Top 10 Foods Highest in Manganese

Written by Daisy Whitbread, MScN
Top 10 Foods Highest in Manganese

Manganese is required by the body for proper enzyme functioning, nutrient absorption, wound healing, and bone development. Manganese deficiency is rare but can be expressed in poor bone health, joint pain, and fertility problems. Manganese toxicity from food sources is also rare, but can adversely affect the neurological system.

Health benefits of manganese include strengthening weak bones, anti-oxidant protection, alleviating premenstrual syndrome (PMS), anemia, arthritis, alopecia (spot baldness), and prevention of epileptic seizures. However, more research needs to be conducted to confirm these health benefits.

Foods high in manganese include mussels, clams, nuts, pumpkin seeds, whole wheat bread, tofu, beans, fish (bass), spinach, whole grains, and black tea. The current DV for manganese is 2mg. Below is a list of high manganese foods, for more, see the lists of high manganese foods by nutrient density, and manganese rich foods.


#1: Seafood (Mussels, Cooked)
Manganese 100g Per 3oz (85g)Per ounce (28g)
6.8mg (340% DV)5.8mg (289% DV)1.9mg (96% DV)
Other Seafood High in Manganese (%DV per 3oz cooked): Clams (43%), and Crayfish (22%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#2: Nuts (Hazelnuts)
Manganese 100g Per 2oz (56g)Per ounce (28g)
5.6mg (278% DV)3.1mg (156% DV)1.6mg (78% DV)
Other Nuts High in Manganese (%DV per ounce): Pecans (55%), Walnuts (48%), Macadamia (43%), Almonds (32%), Cashews (23%), and Pistachio (17%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#3: Seeds (Pumpkin)
Manganese 100g Per cup (129g)Per ounce (28g)
4.5mg (227% DV)5.9mg (293% DV)1.3mg (64% DV)
Other Seeds High in Manganese (%DV per ounce): Chia Seeds (38%), Sesame and Flaxseeds (35%), and Sunflower Seeds (30%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


Advertisement (Bad ad? How to mute ads)

#4: Bread (Whole-Wheat)
Manganese 100g Per slice (28g)Per 2 slices (56g)
2.1mg (107% DV)0.7mg (35% DV)1.4mg (70% DV)
Other Breads High in Manganese (%DV per piece): Whole-Wheat English Muffin (59%), Whole-Wheat Pita (56%), and Whole-Wheat Roll (32%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#5: Tofu (Firm, Raw)
Manganese 100g Per 1/2 cup (126g)Per 1/4 block (81g)
1.2mg (59% DV)1.5mg (74% DV)1.0mg (48% DV)
Tempeh is also High in Manganese (%DV per 1/2 cup): (54%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#6: Beans (Butter/Lima Beans, Cooked)
Manganese 100g Per cup (170g)Per 1/2 cup (85g)
1.3mg (63% DV)2.1mg (106% DV)1.1mg (53% DV)
Other Beans High in Manganese (%DV per cup cooked): Winged Beans (103%), Chickpeas (84%), Adzuki Beans (66%), White Beans (57%), Black-eyed Beans (47%), and Kidney Beans (42%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


Advertisement (Bad ad? How to mute ads)

#7: Fish (Bass, Cooked)
Manganese 100g Per fillet (62g)Per 3oz (85g)
1.1mg (57% DV)0.7mg (35% DV)1.0mg (48% DV)
Other Fish High in Manganese (%DV per 3oz cooked): Trout (46%), Pike (44%), and Perch (38%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#8: Spinach (Cooked)
Manganese 100g Per cup (180g)Per 1/2 cup (90g)
0.9mg (47% DV)1.7mg (84% DV)0.8mg (42% DV)
Other Dark Green Leafy Vegetables High in Manganese (%DV per cup cooked): Frozen Spinach (68%), Amaranth Leaves (57%), Beet Greens (37%), Swiss Chard (29%), and Napa Cabbage (11%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#9: Whole Grains (Brown Rice)
Manganese 100g Per cup, Cooked (195g)Per 1/2 cup cooked (98g)
1.1mg (55% DV)2.1mg (107% DV)1.1mg (54% DV)
Other Grains High in Manganese (%DV per cup cooked): Teff (360%), Quinoa (58%), Buckwheat (34%).Click to see complete nutrition facts.


