Skip to main content

Include these 11 foods in your diet to reap the benefits of manganese

Why manganese is a necessary part of your diet (and what you should eat)

Manganese isn’t discussed as often as other nutrients, but it’s vital to a healthy diet. You should include foods with manganese to support essential processes your body goes through every day. Without it, you wouldn’t have bone strength, energy from food, or proper immunity against disease. This important nutrient also serves as a crucial antioxidant and blood clotting agent. Keep reading to learn more about manganese benefits and how to incorporate this nutrient into your diet.

What is manganese?

A serving of oysters

Manganese is a mineral that your body needs to function properly. While you’re busy going about your day, manganese works hard to process your cholesterol, proteins, and carbs. You can even find people who swear by it for helping with osteoporosis and hay fever. 

Related Videos

Children need between 1.2 and 1.9 milligrams (mg) every day from ages one through their teen years. If you were born female and are over 19, you need at least 1.8 mg of manganese every day. If you were born male and are over 19, you need at least 2.3 mg daily. According to Oregon State University, there is no concern for either toxicity or deficiency, as both are exceedingly rare. 

4 manganese benefits for your health

Pineapple on a plate.

1. Metabolizes nutrients

Manganese assists with activating the enzymes you need for metabolism. You need this process to work properly so that proteins, amino acids, cholesterol, and carbs all break down and get to where they’re needed in your body. Manganese also allows your body to take in and benefit from needed vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin E, thiamine, and choline. Without this assistance, your liver wouldn’t function properly. 

2. Protects brain function

Thanks to this nutrient, your brain cells and neural pathways stay healthier. Manganese has antioxidants that guard your brain against damage that can occur from free radicals. Secondly, manganese attaches itself to neurotransmitters. This binding process stimulates better movement of all the electrical impulses moving throughout your nervous system, which can improve the way your brain functions. 

3. Promotes bone health

Manganese, along with copper, zinc, and calcium, keeps your bones healthy. This is essential as you get older. Too many postmenopausal women and men over 50 deal with osteoporosis-related bone injuries. Manganese with added vitamins can work toward combating that. 

4. May help reduce inflammation

At its worst, inflammation can lead to arthritis, blindness, diabetes, and cancer. Manganese, thanks to its steady supply of antioxidants, might be able to help. Some studies suggest that manganese, along with glucosamine and chondroitin, might even reduce the pain that comes from certain arthritis conditions.

11 foods high in manganese

A brown rice-based dish with toasted bread slices served on a plate with spoon and fork.
Unsplash

1. Rice

A cup of cooked brown rice has almost 100% of your daily allowance for manganese. You can enjoy rice in a variety of ways, including as a side dish with protein and vegetables. Rice is also delicious as the main ingredient in risotto with meat, chicken, or seafood mixed in. Vegetarians can use white beans, spinach or kale, mushrooms, and olives for a hearty, delicious, manganese-rich risotto dinner. 

oysters.
Pexels

2. Oysters

Oysters give you a great meal and lots of manganese, nearly 4% of what you need daily from a mere 3 ounces of cooked oysters.

Follow these guidelines to enjoy this delicacy safely. 

  1. Wear gloves and wash the outer shell of fresh oysters before opening and eating. Cut off the top side of the oyster with a specially made knife and then use that utensil to remove the oyster meat from the shell. Keep the juice pooled in the shell and add it to whatever condiment you enjoy. This can include lemon juice, cocktail sauce, butter, or horseradish sauce. Alternatively, you can simply raise the bottom edge to your lips and slurp the oyster along with its juices. 
  2. Remove oyster meat and cook in a pot with milk or cream, aromatics, and even sherry to make a stew. Serve with oyster crackers on the side.
  3. After you shuck the oysters, coat them with bread and deep-fry them. Then put them on a halved baguette to create a delicious po’boy with pickled coleslaw, some hot sauce, and a creamy remoulade.
  4. If you don’t want to consume your oysters raw, they’re easy to steam. It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll see they’re done when the shells open up. You can also add steamed meat to your favorite seafood pasta dish.

whole grain crackers.

3. Whole grains

Two slices of whole-grain bread give you about 60% of your recommended daily manganese. Enjoy those two slices in the morning with eggs and your favorite toppings, or at lunch with protein, cheese, and all the fixings. Whole-grain cereals, granola, and pasta can also add variety and manganese to your meals. 

Sliced pineapple.

4. Pineapple

A cup of raw pineapple contains almost 70% of the manganese you need every day. It’s delicious plain, or you can add the cup to ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, or smoothies.

Dark chocolate bar.

5. Dark chocolate

A 100-gram bar of dark chocolate contains about 98% manganese. A square or two can be a delicious and nutritious treat at the end of a long day. You can combine it with strawberries, grapes, or a glass of red wine, or eat it plain. 

Almonds raw.
Unsplash

6. Almonds

There are about 2.23 mgs of manganese in 100 grams of almonds. They can be added to cooked meals like chicken or green beans. You can also add almonds to salads, granola, or mixed trail recipes that call for coconut strips and dark chocolate.  

