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The tolerable upper intake level (UL), or upper limit, for manganese is 11 mg a day for adults 19 and older. That is the most a day that is unlikely to cause harm for almost everyone; above it, the chance of side effects goes up. It is a ceiling, not a target. The limit counts manganese from food, water and supplements together.
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Servings a day
This limit is the same for adults 19 and older, including pregnancy and breastfeeding.
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Manganese upper limits by age
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | Not set | Not set | – | – |
| 7-12 months | Not set | Not set | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 2 mg | 2 mg | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 3 mg | 3 mg | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 6 mg | 6 mg | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 9 mg | 9 mg | 9 mg | 9 mg |
| 19-30 years | 11 mg | 11 mg | 11 mg | 11 mg |
| 31-50 years | 11 mg | 11 mg | 11 mg | 11 mg |
| 51-70 years | 11 mg | 11 mg | – | – |
| 71+ years | 11 mg | 11 mg | – | – |
No upper limit could be set for babies; the National Academies say their intake should come from food and formula only.
How much Manganese you need
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 0 mg* | 0 mg* | – | – |
| 7-12 months | 0.6 mg* | 0.6 mg* | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 1.2 mg* | 1.2 mg* | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 1.5 mg* | 1.5 mg* | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 1.9 mg* | 1.6 mg* | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 2.2 mg* | 1.6 mg* | 2 mg* | 2.6 mg* |
| 19-30 years | 2.3 mg* | 1.8 mg* | 2 mg* | 2.6 mg* |
| 31-50 years | 2.3 mg* | 1.8 mg* | 2 mg* | 2.6 mg* |
| 51-70 years | 2.3 mg* | 1.8 mg* | – | – |
| 71+ years | 2.3 mg* | 1.8 mg* | – | – |
* Adequate Intake (AI): the amount set when there isn’t enough evidence for an RDA.
What counts toward the Manganese limit
The limit counts manganese from food, water and supplements together.
What happens with too much Manganese
The National Academies set the adult UL at 11 mg a day of total manganese from food, water and supplements, based on a no-observed-adverse-effect level of 11 mg a day of manganese from food (Greger, 1999), and named "elevated blood manganese concentrations and neurotoxicity" as the critical adverse effects. The report says the most prominent effect of manganese toxicity is damage to the central nervous system, especially the extrapyramidal motor system, with lesions and symptoms "similar to those of Parkinson's disease"; this is a well-recognized hazard for workers who inhale manganese dust. It also cites animal studies in which high doses in food or water caused nervous system pathology and behavioral changes, and a study of people aged 50 or older in Greek villages where those drinking water with the highest manganese levels had motor deficits, and it notes that people with liver disease may be especially susceptible to excess manganese.
Sources: National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc (2001); Health Canada, Dietary Reference Intakes tables (the joint U.S.-Canada values). Limits checked November 8, 2026. More from the NIH: Office of Dietary Supplements Manganese fact sheet.
If you think you or a child took too much of a supplement, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S., free, 24 hours) or use poison.org. In an emergency, call 911.
General information, not medical advice. Your doctor may recommend a different amount, for example to treat a deficiency. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change a supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medication or have a medical condition.