#10: Tea (Black, Brewed)
Manganese 100g Per cup (237g)Per fluid ounce (30g)
0.2mg (11% DV)0.5mg (26% DV)0.1mg (3% DV)
A cup of instant tea contains (47% DV). Click to see complete nutrition facts.

Advertisement (Bad ad? How to mute ads)

Click each heading below for more information from MyFoodData.com

#1: Dried Herbs & Spices (Ground Cloves)60.1mg (3006% DV) per 100 grams1.2mg (60% DV) per teaspoon (2 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Dried Herbs & Spices
#2: Bran (Rice)14.2mg (711% DV) per 100 grams16.8mg (838% DV) per cup (118 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Bran
#3: Pine Nuts8.8mg (440% DV) per 100 grams2.5mg (123% DV) per ounce (28 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Pine Nuts
#4: Mussels6.8mg (340% DV) per 100 grams5.8mg (289% DV) per 3oz (85 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Mussels
#5: Hazelnuts (Filberts)5.6mg (278% DV) per 100 grams1.6mg (78% DV) per ounce (28 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Hazelnuts
#6:Pumpkin Seeds4.5mg (227% DV) per 100 grams1.3mg (64% DV) per ounce (28 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Pumpkin Seeds
#7: Cocoa & Chocolate (Cocoa Powder)3.8mg (192% DV) per 100 grams0.2mg (10% DV) per tablespoon (5 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Cocoa & Chocolate
#8: Dry Roasted Soybeans (Edamame)2.2mg (108% DV) per 100 grams3.7mg (186% DV) per cup (172 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Edamame
#9: Sun Dried Tomatoes1.9mg (92% DV) per 100 grams1.0mg (50% DV) per cup (54 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Sun Dried Tomatoes
#10: Garlic1.7mg (84% DV) per 100 grams0.2mg (8% DV) per 3 cloves (9 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Garlic


Rye Crackers5.4mg (268% DV) per 100 gram serving0.8mg (38% DV) per 1/2 ounce (14 grams)0.6mg (30% DV) per cracker (11 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Rye Crackers
Lemongrass5.2mg (261% DV) per 100 gram serving3.5mg (175% DV) per cup (67 grams)0.3mg (13% DV) per tablespoon (5 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Lemongrass
Granola (Homemade)4.1mg (203% DV) per 100 gram serving5.0mg (247% DV) per cup (122 grams)1.1mg (57% DV) per ounce (28 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Granola
Maple Syrup2.9mg (145% DV) per 100 gram serving9.2mg (458% DV) per cup (315 grams)0.6mg (29% DV) per tablespoon (20 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Maple Syrup
Pretzels (Whole-Wheat)2.7mg (133% DV) per 100 gram serving1.5mg (76% DV) per 2oz (57 grams)0.8mg (37% DV) per ounce (28 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Pretzels
Wild Blueberries2.0mg (100% DV) per 100 gram serving2.9mg (144% DV) per 100g frozen 4.0mg (201% DV) per cup frozen (140 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Wild Blueberries
Spirulina1.9mg (95% DV) per 100 gram serving2.1mg (106% DV) per cup (112 grams)0.1mg (7% DV) per tablespoon (7 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Spirulina
Molasses1.5mg (77% DV) per 100 gram serving5.2mg (258% DV) per cup (337 grams)0.3mg (15% DV) per tablespoon (20 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Molasses
Sweet Potato Chips1.4mg (67% DV) per 100 gram serving0.5mg (23% DV) per packet (34 grams)0.4mg (19% DV) per ounce (28 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Sweet Potato Chips
Shiitake Mushrooms (Dried)1.2mg (59% DV) per 100 gram serving0.2mg (9% DV) per 4 mushrooms (15 grams)0.05mg (2% DV) per mushroom (4 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Shiitake Mushrooms
Okra (Frozen, cooked)0.84mg (42% DV) per 100 gram serving0.78mg (39% DV) per 1/2 cup (92 grams)2.2mg (108% DV) per package (255 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Okra
Teff (Cooked)2.9mg (143% DV) per 100 gram serving7.2mg (360% DV) per cup (252 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Teff
Desiccated Coconut2.8mg (137% DV) per 100 gram serving0.8mg (38% DV) per ounce (28 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Desiccated Coconut
Sprouted Wheat1.9mg (93% DV) per 100 gram serving2.0mg (100% DV) per cup (108 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Sprouted Wheat
Whole-Wheat Spaghetti (Cooked)1.4mg (69% DV) per 100 gram serving1.9mg (97% DV) per cup (140 grams)Click to see complete nutrition facts for Whole-Wheat Spaghetti
For more foods high in manganese use the nutrient ranking tool.

