Manganese

What it is · too little · too much · daily reference values by country

For reference only. This is not a diagnosis or a prescription. If you have concerns, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.

What it is

Manganese is a component of many enzymes, and through the activity of these enzymes it is involved in antioxidant reactions, nutrient metabolism, bone formation, blood clotting, blood sugar regulation, synthesis of sex hormones and nucleic acids, and immune responses. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Manganese is an important component of enzymes involved in amino acid, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. (European Food Safety Authority)

Getting too little

Reported signs of manganese deficiency include slowed growth, abnormal reproductive function, skin rash, and impaired lipid metabolism, among others. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
No specific deficiency syndrome has been described for humans. (European Food Safety Authority)

Getting too much

No toxicity has been reported from manganese taken in through food. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stated that there are no adequate data to derive a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for manganese. (European Food Safety Authority)

Daily reference values by country

Korea · US · EU — tap to open

These tables are daily reference values for healthy people. Numbers in the text above are a different kind of value, and you cannot diagnose yourself from them. How to read RDA, AI and UL

Korea — 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (Ministry of Health and Welfare)

Group	AI	UL
0–5 months	0.01 mg
6–11 months	0.8 mg
1–2 years	1.5 mg	Checking
3–5 years	2 mg	Checking
Male · 6–8 years	2.5 mg	Checking
Male · 9–11 years	3 mg	Checking
Male · 12–14 years	4 mg	Checking
Male · 15–18 years	4 mg	Checking
Male · 19–29 years	4 mg	Checking
Male · 30–49 years	4 mg	Checking
Male · 50–64 years	4 mg	Checking
Male · 65–74 years	4 mg	Checking
Male · 75+ years	4 mg	Checking
Female · 6–8 years	2.5 mg	Checking
Female · 9–11 years	3 mg	Checking
Female · 12–14 years	3.5 mg	Checking
Female · 15–18 years	3.5 mg	Checking
Female · 19–29 years	3.5 mg	Checking
Female · 30–49 years	3.5 mg	Checking
Female · 50–64 years	3.5 mg	Checking
Female · 65–74 years	3.5 mg	Checking
Female · 75+ years	3.5 mg	Checking
Pregnancy	+0 mg	Checking
Lactation	+0 mg	Checking

US — NASEM (National Academies)

Group	AI	UL
0–6 months	0.003 mg	—
7–12 months	0.6 mg	—
1–3 years	1.2 mg	2 mg
4–8 years	1.5 mg	3 mg
Male · 9–13 years	1.9 mg	6 mg
Male · 14–18 years	2.2 mg	9 mg
Male · 19–30 years	2.3 mg	11 mg
Male · 31–50 years	2.3 mg	11 mg
Male · 51–70 years	2.3 mg	11 mg
Male · 71+ years	2.3 mg	11 mg
Female · 9–13 years	1.6 mg	6 mg
Female · 14–18 years	1.6 mg	9 mg
Female · 19–30 years	1.8 mg	11 mg
Female · 31–50 years	1.8 mg	11 mg
Female · 51–70 years	1.8 mg	11 mg
Female · 71+ years	1.8 mg	11 mg
Pregnancy · 14–18 years	2 mg	9 mg
Pregnancy · 19–30 years	2 mg	11 mg
Pregnancy · 31–50 years	2 mg	11 mg
Lactation · 14–18 years	2.6 mg	9 mg
Lactation · 19–30 years	2.6 mg	11 mg
Lactation · 31–50 years	2.6 mg	11 mg

UL — applies to: Unless otherwise specified, the UL represents total intake from food, water, and supplements.

EU — EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)

Group	AI	UL	Safe level of intake
7–11 months	—
1–3 years	0.5 mg
4–6 years	1 mg
7–10 years	1.5 mg
11–14 years	2 mg
15–17 years	3 mg
18+ years	3 mg	—	Checking
Pregnancy · 18–60 years	3 mg
Lactation · 18–60 years	3 mg
Pregnancy · 18+ years		—	Checking
Lactation · 18+ years		—	Checking
1–2 years			Checking
3–6 years			Checking
7–13 years			Checking
14–17 years			Checking

Sources

EFSA DRV Finder (Dietary Reference Values) · checked 2026-10-07
EFSA DRV Finder — nutrient descriptions · checked 2026-10-07
EFSA Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (v11, August 2025) · checked 2026-10-07
2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, Vol. 3: Minerals (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans — summary tables (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (Appendix J, 2019) · checked 2026-10-07

The sentences are plain-language summaries of official sources written by SuppleBoard. Each English sentence was checked against the source text by an AI reviewer before publishing. The agencies do not endorse this site. Published 2026-10-16.

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