Molybdenum

Nutrient Library: Molybdenum

Molybdenum:

• What does it do?
• How much do you need?
• What are the best food sources?
• What happens if you don't get enough?
• What happens if you get too much?

What does it do?
Molybdenum is a mineral that serves as a part of several key enzymes that help the body use carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

How much do you need?

The following table lists the recommended intake for healthy people based on current scientific information.

NOTE: The table is adapted from the Dietary Reference Intakes reports. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), when available, are in bold type; Adequate Intakes (AIs) are followed by an asterisk(*). RDAs and AIs may both be used as goals for individual intake. RDAs are set to meet the needs of almost all individuals (97 to 98 percent) in a group. For healthy breastfed infants, the AI is the mean intake. The AI for other life stage and gender groups is believed to cover the needs of all individuals in the group, but lack of data means the percentage of individuals covered by this intake cannot be specified with confidence.

UL = The maximum level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse effects. Unless otherwise specified, the UL represents total intake from food, water and supplements.

What are the best food sources?
Major food sources of molybdenum include legumes, grain products and nuts. Fruits, many vegetables and most animal products are usually low in molybdenum.

What happens if you don't get enough?
It's not likely you'll need to worry about whether you are getting enough of this mineral. Deficiency has not been observed in healthy people.

What happens if you get too much?
Harmful effects from too much molybdenum are quite uncommon. This could be because the mineral is rapidly excreted when consumed at high levels. Because so few cases have been reported, it's hard for scientists to identify harmful effects and their symptoms. Still, stay within the recommended intakes.

Recipes

Beef & Bean Chile Verde
Chile Verde, usually a slow-cooked stew of pork, jalapeños and tomatillos, becomes an easy weeknight meal with quick-cooking ground beef and store-bought green salsa. Make it a Meal: Serve with fresh cilantro, red onion and Monterey jack. Add cornbread on the side and your favorite hot sauce.

Makes 4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

• 1 pound 93%-lean ground beef
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 16-ounce jar green salsa, green enchilada sauce or taco sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 15-ounce can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed

Cook beef, bell pepper and onion in a large saucepan over medium heat, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and cayenne; cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in salsa (or sauce) and water; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in beans and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 307 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 64 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 6 g fiber; 516 mg sodium; 641 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (100% daily value), Vitamin A & Zinc (40% dv), Folate (20% dv), Potassium (18% dv). 1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings. Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat just before serving.

More Healthy Ground Beef Recipes and Cooking Tips

Ginger, Split Pea & Vegetable Curry (Subzi dalcha)
Protein-rich yellow split peas combined with fresh vegetables yields a hearty, stewlike curry-perfect for a cold winter night by the fireplace, with a loaf of crusty bread. Try any combination of vegetables-sweet potatoes, winter squash and spinach create a sweeter offering. Don't be alarmed by the number of chiles-the vegetables and split peas bring the heat level down to make each bite addictive without being excessively hot.

Makes 6 servings, generous 1 cup each

ACTIVE TIME: 50 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

• 1 large russet or Yukon Gold potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup yellow split peas (chana dal)
• 1 cup cauliflower florets (1-inch pieces)
• 1 cup green bean pieces, frozen or fresh (1-inch pieces)
• 1 small (8 ounces) eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4 large cloves garlic, cut into thin slivers
• 1-3 fresh green chiles, such as Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise (do not seed)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 long thin slices fresh ginger, cut into matchsticks
• Juice from 1 medium lime
• 1 teaspoon ghee or butter (optional)

1. Place potatoes in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Place split peas in a large saucepan. Fill the pan halfway with water and rinse the peas by rubbing them between your fingers. (The water will become cloudy.) Drain. Repeat three or four times, until the water remains relatively clear; drain. Add 4 cups water to the split peas and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Drain the potatoes and add to the peas. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in cauliflower, green beans, eggplant, carrot, salt and turmeric. Return to a boil; cover, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are fork-tender and the peas are soft but firm-looking, 7 to 10 minutes more.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until they sizzle and smell fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir in garlic and chiles to taste and cook, stirring, until the garlic is light brown and the chiles are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

4. Stir the garlic-chile mixture into the cooked vegetables. Scoop a ladleful of cooking water from the saucepan to the skillet; swish it around and pour the "washings" back into the saucepan.

5. Whisk cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid in a small bowl until smooth. Stir it into the stew along with cilantro and ginger. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer the curry, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in lime juice and ghee (or butter), if using.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 161 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 6 g fiber; 700 mg sodium; 663 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (40% daily value), Vitamin A (35% dv), Folate (28% dv), Potassium (19% dv). 1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings. Exchanges: 1 1 /2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.

Healthy Recipe Collections from EatingWell

Lemon-Mint Snap Peas & Lima Beans
Fresh-tasting lemon-mint vinaigrette dresses up snap peas and lima beans in a hurry. The creamy texture of limas is a perfect counterpart to the crunch of the sugar snap peas. Try this vinaigrette with asparagus and green beans too.

Makes 6 servings, about 2/3 cup each

ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 10 ounces frozen baby lima beans, thawed

1. Whisk shallot, oil, lemon juice, mint, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

2. Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Steam snap peas and lima beans until the snap peas are tender-crisp and the lima beans are heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. Toss with the vinaigrette.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 137 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 5 g fiber; 132 mg sodium; 227 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value), Vitamin A (15% dv). 1 Carbohydrate Serving. Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

Healthy Recipe Collections from EatingWell

From www.eatingwell.com with permission. © 2008 Eating Well Inc.