  • Antioxidant Protection - Magnanese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is the principle antioxidant used during energy production in the mitochondria (the powerhouse of our cells).2
  • Osteoporosis Protection (*Controversial) - Two recent studies have found that women with osteoporosis have lowerblood manganese levels, than women without osteoporosis.3,4 This finding is a correlation, and does not suggest any specific linkbetween manganese and osteoporosis, however, it is promising since manganese is involved in bone development. Despite this theory anotherstudy found no difference in blood magnesium levels between women with osteoporosis and women without it, creating doubts about the effects of manganese.5
  • Prevention of Epileptic Seizures - Preliminary studies in rats show that those with lower manganese levels aremore prone to epileptic seizures. There is also evidence that people with lower manganese levels have a greater risk of epileptic seizures. The causes of epilepsy, however, are not well understood, and more research needs to be done before there can be a conclusive link between epilepsy and manganese.6,7
  • Prevention of Alopecia (Spot Baldness) - A study on alopecia reported that all 19 participants were deficient inmanganese. Several other participants also had problems with calcium absorption and zinc metabolism. After 2-3 months of micro-nutrient therapy normal hair growth was resumed.8

  • Mussels, Oysters, and Clams are high cholesterol foods which should be eaten in moderate amounts and avoided by people at risk of heart disease or stroke.
  • Intake of manganese from enriched infant formulas can lead to hyperactive children, or learning disabled children. Excessivelevels of manganese are toxic and suppliments should be approached with care.9

Click to View Comments

Data Sources and References

  1. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26.
  2. Leach RM, Harris ED. Manganese. In: O'Dell BL, Sunde RA, eds. Handbook of nutritionally essential minerals. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc; 1997:335-355.
  3. Freeland-Graves J, Llanes C. Models to study manganese deficiency. In: Klimis-Tavantzis DL, ed. Manganese in health and disease. Boca Raton: CRC Press, Inc; 1994.
  4. Reginster JY, Strause LG, Saltman P, Franchimont P. Trace elements and postmenopausal osteoporosis: a preliminary study of decreased serum manganese. Med Sci Res. 1988;16:337-338.
  5. Odabasi E, Turan M, Aydin A, Akay C, Kutlu M. Magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium levels in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Can magnesium play a key role in osteoporosis? Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2008;37(7):564-567.
  6. Keen CL, Zidenberg-Cherr S. Manganese. In: Ziegler EE, Filer LJ, eds. Present Knowledge in Nutrition. 7th ed. Washington D.C.: ILSI Press; 1996:334-343.
  7. Carl GF, Gallagher BB. Manganese and epilepsy. In: Klimis-Tavantzis DL, ed. Manganese in health and disease. Boca Raton: CRC Press, Inc; 1994:133-157.
  8. Blaurock-Busch, E. Wichtige Nahrstoffe fur Gesunde Haut und Haare, Kosmetik Internat. 3/87.
  9. Collipp, P.J., et al. Manganese in infant formulas and learning disability. Ann. Nutr. Metab. 27(6):488-494, 1983.