The information resource about Nutrients, Probiotics and Food Supplements
Nutrient Details For : Manganese

A nutrient is any element or compound necessary for or contributing to an organism's metabolism, growth, or other functioning. Click name for details Arsenic Biotin Boron Calcium Carbohydrates Carnitine Carotenoids Chloride Choline Chromium Copper Energy Fiber Fluoride Folate Iodine Iron Lipids Magnesium Manganese Molybdenum Niacin Nickel Pantothenic acid Phosphorus Phyto-chemicals Potassium Protein Riboflavin Selenium Silicon Sodium Thiamin Vanadium Vitamin A Vitamin B 12 Vitamin B 6 Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K Zinc Further Trace Elements

Manganese (Mn) is an essential trace mineral that is concentrated primarily in the bone, liver, pancreas, and brain.

This mineral is a component of several enzymes:

• Mn-superoxide dismutase which prevents tissue damage due to lipid (fat) oxidation;
• Ppyruvate carboxylase which helps break down carbohydrates
• Arginase which is important for nitric oxide synthesis and the formation of urea in the urine.

Manganese also activates numerous enzymes, particularly glycosyltransferases which are involved with the formation of cartilage in bone and skin.

Deficiencies:

In animals manganese deficiencies produce abnormalities in brain function, glucose tolerance, reproduction, and skeletal and cartilage formation. In humans, gross deficiencies have not been documented in normal populations but deficiencies created in a controlled environment suggest the mineral is important to maintain the integrity of the skin, bone and menstrual cycle, and in cholesterol metabolism.

Certain population groups have been reported to have suboptimal status, including children with birth defects or on long-term total parenteral nutrition and patients with Perthes' disease, hip dislocations in Down's syndrome, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, non-trauma epilepsy, senile cataracts, acromegaly, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Recommendations:

The Estimated Safe and Adequate Dietary Intakes (ESADDIs) for Mn each day are 2.0-5.0 mg for adults. For children, ESADDIs are 1.0-1.5 mg for ages 1-3 yrs; 1.5- 2.0 mg for ages 4-6 yrs, 2.0-3.0 mg for ages 7-10 yrs, and 2.0-5.0 for ages 11-14 yrs. Recent research suggest that recommendations for formula-fed infants are 0.005 mg/day and 0.030 mg/day for breast-fed infants.

Usual dietary intakes in the U.S. are about 2.2 and 2.8 mg/day for adult women and men, respectively. However, much higher intakes (10-18 mg) are found with vegetarian diets and those based on whole-grain products. Thus, the current ESADDI may be too conservative for adults.

Food sources:

Excellent sources of manganese (>1 mg/serving) include pecans, peanuts, pineapple fruit and juice, oatmeal, shredded wheat and raisin bran cereal. Good sources (> 0.5 mg/serving) are beans (pinto, lima, navy), rice, spinach, sweet potato, and whole wheat bread. Very little Mn is found in meat, poultry, fish, milk, dairy products or sugary and refined foods. Dietary components that may adversely affect manganese absorption, retention or excretion include iron, phosphorus, phytates, fiber, calcium, copper, and polyphenolic compounds.

Toxicity:

Toxicity has occurred from industrial exposure, such as miners breathing manganese dust and drinking contaminated well water. Symptoms of toxicity are the development of a schizophrenia with nervous disorders resembling Parkinson's disease. The reference dose (RfD) set by the EPA in 1993 is 10 mg/day for a 70 kg body weight; this dietary level is considered to be without significant risk of a deleterious effect for a lifetime of exposure. There is no evidence of toxicity occurring from ingestion of typical diets. For drinking water, the RfD is 0.2 mg Mn/L.

Recent research news: Lower manganese bloods levels have been observed in patients with osteoporosis, non-trauma epilepsy and Perthes' disease. Low dietary levels of manganese that lower the levels of Mn-superoxide dismutase may increase colon cancer susceptibility.

Chemical information on Manganese

Sponsors