Like all other vital minerals, manganese has a wide range of responsibilities in the human body. It is needed for the development of the body, the metabolism of substances, the building of the bones, the strength of the skin and others.
Manganese is found mostly in cereals, seeds, tea, and vegetables. Some of the most famous and also richest foods in manganese are oatmeal, brown rice, spinach, pineapple, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and clove.
The most important role is that of an antioxidant and in particular its inclusion in the so-called enzyme manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), located in the cellular mitochondria.
This enzyme is found in almost all living organisms that are found in an oxygen environment and are vital for their survival.
Without going into excessive details we will mention that this enzyme acts as a protector against the forming free radicals. Without it, the duration and quality of life would hardly be the same.
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What Is Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element (Mn), which can be found as a free element in nature and is often associated with iron and other minerals. The story behind this mineral is long and significantly interesting; that includes its properties, uses, and side effects.
Its name derives mainly from the geographical location where it has been discovered - a region with the ancient name Magnesia, now known as Greece. In ancient times two black minerals were called with the common name magnets.
Over time it has been found that they possessed different properties - one attracted iron, the other one - not.
The latter has been renamed several times - magnesium, manganese dioxide, and other names. In 1977, the Swedish chemist and mineralogist Johann Gottlieb Gan managed to isolate manganese separately from the other minerals and this lead to the name we know today.
Over the years, manganese has been used for various purposes – the first one being in the glass processing sphere. Some of the glassblowers from that time have used it because of his ability to discolor glass, while others have used it for the exact opposite purpose – to give color.
Nowadays, it is mainly used in the metallurgy field, where it is extremely useful for the production of iron and steel due to its different properties, one of which is to make iron firmer, without increasing its brittleness.
With the development of science and time, the essential role of manganese for the optimal functioning of our body has been established. For obvious reasons, we will focus primarily on the biological role of this mineral.
Physiological Properties
Like all other vital minerals, manganese has a wide range of responsibilities in the human body. It is needed for the development of the body, the metabolism of substances, the building of the bones, the strength of the skin and others.
The most important role, however, is that of an antioxidant and in particular its inclusion in the so-called enzyme manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), located in the cellular mitochondria.
This enzyme is found in almost all living organisms that are found in an oxygen environment and are vital for their survival.
Without going into excessive details we will mention that this enzyme acts as a protector against the forming free radicals. Without it, the duration and quality of life would hardly be the same.
In Which Foods Can We Find Manganese?
Manganese is found mostly in cereals, seeds, tea, and vegetables. Some of the most famous and also richest foods in manganese are oatmeal, brown rice, spinach, pineapple, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and clove.
100 grams of the above-mentioned products contain 1-5 mg manganese. The content is even more spices. We can also get manganese from potable water, as the established concentration is 10 ug/l.
Are We Getting Enough
It should be noted that due to the lack of sufficient scientific information, the recommended daily intake (RDA) of manganese hasn’t been established.
In this case, the interpretation of the upper limit of 11 mg should be that with the administration of 11 mg nearly 100% of the people will not have negative reactions, but exceeding the threshold little by little may bring some side effects.
Many people around the world regularly intake more than 11 mg of manganese without having any complaints, especially vegetarians, whose menu consists mainly of foods that are very rich in minerals and their manganese daily intake might reach 20+ mg.
Possible Side Effects
As already mentioned, there are no side effects from the intake of food and nutritional supplements at recommended doses. Manganese is, however, appointed as an industrial toxin.
The exposure to manganese fumes or dust in enterprises using manganese in their production processes is extremely dangerous. These are mostly companies from the iron-making and steel-making industry.
The prolonged exposure to manganese fumes leads to a condition called Manganism. Manganism is a biphase neurological disease. In the first phase, the intoxicated person may experience mood swings, depression, impairment of memory and cognitive abilities.
As the disease progresses, there comes a condition with very similar symptoms as in Parkinson's disease. The effects of manganese poisoning are often irreversible and incurable.
The Risk Groups for Manganese Poisoning Are:
- People with liver disease - because manganese is eliminated from the body mainly through the bile juices, the impaired work of the liver can lead to reduced elimination;
- Newborn babies - babies up to 1-year-old are more vulnerable;
- Children – in comparison to adults, children have better absorption and decreased elimination of manganese, which can lead to excessive accumulation;
- People, suffering from iron deficiency – Scientific research has shown that people with a deficiency of the mineral iron absorb much better the mineral manganese, which can lead to excessive accumulation.
