In this translation article, we tried to answer questions about manganese. Good reading.
What is Manganese and What Does It Do?
Manganese is a mineral your body needs to stay healthy. The body uses manganese to produce energy and protect your cells from damage. Your body also needs manganese for strong bones, reproduction, blood clotting and a healthy immune system.
How Much Manganese Do I Need?
The amount of manganese you need depends on your age and gender. Average daily recommended amounts are listed below in milligrams (mg).
| Age | Recommended Amount |
|---|---|
| From birth to 6 months | 0.003 mg |
| 7-12 month old babies | 0.6mg |
| Children 1-3 years old | 1.2mg |
| Children 4-8 years old | 1.5mg |
| Boys aged 9-13 | 1.9 mg |
| Girls aged 9-13 | 1.6mg |
| Young men aged 14-18 | 2.2mg |
| Young girls aged 14-18 | 1.6mg |
| Adults | 2.3mg |
| adult women | 1.8mg |
| pregnant women | 2.0 mg |
| breastfeedingwomen | 2.6mg |
What Foods Provide Manganese?
Many foods contain manganese. You can get the recommended amount by eating a variety of foods, including:
- Whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, and whole-wheat bread
- Clams, oysters and mussels
- Nuts such as hazelnuts and walnuts
- Legumes such as soybeans and lentils
- Leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale
- Some fruits, such as pineapple and blueberries
- Tea
- Many spices such as black pepper
What Types of Manganese Dietary Supplements Are Available?
Manganese is available in many multivitamin/multimineral and other dietary supplements. Supplements contain many forms of manganese, such as manganese sulfate and manganese aspartate. Scientists don't know whether any form of manganese in supplements is better than any other form.
Am I Getting Enough Manganese?
People who eat healthily get enough manganese from the foods they eat.
What Happens If I Don't Get Enough Manganese?
Manganese deficiency is rare. A deficiency can cause the following symptoms:
- Weak bones and growth failure in children
- Skin rashes and loss of hair color in men
- Mood changes and worse-than-usual premenstrual pain in women
What Are Some Effects of Manganese on Health?
Scientists are studying manganese to understand how it affects health. Here are some examples of what this research shows.
Bone health: Manganese, along with other minerals and vitamins, is needed for healthy bone formation. However, more research is needed to understand manganese's role in maintaining or improving bone health.
Diabetes: We need manganese to help break down starches and sugars. However, its effect on diabetes risk is unknown. More research is needed to understand whether manganese plays a role in the development of diabetes.
Can Manganese Be Harmful?
Studies have not shown any harm from manganese in foods and beverages. However, some people have developed manganese toxicity by consuming water containing very high levels of manganese. Another cause of manganese toxicity is inhaling large amounts of manganese dust from welding or mining operations.
Symptoms of manganese toxicity include tremors, muscle spasms, hearing problems, mania (abnormally elevated mood), insomnia, depression, loss of appetite, headaches, irritability, fatigue, and mood changes.
People should not consume more manganese than the upper limits from food, beverages, or dietary supplements unless their healthcare provider recommends it.
Upper daily limits for manganese include intakes from all sources (food, beverages and supplements) and are listed below.
| Age | Upper Limit |
|---|---|
| From birth to 6 months | Not established |
| Babies from birth 7-12 | Not established |
| Children 1-3 years old | 2 mg |
| Children 4-8 years old | 3mg |
| Children aged 9-13 | 6mg |
| Young people aged 14-18 | 9 mg |
| Adults | 11 mg |
| Pregnant and breastfeeding teenagers | 9 mg |
| Pregnant and breastfeeding adults | 11 mg |
Does Manganese Interact with Medications or Other Dietary Supplements?
Manganese is not known to interact or interfere with any medications.
Tell your doctor, pharmacist, and other health care providers about the dietary supplements and prescription or over-the-counter medications you take. They can tell you whether dietary supplements interact with your medications or whether medications affect your body's ability to absorb, use or break down nutrients such as manganese.
Manganese and Healthy Nutrition
People should get most of their nutrients from food and drink. Foods contain vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and other components that benefit health. In some cases, fortified foods and dietary supplements are useful when it is not possible to meet the needs of one or more nutrients (for example, during certain life stages, such as pregnancy).
Disclaimer
This fact sheet, prepared by the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), provides information that should not replace medical advice. We encourage you to talk with your healthcare providers (doctor, registered dietitian, pharmacist, etc.) about your interest in, questions about, or use of dietary supplements and what may be best for your overall health. Mention of a particular product or service or recommendation from an organization or professional society in this publication does not imply endorsement by ODS of that product, service, or professional advice.
References:
This article was translated from Manganese text.
Changes to this fact sheet were updated on March 22, 2021.
Note: This translation has not been checked by ODS. Changes to this fact sheet were updated on March 22, 2021.
Biquality Note: Since this article is a translation article, some expressions, contents and examples of information and documents may not be valid for Turkey. This article has been translated as an information note. We recommend that you consult your doctor to decide what might be best for your overall health. Mention of a particular product or service in this article or recommendation from an organization or professional society does not constitute an endorsement by Bikalite of that product, service or expert advice.