Most people get enough manganese from food, but it’s also included in many multivitamins and other supplements. Food high in manganese include mussels, clams, oysters, wheat germ, tofu, sweet potatoes, nuts, brown rice, lima beans, chickpeas, spinach, and pineapples.
Manganese is also present in other variety of foods, including whole grains, soybeans, leafy vegetables, coffee, tea, and many spices, such as black pepper.
Drinking water also contains small amounts of manganese at concentrations of 1 to 100 mcg/L. The top sources of manganese in the diets of U.S. adults are grain products, tea, and vegetables.
Shellfish high in manganese: 83% DV (daily value) in 20 small clams, 45% DV in 3oz of oysters, 19% DV in 3oz of cooked crayfish.
Manganese concentrations in breast milk, cow-based formula, and soy-based formula range from 3 to 10 micrograms/liter (μg/L), 30 to 50 μg/L, and 200 to 300 μg/L, respectively.
Limited research suggests that the absorption rate of manganese from human milk (8.2%) is much higher than that from soy formula (0.7%) and cow’s milk formula.
Human bodies need manganese for healthy bones and cartilage in addition to other vitamins and minerals. Manganese plays an important role in a number of physiologic processes as a constituent of multiple enzymes and an activator of other enzymes.
Food sources of manganese
