Top 12 Manganese Rich Foods to Add to Your Daily Diet

Manganese is a necessary mineral that helps in the overall functioning of the body and maintains better immunity. Your body requires it to properly develop bones, maintain healthy skin, absorb calcium, and regulate blood sugar. In addition, it acts as an antioxidant, helping in scavenging free radicals and in the blood clotting process.

Thus, your body must have enough of this mineral to perform such functions. However, for it, you may need to include manganese-rich foods in your daily diet. You will learn all about it in the sections below!

What Are the Top Manganese Rich Foods That You Can Adopt in Your Daily Lives?

Although people often switch to supplements and multivitamins to gain manganese, there are enough natural options from which you can source this mineral. Look at this list of top foods high in manganese below to know about them all, the amount of mineral they source and the benefits gained:

1. Nuts

Nuts are the superfood you are looking for if you want to incorporate a high amount of manganese into your body. Some of the top options in nuts include pine nuts, almonds and pecan. These are directly consumable, or you can add them to your desserts, salads, and sauces. One ounce of pecan or one-fourth cup can provide you with 1.3 mg of manganese.

2. Spinach

Spinach itself contains a lot of health benefits. On top of this, providing the body with enough manganese serves as an additional benefit. Not to mention, it is also a very good provider of potassium which helps control patients' blood pressure problems. By consuming half a bowl of spinach, you can gain 0.8 mg of manganese.

3. Sweet Potatoes

Another one among the top food sources of manganese that we would like to mention is sweet potatoes. This starchy sweet root vegetable is not only an excellent natural source of minerals but also loaded with many other essential vitamins.

Moreover, you can cook it or even eat it raw. It will provide you with 0.3 mg of the mineral. This may seem low, but it is an ideal option for diabetic patients specifically.

4. Beans

Beans, including lima beans and pinto beans, are a great source of increasing manganese in your daily diet. Moreover, there are multiple options in which you can consume them, like with roti or rice, in biryani, pulao, or other dishes. By consuming 100 grams of it, you will be able to gain 0.9 mg of manganese. Not to forget they are easily available in the market.

5. Pineapple

With just half a cup of pineapple, you will be able to meet 33% of DV by sourcing 0.8 mg of manganese. It is a very convenient option for increasing the minerals in the body as you can either have it in chunks, juice it or top it in your dessert.

However, it is not the only benefit you can gain from this option. You will also gain bromelain enzyme, which is an excellent element to digest protein.

6. Tofu

If you are looking for top foods that contain manganese to include in your fitness diet, Tofu can be the one. It has many associated benefits apart from sourcing your body with a high amount of manganese.

For example, it also provides you with high protein, helping in the muscle training process. By consuming 100 grams of Tofu, you can gain 1.2 mg of manganese, and there is no problem with it, too, as you can either have it dry, in gravy dishes or in a salad.

7. Brown Rice

Brown rice is another top option that many adopt in their daily diet as a healthier alternative to white rice filled with starch. Half a cup of this cooked brown rice can provide your body with 1.1 mg of manganese. However, one more benefit of adding this is that it is high in fibre, so it lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and helps with easy digestion.

8. Clams

Seafood is not only rich in omega-3 fatty acids but also a natural source of manganese. So, if you are looking for a high mineral seafood option, consider clam. Three ounces of cooked clams can source you with 0.9 mg of manganese. Also, you can have it in various ways, i.e., steam, grill or a part of the traditional clam chowder.

9. Chickpeas

turkish roasted chickpeas — (Source: silkroadrecipes)

Protein-rich chickpeas are one of the most versatile legumes that also benefit you by meeting the requirement of manganese in the body. By having half a cup of this food, you can gain 0.8 mg of manganese.

However, apart from this, you will also be sourcing 6 grams of fibre, 7 grams of protein and only 134 calories. Lastly, it also provides the body with vitamin B.

10. Soybean

Soybean, also known as edamame, is a great vegan option for increasing manganese content in the body. By having half a cup of it, you will gain 0.7 mg of this mineral and a lot of protein too. Also, it is a great option to include if you only follow plant-based diets.

11. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of the best options when you are trying to increase manganese content in your body while losing weight. Half a cup of oatmeal can source you with 0.7 mg of the mineral. However, there are other advantages of consuming oatmeal daily as well.

For example, it has been directly linked to lowering chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, digestive problem and obesity. It can control the situation with the help of its beta-glucan fibre content.

12. Lentils

If you are looking for plant-based food sources of manganese, then lentils can be an excellent option. By consuming half a cup of cooked lentils, you gain 0.5 mg of manganese, equal to 21% of DV. Not to mention, they are a good vegetarian option, a great source of fibre and contain protein.

What Are the Benefits of Eating Foods That Are High in Manganese?

The following are some of the benefits of consuming foods that contain manganese in a high amount:

Improves Bone Health: Manganese is an essential nutrient required for bone health and maintenance. When you consume manganese-rich food, it combines with zinc, copper and calcium to increase bone mineral density.
Reduces Disease Risk: Manganese is a part of the most powerful antioxidant, i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD). It is an antioxidant enzyme that prevents the damage of healthy cells by protecting them from cell-damaging free radicals.
Improves Metabolism: Another benefit of consuming manganese content food is it aids in the chemical processing of various important compounds, thus keeping the metabolism rate healthy.
Control Diabetes: Manganese has shown a direct link to insulin production in the body. Thus, it helps regulate blood sugar levels and keep diabetes in control.

Frequently Asked Questions

✓ What are the symptoms of manganese deficiency?

Manganese deficiency is a common problem that many suffer through. In this condition, the individual is likely to experience low fertility problems, impaired or slow growth, poor bone development, abnormal metabolism, and impaired glucose tolerance.

✓ How much manganese is safe for consumption?

According to experts, 11 mg of manganese per day is a safe consumption limit for adults, while it reduces to 9 mg per day or less for 19-year-olds or below. If one consumes more than this, they can face health issues related to manganese overconsumption.