Molybdenum (mu-LIB-du-num) is an essential trace element, meaning your body requires the mineral from your diet but only in miniscule amounts. In nature as in our own bodies, molybdenum is an agent in catalytic events such as the chemical transformations of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur that support life. The biological form of molybdenum is integral to some metalloenzymes, which are enzymes that require a metal to become active.

The enzymes in which molybdenum is known to be active include: sulfite oxidase, which is needed to metabolize some amino acids; xanthine oxidase, which breaks down nucleotides to form uric acid; and aldehyde oxidase, which plays a role in metabolizing drugs and toxins.

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