Is manganese the same as magnesium?
No. They are different minerals with similar names. Manganese is a trace mineral that enzymes need in small amounts, while magnesium is needed in much larger amounts and has its own guide.
Essential trace mineral
Manganese, the quiet cofactor
Manganese is an essential trace mineral that enzymes such as manganese superoxide dismutase need for metabolism, bone formation and protecting cells from damage1.
What manganese does for you.
Metabolism
Enzymes that use manganese help process amino acids, cholesterol, glucose and carbohydrates1.
Antioxidant enzyme
Manganese superoxide dismutase helps clear reactive oxygen species that can damage cells1.
Bone formation
Manganese is a cofactor for several enzymes involved in bone formation1.
Blood clotting
Works with vitamin K in blood clotting and hemostasis1.
Immunity & reproduction
Also involved in reproduction and the immune response1.
How your body uses manganese.
Adults absorb only about 1–5% of dietary manganese, more when intake is low; once absorbed, most is bound to transferrin, albumin and alpha-2-macroglobulin and taken up by the liver and other tissues1. More than 90% of absorbed manganese leaves in bile, which keeps tissue levels steady1.
Foods and other sources.
MusselsHazelnutsPecansBrown riceChickpeasSpinachPineappleOatmealWhole-wheat breadTea
Vegetarian
| Food and serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Hazelnuts, dry roasted, 1 oz | 1.6 mg |
| Pecans, dry roasted, 1 oz | 1.1 mg |
| Brown rice, medium grain, cooked, ½ cup | 1.1 mg |
| Chickpeas, cooked, ½ cup | 0.9 mg |
| Spinach, boiled, ½ cup | 0.8 mg |
| Pineapple, raw chunks, ½ cup | 0.8 mg |
| Bread, whole wheat, 1 slice | 0.7 mg |
| Oatmeal, cooked, ½ cup | 0.7 mg |
| Tea, black, brewed, 1 cup | 0.5 mg |
Non-vegetarian
| Food and serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Mussels, blue, cooked, 3 oz | 5.8 mg |
| Oysters, Pacific, cooked, 3 oz | 1.0 mg |
| Clams, cooked, 3 oz | 0.9 mg |
Meat, poultry, eggs and dairy provide little or no manganese, and grain products, tea and vegetables are the top sources for U.S. adults1. Amounts per serving from1.
Your daily reference amounts.
The same reference table draws the reference lines on your charts in Ayuvo. Needs differ in pregnancy and breastfeeding, which are not covered here.
| Age | Women | Men | Upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19–30 | 1.8 mg | 2.3 mg | 11 mg |
| 31–50 | 1.8 mg | 2.3 mg | 11 mg |
| 51–70 | 1.8 mg | 2.3 mg | 11 mg |
| 71+ | 1.8 mg | 2.3 mg | 11 mg |
AI (Adequate Intake) is used when there is not enough evidence for an RDA: an amount assumed to be enough. Per day, for adults1.
Upper limit (UL) is the most per day that is unlikely to cause harm. Applies to food, drinks and supplements combined.
Too little, too much.
Signs like these have many possible causes. They are a reason to talk to a clinician, not to self-treat.
Too little
Manganese deficiency is very rare and its signs are not firmly established; very limited evidence links it with these1.
- Weak bones and poor growth in children
- Skin rashes
- Loss of hair colour
- Mood changes
- Worse premenstrual pain
- Abnormal glucose tolerance
Too much
No harm has been shown from manganese in food, but toxicity has occurred from inhaling manganese dust at work and from drinking water with very high levels1.
- Tremors and muscle spasms
- Ringing in the ears, hearing loss
- Feeling unsteady on your feet
- Mood changes and irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Parkinson-like movement problems
Supplement forms.
Supplement labels list elemental manganese, and no data are available on how well the different forms are absorbed1.
Amino acid chelates
Such as manganese bisglycinate, manganese glycinate and manganese aspartate1.
Manganese sulfate
A common form; no form is known to be better than any other2.
Gluconate, citrate, picolinate
Other forms found in supplements, along with manganese chloride1.
Supplements can interact with medicines. Talk to a clinician or pharmacist before you start one, especially at high doses.
Remember these five.
- Whole grains, nuts, legumes, leafy greens, shellfish and tea supply most dietary manganese.
- Meat, poultry, eggs and dairy provide little or none.
- The body absorbs only a small share of the manganese in food and removes extra through bile.
- Low iron status can increase how much manganese is absorbed.
- Manganese toxicity has come from workplace dust and contaminated water, not from food.
Questions about manganese.
Who is more sensitive to excess manganese?
People with chronic liver disease clear manganese through bile less well, and iron deficiency increases manganese absorption, so both can make excess manganese more likely to cause problems. Breathing manganese dust at work, as in welding and mining, is another known risk.
Does tea provide manganese?
Yes. A cup of brewed black tea provides about 0.5 mg of manganese, and tea is one of the top sources of manganese for U.S. adults, along with grain products and vegetables.
Get started
Track manganese in Ayuvo.
Food logging does not estimate manganese, so Ayuvo tracks it from supplements you log in Medications, and from Apple Health on iPhone or Health Connect on Android when another app saves it there. Charts by day, week, month and year use the reference lines from this page, personalised by age and sex where they differ. Free, with no account.
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Or read the code: Ayuvo is open source
Sources
Facts on this page come from these sources, checked on the dates shown. Intake numbers come from Ayuvo's shared reference table, which cites the sources marked for them.
- Manganese: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · NIH Office of Dietary Supplements checked 2026-09-27
- Manganese: Fact Sheet for Consumers · NIH Office of Dietary Supplements checked 2026-09-27
General information, not medical advice. This guide is for healthy adults and does not cover pregnancy, breastfeeding, children or medical conditions. It cannot diagnose or treat anything. Talk to a clinician before starting high-dose supplements, or if you think you may have too little or too much of a nutrient. Spotted an error? Email us.
Keep reading.
CalciumBuilds bones and teeth, keeps muscles and nerves workingIronCarries oxygen in your blood; heme and plant iron explainedMagnesiumEnzyme helper for energy, muscles, nerves and bonesPotassiumPowers nerve signals and muscle contractions, balances sodiumSodiumBalances body fluids; most comes from packaged foodsZincImmunity, wound healing and taste; watch copper at high dosesVitamin AVision, immunity and growth; from retinol and beta-caroteneVitamin CCollagen, antioxidant defence and plant-iron absorption