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by Jack Norris, RD &Ginny Messina,

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Manganese

by Jack Norris, RD | Last updated: March 2013

Summary

There is a concern that manganese intakes in vegan diets can be high. To date, manganese toxicity in veganshas not been studied, but manganese toxicity usually does not occur with amounts of manganese found in thediet. However, iron deficiency can cause an increase in manganese absorption and vegans with iron deficiencyshould make sure they eat vitamin C at meals so that iron is absorbed instead of manganese.

Manganese in Vegan Diets

Manganese is a mineral that is essential for humans. It is part of the antioxidant system in the mitochondria, andis also involved in metabolism, bone development, and the creation of collagen for wound healing.

Although manganese is an essential nutrient, manganese toxicity has been relatively common in places whereworkers are accidentally exposed to large amounts of manganese. Manganese in drinking water is the biggestconcern since manganese in food is not as easily absorbed.

Manganese toxicity symptoms tend to be neurological problems. Headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, and

aggressiveness are early signs of manganese toxicity, which can then proceed into Parkinson's disease-likesymptoms such as tremors (6). People with manganese toxicity have more of a tendency to fall backwards thando those with Parkinson's (6). Studies have been mixed on whether chelation therapy, the only therapy currentlyavailable, is successful at treating overt manganese toxicity (6).

According to the Linus Pauling Institute, "A single case of manganese toxicity was reported in a person whotook large amounts of mineral supplements for years, while another case was reported as a result of a persontaking a Chinese herbal supplement. Manganese toxicity resulting from foods alone has not been reported inhumans, even though certain vegetarian diets could provide up to 20 mg/day of manganese."

The DRI for manganese if 1.8 mg for adult women and 2.3 mg for men. One study has measured themanganese intakes in vegans and it found an average intake of 4.1 mg for women and 5.6 mg for men (notincluding supplements) (1), though some vegans get much higher amounts. The upper tolerable limit for adults is11 mg/day, although this level is considered "very conservative" by the Linus Pauling Institute.

Despite the fact that overt manganese toxicity from food rarely occurs, iron deficiency has been shown toincrease the risk of manganese accumulation in the brain (6). Because iron and manganese share similarabsorption mechanisms, iron deficiency can increase manganese intake (from the body trying to increase ironabsorption but getting manganese instead) and high manganese intakes can depress iron absorption (3, 4). Astudy in miners whose drinking water was contaminated with manganese showed that manganese toxicitydecreased iron status which returned to normal after the manganese was minimized in their environment (2).

People with liver damage are also at risk for manganese deficiency (6).

Manganese absorption is very low, from 1 to 5% (4). The phytic acid in a soy formula was shown to cutmanganese absorption in half (from 1.6 to .7%) in adults (5). Phytic acid has a similar effect on iron absorption,but vitamin C can overcome phytic acid's effect on iron, whereas it does not do so for manganese (5).

From this research, it seems possible that long-term iron deficiency (not necessarily anemia, but low iron stores)could increase manganese absorption on a vegan diet high enough to cause problems, though I have not heardof any long term vegans getting Parkinson's-like symptoms or manganese toxicity.

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Vegans with iron deficiency should make sure they eat vitamin C at meals so that iron is absorbed instead ofmanganese. Including some soy with meals for phytic acid might also be a good idea for such people.

References

1. Haddad EH, Berk LS, Kettering JD, Hubbard RW, Peters WR. Dietary intake and biochemical, hematologic, andimmune status of vegans compared with nonvegetarians. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Sep;70(3 Suppl):586S-593S. | link

2. Boojar MM, Goodarzi F, Basedaghat MA. Long-term follow-up of workplace and well water manganese effects on iron

status indexes in manganese miners. Arch Environ Health. 2002 Nov-Dec;57(6):519-28. (Abstract) | l ink

3. Kim Y, Lee BK. Iron deficiency increases blood manganese level in the Korean general population according toKNHANES 2008. Neurotoxicology. 2011 Mar;32(2):247-54. doi: 10.1016/j.neuro.2010.12.006. Epub 2010 Dec 21. | link

4. Finley J W. Manganese absorption and retention by young women is associated with serum ferritin concentration. Am JClin Nutr. 1999 J ul;70(1):37-43. | link

5. Davidsson L, Almgren A, J uillerat MA, Hurrell RF. Manganese absorption in humans: the effect of phytic acid andascorbic acid in soy formula. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Nov;62(5):984-7. | link

6. Aschner M, Erikson KM, Herrero Hernndez E, Tjalkens R. Manganese and its role in Parkinson's disease: fromtransport to neuropathology. Neuromolecular Med. 2009;11(4):252-66. doi: 10.1007/s12017-009-8083-0. Epub . Review.Erratum in: Neuromolecular Med. 2009;11(4):267. | link

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