MAIN Health Vitamins & Minerals Manganese

Manganese Fast Facts

Foods: blueberries, ginger, egg yolks, green vegetables, legumes, nuts, bananas, olives, avocados

Nutritional & health benefits: bone & cartilage development, wound healing

Manganese, which is known as Mn on the periodic table, is a trace mineral which is essential to all forms of life on earth.

Manganese is only needed in very small amounts in the human body —so little in fact, that manganese deficiency has only rarely been documented in humans.

There are, however, a number of conditions that are characterized by low levels of manganese in the blood, and researchers believe that some of these conditions may benefit from manganese supplementation.

Researchers have found that women suffering from osteoporosis have low levels of manganese. In one study, researchers gave women with osteoporosis a supplement that included manganese, along with a number of other minerals. The women given this supplement experienced less bone deterioration than women given just a calcium supplement. The researchers could not say definitively, however, that manganese was responsible for this positive effect.

Similar to osteoporosis, those who suffer from epileptic seizures typically have lower levels of manganese in their blood and their brains than those without epileptic seizures. However, researchers do not believe there is a direct relationship between epileptic seizures and manganese deficiency.

Rather, it is believed that there is a genetic relationship between the two. There have not been enough studies to understand what this link means, but researchers believe that it is worth pursuing, and are doing so.

There is an extremely low risk of developing manganese deficiency, but for those looking to supplement their manganese intake there are a number of different foods with high amounts of manganese. Leafy vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and even many varieties of tea are all excellent sources of manganese.

More information about manganese around the Web:

Manganese, Linus Pauling Institute's Micronutrient Information Center - Comprehensive information on the trace element's role in metabolism, bone development and wound healing, associations with chronic diseases, interactions with other nutrients, adequate intake levels, food sources and supplements, and a link to related references.

Nutrition Fact Sheet : Manganese - With a description of physiological functions, toxicity, uptake levels, recommended dietary requirements by age levels, and a list of foods by serving size and levels by milligram.

Manganese - Brief overview of the trace elements benefits to bone and cartilage development and glucose levels, foods where it is found, side effects and interactions.

Manganese - A complete description plus information on its benefits, how it works, indications and usage, interactions, dosage by life stage and bibliography from PDRhealth.

Manganese - Interactions with other nutrients, diseases associated with manganese deficiency, good food sources, and abstracts of related studies.