What's So Special About Manganese?
Manganese
is an essential mineral found throughout the body, but most
predominately in the pancreas, liver, bones and kidneys. It is
especially necessary for the proper maintenance of many of our organs.
The University of Maryland Medical Center
states that as much as 37% of the population, particularly in developed
countries, are deficient in this critical nutrient. This is primarily
due to our dependence upon processed and fast foods, which are
fundamentally inadequate in manganese.
Manganese is especially necessary for healthy bones. A deficiency of this mineral can lead to weak bones, osteoporosis, premenstrual syndrome, a lack of libido, an unhealthy drop in sex hormones, an increase in epileptic seizures and a diminishing of antioxidants in the body.
Besides
its role in maintaining and forming healthy bones, manganese is
necessary for the healthy clotting of blood, and for the metabolism of
fatty acids, proteins and carbohydrates.
Manganese is essential for the formation of our connective tissue,
and plays an important role in the health of our nerves and brain
functions. It assists in maintaining our memory, and in keeping our
blood sugar levels in check. It may help those who suffer from diabetes, as well as PMS (premenstrual syndrome), osteoporosis, epilepsy and arthritis!
Manganese is also necessary for our systems to absorb calcium. Further, manganese acts as a powerful antioxidant that removes harmful free radicals from our bodies.
It
only takes a trace amount of manganese to reap all its benefits! And
supplements can lead to an unhealthy amount of this mineral in our
systems, so the healthiest source is fresh fruits and veggies.
Fruits and Vegetables Rich In Manganese
There
are quite a number of fruits and vegetables that provide all the
manganese you need on a daily basis! The best sources include spinach, raspberries, collard greens, pineapple, Swiss chard, kale, beet greens, strawberries, summer squash, mustard greens, bok choy and sea vegetables.
Less
rich but good sources include soybeans, lima beans, tofu, sweet
potatoes, green peas, blueberries, Brussels sprouts, green beans, winter
squash, beets, cranberries, cabbage, asparagus, tomatoes, broccoli,
leeks, fennel, potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, onions, corn, bell peppers,
bananas, eggplant, carrots, kiwifruit, cucumber, cauliflower, button or
crimini mushrooms and celery.
There are also a number of nuts,
seeds, herbs and spices that are rich in this mineral. They include
cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric, garlic, basil, pumpkin seeds,
walnuts, sesame seeds, almonds, flaxseed, cumin, oregano, mustard seeds,
peanuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, dill, thyme and parsley.
Let's look at my favorite juice recipe high in manganese.
By Robert Hannum
Juicing Expert
