Manganese

Why You Need It

• Bone Health: It activates enzymes essential for the formation of bone and cartilage.
• Metabolism Boost: It helps your body utilize vitamins like choline and Vitamin B1 effectively.
• Wound Healing: It plays a vital role in the production of collagen, which is the structural protein that heals skin and tissue.
• Antioxidant Defense: It is a core component of superoxide dismutase (SOD), one of the body's most powerful antioxidant enzymes.

Deep Dive

Manganese acts as a 'spark plug' for your body's chemical reactions. Specifically, it is required for glutamine synthetase, an enzyme critical for brain function and metabolism. If you are active or recovering from an injury, your need for this mineral increases slightly because it helps synthesize the connective tissues required for repair. While deficiency is rare, insufficient intake can lead to brittle bones and reproductive issues. It is best obtained through diet because the body is very efficient at regulating absorption based on what you eat.

Natural Food Sources

The best way to get manganese is by eating whole, unprocessed plant foods. Your body absorbs about 5% of the manganese you eat from food, which sounds low but is exactly the amount your body needs to prevent toxicity.

Supplementation

When to supplement: You rarely need to supplement manganese unless you have a diagnosed malabsorption issue or are eating a highly restrictive diet.

Dosage: The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) for adults is 1.8 mg for women and 2.3 mg for men. Most multivitamins contain manganese, often as manganese gluconate. If you are taking a supplement, never exceed 10mg per day without medical supervision.