Manganese is a mineral that your body needs to stay healthy. Your body uses manganese to make energy and protect your cells from damage. Your body also needs manganese for strong bones, reproduction, blood clotting, and a healthy immune system.

The amount of manganese you need depends on your age and sex. Average daily recommended amounts are listed below in milligrams (mg).

Many foods contain manganese. You can get recommended amounts of manganese by eating a variety of foods, including the following:

• Whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, and whole-wheat bread
• Clams, oysters, and mussels
• Nuts, such as hazelnuts and pecans
• Legumes, such as soybeans and lentils
• Leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale
• Some fruits, such as pineapple and blueberries
• Tea
• Many spices, such as black pepper

Manganese is available in many multivitamin/multimineral and other dietary supplements. Supplements contain many forms of manganese, such as manganese sulfate and manganese aspartate. Scientists don’t know whether any form of manganese in supplements is better than any other form.

Most people in the United States get enough manganese from the foods they eat.

Manganese deficiency is very rare in the United States. A deficiency might cause the following symptoms:

• Weak bones and poor growth in children
• Skin rashes and loss of hair color in men
• Mood changes and worse premenstrual pain than normal in women

Scientists are studying manganese to understand how it affects health. Here are some examples of what this research has shown.

Bone health
You need manganese in combination with other minerals and vitamins for healthy bone formation. But more research is needed to understand the role of manganese in maintaining or improving bone health.

Diabetes
You need manganese to help break down the starches and sugars that you eat. But its effect on the risk of diabetes is unknown. More research is needed to understand whether manganese plays a role in the development of diabetes.

Studies have not shown any harm from the manganese in food and beverages. But some people have developed manganese toxicity by consuming water containing very high levels of manganese. Another cause of manganese toxicity is inhaling large amounts of manganese dust from welding or mining work.

The symptoms of manganese toxicity include tremors, muscle spasms, hearing problems, mania, insomnia, depression, loss of appetite, headaches, irritability, weakness, and mood changes.

People should not consume more manganese than the upper limits from food, beverages, or dietary supplements unless their healthcare provider recommends doing this.

The daily upper limits for manganese include intakes from all sources—food, beverages, and supplements—and are listed below.

Manganese is not known to interact or interfere with any medicines.

Tell your doctor, pharmacist, and other healthcare providers about any dietary supplements and prescription or over-the-counter medicines you take. They can tell you if the dietary supplements might interact with your medicines or if the medicines might interfere with how your body absorbs, uses, or breaks down nutrients, such as manganese.