What Does Manganese Do For The Body?
Manganese is an essential mineral that plays a role in many important bodily functions, including:
- Metabolism:Â Manganese is a cofactor for many enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. It also helps the body absorb and use other minerals, such as iron and calcium.
- Bone health:Â Manganese is necessary for the formation and maintenance of healthy bones. It helps the body produce collagen, a protein that gives bones their structure and strength.
- Blood clotting:Â Manganese is involved in the production of blood clotting factors, which help to stop bleeding.
- Immune function:Â Manganese is essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. It helps the body produce white blood cells, which fight infection.
- Antioxidant protection: Manganese helps to protect the body from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage cells and DNA.
Manganese deficiency is rare, but it can occur in people with certain medical conditions, such as malabsorption disorders and kidney disease. Manganese deficiency can lead to a number of health problems, including anemia, osteoporosis, and impaired immune function.
Most people can get enough manganese from their diet. Good sources of manganese include nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, leafy green vegetables, and tea.
How Much Manganese Do You Need?
Below are the values of Manganese recommended by NIH based on life stage.
| Life Stage | Recommended Amount |
|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 0.003 mg |
| Infants 7–12 months | 0.6 mg |
| Children 1–3 years | 1.2 mg |
| Children 4–8 years | 1.5 mg |
| Boys 9–13 years | 1.9 mg |
| Girls 9–13 years | 1.6 mg |
| Teen boys 14–18 years | 2.2 mg |
| Teen girls 14–18 years | 1.6 mg |
| Adult men | 2.3 mg |
| Adult women | 1.8 mg |
| Pregnant teens and women | 2.0 mg |
| Breastfeeding teens and women | 2.6 mg |
Can You Take Too Much Manganese?
Yes, you can take too much manganese. Manganese toxicity is rare in healthy individuals, but it can occur in people with certain medical conditions, such as liver disease or Parkinson’s disease.
Manganese toxicity can also occur if people are exposed to high levels of manganese in their environment, such as through contaminated drinking water or food.
The upper tolerable limit for manganese intake for adults is 10 milligrams per day. However, even lower levels of manganese can be harmful for people with certain medical conditions.
In severe cases, manganese toxicity can lead to Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms.
Manganese in Microgreens by Variety
These values are based on 100 grams of microgreens. Much more than you would eat of any one variety per meal. Be sure to remember the purpose of this course and the values presented.
| Microgreens Variety | Daily Value by % per 100-grams |
|---|---|
| No value = | No data from reliable source |
| Amaranth | 38% |
| Arugula | 37% |
| Basil | 50% |
| Beet | 17% |
| Bok Choy | 7% |
| Borage | 14% |
| Broccoli | 16% |
| Brussel Sprouts | 15% |
| Buckwheat | 88% |
| Cabbage | 19% |
| Carrot | 6% |
| Cauliflower | 7% |
| Celery | 3% |
| Chervil | 2% |
| Chives, Garlic | 16% |
| Cilantro | 18% |
| Cress, Upland | 55% |
| Dill | 5% |
| Endive | 18% |
| Fennel | 7% |
| Fenugreek | Reported to have |
| Kale | 40% |
| Kohlrabi | 38% |
| Leek | 19% |
| Lettuce | 11% |
| Lovage | Reported to have |
| Mustard | 15% |
| Nasturtium* | 10% |
| Onions | 5% |
| Parsley | 7% |
| Pea | 48% |
| Radish | 13% |
| Shungiku* | 10% |
| Sorrel | 15% |
| Spinach | 21% |
| Sunflower | 22% |
| Swiss Chard | 16% |
| Tat Soi | 7% |
| Tokyo Bekana | 7% |
| Turnip* | 20% |
Calculate the %DV based on Your Serving Size
You can use the calculator below to estimate the %DV of Manganese based on your average serving size. If you weighed your microgreens in ounces, you can use the first row to calculate the weight in grams and then enter that value into the lower calculator.
For More Information on Manganese
Click here for more information on Manganese from the National Institute of Health.
