MANGANESE – THE MATERNAL FEMALE, AND AN OLDER ELEMENT

by Lawrence Wilson, MD

© November 2011, The Center For Development, Inc.

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Manganese is a very important, alkaline-forming, regulator mineral.  It is an older ÔfemaleÕ element in the body.  Animals fed diets low in manganese exhibit much less maternal behavior toward their young, and may abandon them completely.    Manganese has a valence of  +2 or +3 (similar to iron and copper, to which it is related).  Toxic forms are found in gasoline and welding exposes workers to a toxic form.  Toxic forms may have a valence of +4 or +6.

 

SOURCES OF HEALTHFUL, BIOAVAILABLE MANGANESE

Vegetables - corn, corn germ, parsley, legumes

Meats - snails, egg yolk

Nuts/seeds - sunflower, coconuts, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, brazils

Fruits - blueberries, olives, avocados

Grains - wheat, wheat germ and bran, rice, barley, oats, buckwheat, rye

Miscellaneous - kelp, cloves, tea.  Gasoline fumes contain manganese, as can some water supplies, especially in the Northeast USA.

 

ROLES IN THE BODY

á           Essential for energy production

á           Involved in glucose tolerance

á           Helps maintain the integrity of tendons and ligaments

á           Essential for bone development and arterial integrity

 

FUNCTIONS OF MANGANESE

Nervous system - synthesis of neurotransmitters

Reproductive system - fertility

Endocrine system - required for normal adrenal and thyroid gland activity

Skeletal - tendons, ligaments, connective tissue

Metabolic - energy production, glucose tolerance, utilization of fats and carbohydrates

Detoxification - involved in superoxide dismutase

 

METALLOENZYMES

á           Pyruvate carboxylase - carbohydrate metabolism

á           Superoxide dismutase - destruction of free radicals

á           Glycosyl transferase - glucose utilization

á           Various hydrolases, kinases, transferases, peptidases, arginase, phosphatases, and DNA polymerase - degradative and biosynthetic enzymes

 

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS           


Allergies

hypoglycemia

                  diabetes

myasthenia gravis

                  dizziness

ringing in the ears

                  fatigue           

                  weakness, muscular

                  fractures or osteoporosis

weak ligaments and tendons

 

TOXICITY SYMPTOMS    


Anorexia

neurological symptoms

ataxia

schizophrenia (often unemotional behavior, however, unlike a copper-based schizophrenia)

criminal behavior

iron deficiency

ParkinsonÕs-like symptoms

 

SYNERGETIC NUTRIENTS

                  zinc, choline, vitamin K

 

ANTAGONISTIC NUTRIENTS

                  Absorption - calcium, phosphorus, iron, soy protein, iron, many other minerals

                  Metabolic - copper, magnesium, iron, vanadium

 

HAIR ANALYSIS NOTES

á           Normal or low hair manganese is not a reliable indicator of manganese status.

á           Most slow oxidizers have excessive and usually biounavailable manganese.  Toxic accumulation of a biounavailable form of manganese to some degree is very common.  To assess this, look to elevated aluminum or iron, as these other ÔamigosÕ usually are found together with toxic manganese, so if any of these three are elevated, usually all are excessive inside the body.  To read more about this, read The Amigos on this website.

á           Manganese-deficient animals show reduced maternal caring for their young.

á           A hair manganese level less than about 0.02 mg% or 0.2 ppm is a poor eliminator pattern for manganese.   A hair manganese level less than about 0.008 is a very poor eliminator pattern for manganese.  These mean that the body cannot eliminate toxic forms of manganese, such as MnO6  The excess manganese is hidden, but it is building up inside the body.  This is a relatively new hair analysis finding, and an important one for detecting hidden manganese and other toxic metals.

 

                  High hair tissue manganese:

á           Manganese toxicity is common.  A possible source is contaminated drinking water.  The EPA is not required to report manganese levels in drinking water.  A different form of toxic manganese is found in todayÕs gasoline, so those who live in cities with heavy traffic may absorb some.  Toxic manganese may also be due to working with metals and particularly welding metals.

á           Often manganese is high along with the other ÔamigosÕ or ÔfriendsÕ, namely iron, aluminum and rarely chromium and selenium.  The amigos may be a mechanism to support adrenal activity in an imperfect way.

á           Sauna therapy is very helpful, and perhaps needed, at times, to remove toxic manganese from the body. 

 

                  Low hair tissue manganese:

á           Not a reliable indicator of manganese status.  It is often hidden and biounavailable.

 

REASONS FOR MANGANESE SUPPLEMENTATION

á           To raise low sodium levels.

á           To lower excessive iron, copper or other toxic metal levels.

á           To help correct a low sodium/potassium ratio,

á           To assist thyroid and adrenal gland activity.

 

 

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