I’d never heard of a connection between the essential mineral manganese and scoliosis until recently. I saw a headline for a new Washington University study on scoliosis and it impressed me so much that I immediately shared it in a scoliosis support group on Facebook. My post in the group sparked a polarized discussion that motivated me to do some more research to see if there was more to this story.
Upon further research on manganese deficiency, I found eye-opening articles that showed me how important this mineral is to our health and how it may be a predictor of scoliosis onset.
While I read through many resources, I summarize the top 4 intriguing articles below with a link to each resource.
1. Scoliosis Linked to Essential Mineral (source)
Washington University School of Medicine released a study this year (2018) in which they found a link between manganese and scoliosis. In their research, some children with severe scoliosis had a genetic variant that makes it difficult for their body to use manganese optimally. “Our study links a common disease – scoliosis – to something that’s potentially modifiable in the diet,” – Christina Gurnett, MD, PhD
2. Manganese Deficiency (source)
A study published in the Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition (2nd Edition 2003) studied manganese deficiency in animals. The study mentions curvature of the spine as a result of the deficiency but doesn’t make any reference to scoliosis, which by definition, is a curvature of the spine.
3. The Symptoms of Manganese Deficiency (source)
A 2017 post from Livestrong.com shared a statistic from the University of Maryland Medical Center that 37% of Americans aren’t meeting the daily recommended amount of manganese. The post says a true deficiency is rare, but factors include malabsorption. It also cites oral contraception as an interference to the absorption of this mineral. The post does not reference scoliosis, yet mentions skeletal abnormalities in its list of “Deficiency Symptoms”.
4. Diet as an External Factor in the Expression of Scoliosis in a Line of Susceptible Chickens (source)
A study from 1987 found that deficiency in vitamin B6, manganese and copper resulted in the onset of scoliosis occurring in these animals. The study hypothesized it was the role of these minerals in the formation of connective tissue that resulted in scoliosis.
I’m still wrapping my head around this and trying to reconcile the many years of research that could inform better predictors to prevent the occurrence of scoliosis. I’m not one to jump right into supplementation when I don’t understand how to make a nutrient bioavailable, but I will be more cognizant of manganese-rich foods and look for ways to incorporate them into my diet.
What have you heard about manganese deficiency? Was this as surprising to you as it was to me?