Mussels.

7. Mussels

Mussels contain more manganese content than almost any other food source. If you eat 3 ounces of cooked blue mussels, you’ll get a whopping 251% of your daily allowance. Like with any shellfish, make sure mussels pose no health risks before you consume them.

Here’s how to safely clean, prepare, and eat this delicious dish.

  1. Store mussels in the refrigerator and eat them within two days of purchase. 
  2. Thoroughly clean each one by holding it under cold running water.
  3. Use a firm brush to remove dirt, barnacles, and the bristly material near the hinge of the shell. 
  4. Throw away any mussels that have been damaged or opened. 
  5. Steam the mussels while they’re still in their shells. You can serve them in broth or white wine. Some people enjoy taking the meat out of the shells and adding it into a soup or sauce. You can always steam, grill, or bake the meat as your tastes dictate. Search for recipes and have fun with them!
  6. Remove mussel meat with your fingers or a small fork. Then simply pry open one of the mussel shells and scoop out the meat. You can also use one of the empty mussel shells to pry open and scoop the rest of the shells.

A bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter.

8. Oatmeal

A standard 1-cup serving of cooked oatmeal contains more than 60% of your daily manganese needs. Add toppings like peanut butter, raisins, dried cranberries, or honey to make the oatmeal extra tasty.

9. Black pepper

One teaspoon of black pepper gives you 13% of your daily recommended manganese intake. It also adds a lot of flavor to a meal. Use pepper on salads, pasta, protein, cooked vegetables, eggs, sandwiches, wraps, seafood dishes, casseroles, soups, and so much more!

Green spinach leaves in a collander.
Unsplash

10. Spinach

A cup of cooked spinach gives you 35% of the manganese you need each day. Add that cooked spinach to eggs in the morning or sandwiches for lunch, or use it as a delicious side meal with any kind of protein for dinner. You can also store it in the refrigerator and add it to protein or poke bowls, smoothies, and pasta meals.

A bird's eye view of soybeans on a cloth.

11. Soybeans

A cup of boiled soybeans gives you 62% of your daily manganese requirement. Edamame with a little bit of salt is a great snack by itself, but you can also add it to stir-fried protein and rice, noodles, or grain bowls. 

A delicious meal that includes 3 ounces of steamed mussels, 1 cup of cooked spinach with a little bit of butter, and some mashed potatoes with black pepper will give you a lot of great flavors and more than 200% of your daily recommended manganese. For an added manganese-filled treat, don’t forget dark chocolate for dessert!

Editors' Recommendations

This NYC restaurant’s $518, 19-course tasting menu of Chinese cuisine is amazing
Chef Guo in New York is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a feast for the senses and the palate
Chef Guo food.

Butterfly Falls in Love with the Flower.

Step inside the restaurant Chef Guo, and the first thing you'll be greeted with is a majestic model of a ginko tree, the national tree of China, complete with brightly colored golden leaves. The tree cascades over the dining room, a space filled with Chinese calligraphy on the walls and regal Indonesian Zi Tan rosewood chairs. Soft and pleasant Chinese instrumental music plays in the background, an oasis in an otherwise hectic Midtown Manhattan.

Read more
Want to build muscle? A doctor says you should eat these foods
If you're looking to bulk up those biceps, these are the foods you should be eating
Fish fillets, chicken meat, and red meat on top of distressed white cutting boards along with nuts, cheese, dairy, and eggs.

The world of nutrition and muscle growth can be a terribly confusing one. Between the madness of the latest trends in health, fad diets, the newest "must have" workout gear, and toxic weight-loss culture, it's easy to want to throw in the towel and reach for a box of Twinkies. But tucked in, hidden in all of this confusion, there are some things about fitness and muscle growth that are just always true. The biggest truth of them all is that abs really are made in the kitchen. You can work yourself into a frenzy with a fancy gym membership, but without proper nutrition, your body is just running on toxic fumes.

Muscle building requires a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Dr. Noel Abood, owner and director of Solon Spine & Wellness Center in Ohio, shared with us his expert advice on the top foods one should be eating for ultimate muscle growth. So if you've been frustrated with the results of your workout routine, or are looking to bulge those biceps a bit more, here are some of the foods you'll want to add these items to your grocery list.

Read more
Study: Which fast food restaurant gives you the worst bang for your buck?
Fast-casual restaurants: Where customers say they get the most value for their money
fast food and casual restarants with worst bang for buck burgers on grill

Whether we care to admit it or not, we all have our favorite fast-food restaurants. For all the bad rap they get, there's really just no comparing their convenience or ability to satisfy that insane, so-bad-it's-good, otherworldy craving for a greasy brown bagged burger and fries. Say what you will about the extra fat and calories, overly processed ingredients, and insane levels of sodium and cholesterol. At the end of the day, sometimes you've just got to give in and be bad.

And while we all have our favorites, from McDonald's to Jimmy John's, in a recent study, some fast-casual restaurants fared better than others when it came down to the best bang for your buck.

Read more