nutrient

Manganese

A trace mineral that activates enzymes involved in metabolism, antioxidant defence, bone formation and connective tissue.

Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status

Manganese is present in grains, nuts, legumes and tea. The body regulates absorption and excretion, but high supplemental exposure can create a different safety context from food.

Food sources

Per 100 g

Food amounts and reference percentages, both per 100 g
Food	Per 100 g	Daily reference
Chia seeds, dry	7.56 mg	252%
Pumpkin seeds	4.12 mg	137.33%
Rolled oats	3.23 mg	107.67%
English walnuts, raw	3 mg	100%
Brown rice, long-grain, raw	2.7 mg	90%

Show 39 more foods

Food amounts and reference percentages, both per 100 g
Food	Per 100 g	Daily reference
Ground flaxseed	2.4 mg	80%
Almonds	2.15 mg	71.67%
Almonds, dry-roasted and salted	2.02 mg	67.33%
Peanuts, raw	1.68 mg	56%
Lentils	1.57 mg	52.33%
Hummus, commercial	1.06 mg	35.33%
White rice, long-grain, raw	0.98 mg	32.7%
Spinach, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	0.9 mg	29.9%
Chickpeas, canned and rinsed	0.75 mg	24.83%
Lentils, cooked and salted (SR Legacy 2018)	0.49 mg	16.47%
Spinach	0.49 mg	16.27%
Blueberries, raw	0.42 mg	14.1%
Orange sweet potato, peeled and raw	0.42 mg	13.9%
Strawberries, raw	0.37 mg	12.27%
Banana, ripe, raw	0.26 mg	8.6%
Soy milk, unsweetened and shelf-stable	0.21 mg	6.93%
Hass avocado, raw	0.2 mg	6.57%
Rainbow trout, wild, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	0.16 mg	5.27%
Russet potato, raw	0.15 mg	5.07%
Orange bell pepper, raw	0.15 mg	4.97%
Carrots, frozen and unprepared	0.14 mg	4.77%
Anchovies, canned in olive oil, drained	0.14 mg	4.6%
Mature carrots, raw	0.13 mg	4.33%
Oat milk, unsweetened and refrigerated	0.13 mg	4.2%
Grape tomatoes, raw	0.12 mg	4.03%
Atlantic sardines, canned in oil (SR Legacy 2018)	0.11 mg	3.6%
Canned diced tomatoes	0.07 mg	2.27%
Pie pumpkin, raw	0.05 mg	1.63%
Navel orange, raw	0.03 mg	0.97%
Red Delicious apple, raw	0.03 mg	0.97%
Light tuna, canned in water, drained	0.02 mg	0.63%
Braised chicken drumstick	0.02 mg	0.6%
Atlantic salmon, farmed, cooked (SR Legacy 2018)	0.02 mg	0.53%
Cottage cheese, 2% fat	0.02 mg	0.5%
Braised chicken breast	0.01 mg	0.4%
Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	0.01 mg	0.37%
Greek yogurt, plain nonfat	<0.01 mg	0.3%
Roasted beef tenderloin	<0.01 mg	0.27%
Plain whole-milk yogurt	<0.01 mg	0.07%

Compared with EFSA’s adult reference of 3 mg/day.

About these amounts

These values describe the named food and preparation. A 100 g comparison is not a suggested serving. Small amounts are rounded for display; an unreported amount is not zero.

Healthy European adults. Adequate intake: 3 mg/day. These are population references, not individual targets.

Portions recorded by the source

Almonds, dry-roasted and salted: 1 cup (135 g) — 2.73 mg, 90.9% of the daily reference.
Hummus, commercial: 2 tablespoon (33.9 g) — 0.36 mg, 11.98% of the daily reference.
Canned diced tomatoes: 1 cup (245 g) — 0.17 mg, 5.55% of the daily reference.
Light tuna, canned in water, drained: 1 can (142 g) — 0.03 mg, 0.9% of the daily reference.
Braised chicken drumstick: 1 drumstick (104 g) — 0.02 mg, 0.62% of the daily reference.
Cottage cheese, 2% fat: 1 cup (220 g) — 0.03 mg, 1.1% of the daily reference.
Braised chicken breast: 1 piece (174 g) — 0.02 mg, 0.7% of the daily reference.
Greek yogurt, plain nonfat: 1 container (156 g) — 0.01 mg, 0.47% of the daily reference.
Roasted beef tenderloin: 1 roast (462 g) — 0.04 mg, 1.23% of the daily reference.

The source records and EFSA guidance are linked in References below.

How it works

What it does

Manganese is a cofactor or activator for enzymes including manganese superoxide dismutase and enzymes involved in carbohydrate, amino-acid and cholesterol metabolism. It also supports connective-tissue and bone formation.

Where it comes from

Whole grains, nuts, legumes, leafy vegetables and tea can contribute manganese.

Roles and processes

Bone
Manganese supports formation of Bone
Manganese-dependent enzymes participate in bone and connective-tissue formation.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Manganese: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals

Worth knowing

Many plant foods contribute. Whole grains, nuts, legumes, leafy vegetables and tea can provide manganese. The amounts vary between foods and preparation methods.

A closer look

Concentrated manganese has a different risk context

The body regulates manganese absorption and excretion, but high supplemental exposure can affect the nervous system, especially in susceptible settings. A food reference value does not justify a high-dose product.

References

Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.

Take it into the kitchen

Explore this nutrient in simple meals. Recipe pages show estimated amounts and missing data.

Spinach chickpea coconut pot · 20 min →

Curry tofu pea rice · 20 min →

Tofu zucchini rice · 22 min →

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