Originally posted on https://jakefood.com/2018/manganese/.
Manganese, not to be mistaken with magnesium, is an element known to man for 30,000 years. It was used by cavemen and ancient glassmakers. And your body is using it right now, too. Manganese protects your cells, helps your wounds heal and keeps your bones healthy. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Manganese is an essential mineral and as such, it needs to be in your diet daily.
On average, an adult body contains around 20 mg of manganese, mostly found in the bones, liver, kidneys and pancreas. Under normal circumstances, your body keeps the manganese level in your tissues stable by adjusting absorption and excretion levels as necessary.
Apart from being essential for humans, manganese is also an important nutrient for plants and plays a key role in photosynthesis.
We’ve been using manganese since the Stone Age. It’s in the pigments used for cave paintings as old as 30,000 years. And it was also used by Egyptians and Romans in glassmaking.
One of the key roles of manganese in the body is as a component of enzymesManganese-dependent enzymes are involved in the regulation of many functions throughout the body.
The key functions of manganese are…: