Molybdenum and Candida Detox

Molybdenum is a trace mineral that serves mainly as an essential cofactor of enzymes, and aids in the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. It also helps facilitate the breakdown of certain amino acids in the body. But one of the best benefits of molybdenum is as detoxification helper, especially in the case of Candida overgrowth.

Molybdenum boosts the production of certain enzymes in the body known as molybdoenzymes. These enzymes, and the work they do, can assist the body in detoxification. One of these enzymes, sulfite oxidase, helps to break down sulfites into sulfates, which can then be eliminated from the body. A subset of people are sensitive to sulfites, so this can be a helpful mineral in those circumstances.

Perhaps most importantly, molybdenum stimulates the production of aldehyde oxidase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. These are enzymes that are necessary to break down aldehydes such as formaldehyde and acetylaldehyde.

Alcohol metabolism is one source of acetylaldehydes, but another important potential source is Candida albicans. Candida albicans, a naturally occurring yeast that can become overgrown in the gut, produces aldehydes in the gastrointestinal tract by sugar fermentation.

These aldehydes can have neurotoxic effects. Aldehydes can bind with neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, creating secondary metabolites that can cause neuronal cell death. Aldehydes also damage cell membranes of red blood cells, compromising their function and impacting hemoglobin levels and oxygenation to the brain. Finally, aldehydes disable the formation of tubulin in the brain, which then undermines the structural support of dendrites (parts of our nerve cells). This in turn can lead to death of our neurons.

All this sounds bad, right? Well it can be. I know many people with chronic health issues where Candida plays a significant role. So it might be worth looking at molybdenum as a detoxification helper and neuroprotector.

Most people will get adequate amounts of molybdenum from their diet to prevent deficiency. However, individuals with an overgrowth of Candida may benefit from additional supplementation of molybdenum to help metabolize the detrimental compounds that it can create.