15 Manganese-Rich Foods for Bone and Cartilage Health
Manganese is the trace mineral that builds cartilage and protects your mitochondria. These foods have the most.
Data-backed ranking of the strongest food sources
Daily value context so the numbers mean something
Usage tips and tradeoffs, not just a list of names
Created By
EatAndAchieve Editorial System
AI-assisted editorial system
This content is assembled from USDA FoodData Central data, in-house ranking logic, and reusable editorial templates to make nutrition information easier to understand.
Reviewed By
Jordan Vale
Founder, editor, and product builder
Jordan reviews pages for clarity, methodology, and product accuracy before they go live. He also maintains the code, data pipeline, and editorial standards for the site.
How This Page Is Made
Pages on EatAndAchieve combine USDA source data, site-specific scoring logic, and AI-assisted drafting, then receive human review for clarity and methodology. They are educational tools, not medical advice. Read more on the About page.
This ranking focuses on foods that meaningfully deliver manganese per 100g, using USDA FoodData Central as the source of truth. It is a concentration ranking, not a full health score, so the most useful way to read it is to look for foods that fit both your nutrient target and your normal portion sizes.
Why it matters
Manganese is a trace mineral needed for bone formation, blood clotting, metabolism, and antioxidant defense. It activates enzymes that build cartilage and bone matrix. As part of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), it protects mitochondria — your cells' energy factories — from oxidative damage.
Daily target
The FDA adequate intake is 2.3mg for men and 1.8mg for women. There is no RDA because research data is insufficient to set one. Deficiency is rare from diet, but low intake is associated with bone demineralization and impaired growth.
How to use the list
Whole grains, nuts, seeds, tea, and leafy greens are the best sources. A single cup of cooked oatmeal can provide 60-70% of the daily adequate intake. Manganese absorption is inhibited by high iron and calcium intake.
Screening rule
Foods had to clear basic practicality filters before ranking so the list stays useful, not just technically correct.
Best use case
Use this template when you want the single strongest sources of one nutrient and you are willing to compare foods mainly on that axis.
Main caveat
Per-100g leaders are not always everyday staples, which is why calorie density and tradeoffs are called out inside the list.
Nuts, hazelnuts or filberts, blanched sits at the top because 13mg of manganese per 100g is hard for anything else to match. 548% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. The tradeoff is calorie density at 629 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. It also brings useful amounts of protein (27% DV) and fiber (39% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food. High fiber helps this food feel more useful in real meals, not just in spreadsheets.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.67g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Teff, uncooked stays near the top because 9.2mg per 100g is still a very aggressive number for manganese. 402% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. At 367 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. The extra protein (27% DV) and fiber (29% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Nuts, pine nuts, dried ranks this highly because it is one of the cleaner ways to get a lot of manganese quickly. You are looking at 383% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The tradeoff is calorie density at 673 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. It also brings useful amounts of protein (27% DV) and iron (31% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.9g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Seeds, hemp seed, hulled ranks this highly because it is one of the cleaner ways to get a lot of manganese quickly. 330% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. At 553 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. The extra protein (63% DV) and iron (44% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.6g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Mollusks, mussel, blue, cooked, moist heat is not the flashiest name on the page, but the nutrient density is real at 6.8mg per 100g. You are looking at 296% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (48% DV) and iron (37% DV).
Fireweed, leaves, raw holds its spot because 6.7mg of manganese is still comfortably strong. That translates to 291% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. The extra fiber (38% DV) and calcium (33% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient. High fiber helps this food feel more useful in real meals, not just in spreadsheets.
Nuts, butternuts, dried holds its spot because 6.6mg of manganese is still comfortably strong. 285% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. At 612 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (50% DV) and iron (22% DV).
Worth knowing
Calorie-dense at 612 kcal per 100g, so portion size matters.
Oat bran, raw holds its spot because 5.6mg of manganese is still comfortably strong. That translates to 245% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (35% DV) and fiber (55% DV). High fiber helps this food feel more useful in real meals, not just in spreadsheets.
Nuts, hickorynuts, dried makes the cut on substance, not hype: 4.6mg per 100g is enough to matter in an actual diet. You are looking at 200% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The tradeoff is calorie density at 657 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (25% DV) and fiber (23% DV).
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 7.04g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Nuts, pecans rounds out the ranking with 4.5mg per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. You are looking at 196% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The tradeoff is calorie density at 691 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. The extra fiber (34% DV) and magnesium (29% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 6.18g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, without salt rounds out the ranking with 4.5mg per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. 195% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. The tradeoff is calorie density at 574 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (60% DV) and fiber (23% DV).
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 8.54g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Wheat, soft red winter is here because even the back half of this list still offers respectable manganese density. 191% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. It also brings useful amounts of protein (21% DV) and fiber (45% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food. The fiber is another reason it tends to be more satisfying than the headline number suggests.
Nuts, pine nuts, pinyon, dried is here because even the back half of this list still offers respectable manganese density. That translates to 188% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. The tradeoff is calorie density at 629 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. It also brings useful amounts of protein (23% DV) and fiber (38% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food. High fiber helps this food feel more useful in real meals, not just in spreadsheets.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 9.38g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Nuts, macadamia nuts, raw rounds out the ranking with 4.1mg per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. 180% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. The tradeoff is calorie density at 718 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. It also brings useful amounts of fiber (31% DV) and iron (21% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 12.1g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Wheat, hard red spring is here because even the back half of this list still offers respectable manganese density. You are looking at 177% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. It also brings useful amounts of protein (31% DV) and fiber (44% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food. High fiber helps this food feel more useful in real meals, not just in spreadsheets.