Nutrition 101: Manganese | Food List

Manganese is a trace mineral present in tiny amounts in the body. It is found mostly in bones, the liver, the kidneys, and the pancreas.

Reco​mme​nded Intake

The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for manganese are shown below:

Age Group	Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) per Day1	Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) per Day2
Adults
19 years and up	2.3 mg male 1.8 mg female	11 mg
Kids and Youth
1 to 3 years	1.2 mg	2 mg
4 to 8 years	1.5 mg	3 mg
9 to 13 years	1.9 mg male 1.6 mg female	6 mg
14 to 18 years	2.2 mg male 1.6 mg female	9 mg
Special Considerations
Pregnant women 14 to 18 years	2.0 mg	9 mg
Pregnant women 19 years and up	2.0 mg	11 mg
Lactating women 14 to 18 years	2.6 mg	9 mg
Lactating women 19 years and up	2.6 mg	11 mg

What Does ​Manganese Do?

Manganese plays an important role as a coenzyme³. It activates the enzymes that are important in bone formation. It also assists in the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol, and facilitates protein and carbohydrate metabolism⁴. Manganese also activates the enzymes responsible for utilization of several key nutrients, including thiamin, biotin, ascorbic acid, and choline. It works as part of an antioxidant enzyme by protecting our bodies against free radicals and is involved in the formation of urea, the primary component of urine. Manganese also assists in the metabolism of blood sugar.

Both manganese deficiency and manganese toxicity are rare. Deficiency can lead to impaired growth and reproductive function, reduced bone density and impaired skeletal growth, impaired glucose and lipid metabolism, and skin rash⁵. Toxicity results in impairment of the neuromuscular system, including muscle spasms and tremors.

Top Manganese-Rich Foods

Manganese is widely distributed in foods. Grain products, bran, beans, nuts, vegetables, certain fruits, and brewed tea contain generous amounts. Meats and dairy products contain very small amounts. Significant amounts of manganese can be lost in food processing, especially in the milling of whole grains to produce flour, and in the cooking of beans.

Food	Manganese per serving
Garbanzo beans, cooked, 3/4 cup	1.2 mg
Spelt, cooked, 1/2 cup	1.1 mg
Brown rice, cooked, 1/2 cup	1.1 mg
Pineapple, 1/2 cup diced	0.8 mg
Peanuts, raw, 1/4 cup	0.7 mg
Cashews, raw, 1/4 cup	0.5 mg
Kale, raw, 1 cup chopped	0.5 mg
Brewed tea, 1 cup	0.5 mg
Raspberries, 1/2 cup	0.4 mg
Grapes, 1/2 cup	0.3 mg
Spinach, raw, 1 cup	0.3 mg

Nutrition Facts Label and t​he % Daily Value

In the United States: The % daily value gives you an idea of how much manganese is in the food you eat. The daily value for manganese is 2.3 mg⁶, which is slightly higher than the DRI for adults. The number you see on the Nutrition Facts label is a percentage calculated by dividing the amount of manganese in one serving of the food by the DV. Using an example from the above table, 1/2 cup of diced pineapple containing 0.8 mg of manganese would have 35% of the DV for manganese. The FDA does not require that the % daily value for manganese be listed on the Nutrition Facts label.

In Canada: The daily value for manganese in Canada is also 2.3 mg⁷. Listing the daily value for manganese on the Nutrition Facts label is optional.

Nutrient Interactions

Iron, copper, and zinc: High doses of manganese may inhibit the absorption of iron, copper, and zinc. Conversely, high intakes of iron, copper, and zinc may inhibit the absorption of manganese.

Magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus: High intakes of magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus may inhibit the absorption of manganese.

Sources

HealthCastle has strict sourcing guidelines. We reference peer-reviewed studies, scientific journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. 

1. Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. The National Academies Press, 2001,
   https://doi.org/10.17226/10026. ↩︎
2. National Center for Biotechnology Information. “Table J-9. Estimated Usual Intakes of Vitamin E from Food and Dietary Supplements: Adults 60 Years and Older.” Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene, and Selenium, National Academies Press (US), 2000,
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545442/table/appJ_tab9/?report=objectonly. ↩︎
3. Taskozhina, Gulaim et al. “The Manganese-Bone Connection: Investigating the Role of Manganese in Bone Health.” Journal of clinical medicine vol. 13,16 4679. 9 Aug. 2024, https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13164679 ↩︎
4. Klimis-Tavantzis, D J et al. “The effect of dietary manganese deficiency on cholesterol and lipid metabolism in the Wistar rat and in the genetically hypercholesterolemic RICO rat.” The Journal of nutrition vol. 113,2 (1983): 328-36. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/113.2.328 ↩︎
5. Aschner, Michael, and Keith Erikson. “Manganese.” Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) vol. 8,3 520-521. 15 May. 2017, https://doi.org/10.3945/an.117.015305 ↩︎
6. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.” FDA, 6 Feb. 2024, https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels ↩︎
7. Health Canada. “Table of Daily Values.” Government of Canada, 19 Jan. 2022, https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/technical-documents-labelling-requirements/table-daily-values.html. ↩︎