What it does in the body
- Antioxidant defense (MnSOD in mitochondria)
- Bone and cartilage formation (glycosyltransferases)
- Gluconeogenesis and carbohydrate metabolism
- Wound healing (proline synthesis for collagen)
- Urea cycle function (arginase)
How much you need (Daily Value)
| Group | Recommended | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Adult male | 2.3 mg (AI) | NIH/IOM |
| Adult female | 1.8 mg (AI) | NIH/IOM |
| Pregnancy | 2.0 mg (AI) | IOM |
| Children | 1.2 mg (1-3y), 1.5 mg (4-8y), 1.6-2.2 mg (9-18y) | NIH/IOM |
| Older adults | 2.3 mg (men), 1.8 mg (women) | NIH/IOM |
Richest food sources
| Food | Amount | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Mussels | 6.8 mg per 100g | coastal regions |
| Hazelnuts | 6.2 mg per 100g | Europe/Turkey |
| Brown rice (cooked) | 1.1 mg per 100g | East/South Asia |
| Oatmeal (cooked) | 1.4 mg per 100g | global |
| Pineapple | 0.9 mg per 100g | Tropics |
| Spinach (cooked) | 0.9 mg per 100g | global |
| Black tea (brewed) | 0.5 mg per 100ml | global |
| Chickpeas (cooked) | 1.0 mg per 100g | Middle East/South Asia |
If you don't get enough
Mild: Impaired growth, altered carbohydrate metabolism
Moderate: Skeletal abnormalities, impaired glucose tolerance, altered lipid metabolism
Severe: Extremely rare in humans — experimental deficiency causes dermatitis, impaired bone growth, reproductive abnormalities
Time to onset: Deficiency is exceedingly rare in humans due to widespread presence in food.
Too much
Upper limit: 11 mg/day (adults)
Manganism: Parkinson-like syndrome with psychiatric symptoms ('manganese madness'), tremor, gait disturbance. Primarily from inhalation exposure or contaminated water. Liver disease impairs biliary excretion, increasing risk.
How well you absorb it
1-5% from diet (very low; tightly regulated)
Helped by: Low iron status (upregulates shared transporter DMT-1), Ascorbic acid, Histidine
Hindered by: Iron (competes for DMT-1), Calcium, Phytate, Oxalate, Tea (tannins)
Cooking & storage
Manganese is heat-stable. Milling and refining grains removes significant manganese — whole grains contain up to 10x more manganese than refined grains. Tea brewing extracts substantial manganese.
Nutrisize Health totals every nutrient from what you actually eat, against targets set for your age and sex, and flags what's short — across 4,995 foods, on your device.
