MANGANESE: MAGNESIUM'S ANCIENT SIBLING

This essential element is often confused with magnesium…and for some good reason. The histories of manganese and magnesium are linked in their ancient applications in and around what is now Greece. As industrial uses such as glass-making and further isolations of metals emerged, the two elements were separated into magnesia alba (the white ore) and magnesia negra (the black ore). The latter of the two now refers to the chemical element we know today as manganese – atomic number 25. Thanks to its several manifestations, manganese is useful in constructing metal alloys, dry cell batteries, bleaching agents, stainless steels and the production of chlorine. Oddly enough, manganese is also an important, and somewhat misunderstood, element for providing and maintaining a healthy body/lifestyle.

Like so many other metals, manganese is an essential trace nutrient in all living organisms. In plant life, manganese is vital in the terminal photoxidation of water during the light reactions of photosynthesis. In humans, the body actually already contains approximately 10 mg of manganese spread out among the liver, kidneys and brain.

Toxicity and health complications can arise from a shortage of manganese as well as with a surplus in the system. In 1837, British academic James Couper noticed an association between heavy exposure to manganese in mines with a form of Parkinson's Disease. Manganese poisoning can cause hallucinations, nerve damage, forgetfulness, bronchitis and impotence in men. However, a shortage of manganese in the machine that is the human body will result in other health problems such as blood clotting, birth defects, skeletal malformation, skin disorders, low cholesterol and glucose intolerance. That is why it is best to simply get the adequate amount of manganese through a balanced diet or recommended supplement.

Rice, grains, soya and green beans, oysters, nuts, eggs and olive oil contain the highest concentrations of manganese although teas, spinach and herbs are good natural sources as well.

Manganese ores are often purified by their conversion to manganese sulfate – a hydro-culture salt with a pale pink coloration. This is the preferred form of dietary supplement. Manganese deficiency is extremely rare in humans, but such a supplement could be helpful to animals or pets with cartilage and bone problems.

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