Mangoes are a tropical fruit from the drupe family. This means they have a single large seed or stone in the middle. Sometimes called the “king of fruits,” mangoes are one of the most widely consumed fruits in the world.
Mangoes originated in India around 5,000 years ago. Their sweet, golden flesh is now beloved around the world. Some of the most common varieties of mangoes eaten today are cultivated in Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador.
Mangoes are not only delicious, but also nutritious. As with most foods, however, moderation is key. Sweet fruits like mangoes can have a lot of sugar. But fruit sugar is different from processed sugar because it’s balanced out by fiber and a host of nutrients for the body.
Sweet fruits like mangoes are also a great alternative to junk food and other unhealthy snacks. If you’re craving something sugary, grab some mango instead. Once you start phasing out the junk, you won’t crave it as much. Whole foods are more satisfying, plus they offer many health benefits.
Health benefits of mangoes
Here’s a breakdown of the many health benefits of mango, from providing essential vitamins to improving digestion.
Vitamin A
Mango is rich in vitamin A. As noted above, 1 cup of mango has about 25 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin A. This vitamin has many important functions in the body, especially for the eyes and skin. It also boosts the health of your bones, as well as the reproductive and immune systems.
Vitamin C
Mango is one of the highest food sources of vitamin C. This vitamin is essential for your immune system.
It also plays a role in muscle, tendon, and bone growth. Eating mango improves plant iron absorption due to its vitamin C content. One cup of mango has 46 milligrams of vitamin C, or about 76 percent of what you should get in a day.
Weight control
Mango demonstrates some exciting potential when it comes to healthy weight control. Recent research suggests that mango and its phytochemicals may actually suppress fat cells and fat-related genes.
Another study showed that mango peel inhibits the formation of fatty tissues in a way similar to the antioxidant resveratrol.
Anticancer
The micronutrients in mango may fight cancer, and research on breast cancer in particular is promising. In one animal studyTrusted Source, mango decreased tumor size and suppressed cancer growth factors.
In another study, mango stopped the advancement of an early-stage breast cancer called ductal carcinoma.
Improved digestion
Mango consumption has shown impressive results in people with chronic constipation. In research published in The Official Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, a group of people who ate mango every day had more improvement in their constipation symptoms than those who ate an equivalent amount of fiber.
The mango group also adhered to their treatment plan more easily and showed increases in healthy fatty acids and other measures of digestive wellness, like gastric secretions that aid in digestion of food.
These positive effects may be due to mango’s high water and fiber content, in addition to its healthy antioxidants.
Mango nutrition facts
Each cup of sliced mango (165 grams) contains approximately:
- 107 calories
- 3 grams of fiber
- 24 grams of
sugar - 1 gram of
protein - 25 percent
daily value of vitamin A - 76 percent
daily value of vitamin C - 257 mg of
potassium
- 0.2 mg of
vitamin B-6
Reference:
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/are-mangoes-good-for-you