Symptoms of Deficiency

Molybdenum deficiency has never been observed in healthy individuals. The only documented case of molybdenum deficiency was in a patient with Crohn’s disease who had received long-term intravenous nutrition without molybdenum supplementation. He developed tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), rapid shallow breathing, headache, became night blind, and eventually went into a coma. Furthermore, his blood showed low uric acid levels. These symptoms and blood changes disappeared when the infusion of amino acids was discontinued, which may indicate that molybdenum plays an important role in the metabolism of amino acids.

Intake of 160 micrograms of molybdenum per day abolished this amino acid intolerance.