Manganese: Functions

Manganese plays an important role in many metabolic processes of the human body as an activator of enzymes and as a component of enzymes:Numerous manganese-activated enzymes play important roles in carbohydrate, amino acid, and cholesterol metabolism, as well as in gluconeogenesis – the production of glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors – and in urea metabolism – important for the detoxification of ammonia. Furthermore, manganese is a preferred cofactor of the enzyme glycosyl transferase, which is necessary for the production of proteoglycans, which are of great importance for the formation of cartilage and bone – and thus for their health.Manganese is a component of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSD), the most important antioxidant enzyme in the mitochondria, the power plants of the cell. Since over 90% of the oxygen needed in cells is consumed in the mitochondria, this explains the special importance of this enzyme.It converts the superoxide radicals formed during oxidation into hydrogen peroxide, which is reduced to water by other enzymes and thus disposed of.Manganese is of importance for skin healing and regeneration: it is needed for the production of the amino acid proline, which in turn is important for collagen formation in skin cells.