Surprising
Essential mineral manganese linked to childhood growth restriction in a systematic review — alongside beneficial zinc and calcium
This finding is surprising because manganese is a necessary nutrient, yet here it's associated with harm; but the evidence is still early — this is among the first systematic reviews on this pairing — and the same study found no effect on other growth measures, so the picture is far from settled.
A systematic review of prenatal exposure to trace elements found that higher levels of manganese, along with vanadium and chromium, were linked to slower physical growth in children. In contrast, zinc, calcium, and copper appeared beneficial, while toxic metals like lead and cadmium also harmed growth. The review did not specify how much manganese was involved, so it's unclear what level might be risky — and because this is one of the first such analyses, more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions.
Where this fits in the evidence
This is among the first studies we've indexed on Manganese for Reduced Physical Growth — treat it as an early signal until more research accumulates.
The study
- Systematic Review
- 2025-09
- Occupational and environmental medicine
This is a plain-language summary of a research finding, not medical advice. Pillser surfaces research signals to help you decide what's worth investigating — always consult a qualified professional before changing what you take.