Mango

High in fibre, vitamins and minerals, eating mango has many benefits. Discover how much counts towards your 5-a-day and whether fresh or dried is best.

This tropical fruit is refreshing, juicy and delicious, and like most fruit, it has some great nutritional benefits. Read on to discover why mango is so good for you and whether fresh or dried is best.

What is mango?

Mangoes are tropical stone fruits, plump and oval in shape and about the size of a grapefruit. They have an inedible skin that ranges in colour from yellow to green through to red-green, depending on the variety, whilst inside is a soft, edible yellow flesh and a hard inedible stone.

Mangoes only grow in warmer climates. They are native to Southern Asia, but they are now grown in other countries including the US, Mexico and the Caribbean. 

There are several varieties including Kent and Keitt which are commonly seen in UK supermarkets.

Nutritional benefits of mango

Mango is a low-calorie fruit that is high in fibre, and is a great source of vitamins A and C. It also contains folate, B6, iron and a little calcium, zinc and vitamin E. Mangoes are a good source of antioxidants, containing certain phytochemicals such as gallotannins and mangiferin which have been studied for their health benefits.

Just 80g of mango (2 x 2 inch slices) counts as one of your five-a-day. This one portion will provide 53 calories, 11g of naturally-occurring sugar and just over 2g of fibre.

15 healthy reasons to eat mangoes

On realizing numerous benefits of 

mango

, your love for this fruit will increase manifold. It not only tastes good but has many health benefits. Here we give you 15 top healthy reasons for why you should eat 

mangoes

 during summer.

It helps in fighting cancer

Mangoes contain antioxidants such as quercetin, fisetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, gallic acid and methyl gallate. All these properties protect our body against breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer and leukaemia.

Helps in maintaining cholesterol level

Mangoes contain high level of vitamin C, fibre and pectin making it a perfect fruit that helps in controlling high cholesterol level.

It helps in cleansing skin

Another benefit of eating mangoes is that it cleanses your skin from deep inside your body. It treats pores and gives a glow to your skin. Hence, eat mangoes to get a flawless skin.

Helps in regulating diabetes

Eating mango leaves are great to regulate diabetes. So, people suffering from diabetes should boil 5-6 mango leaves in a vessel. Soak it overnight and drink the filtered decoction early in the morning. Also, mango has a low glycemic index, eating mango in moderation will not increase your blood sugar level.

Helps in alkalising your body

 mangoes are enriched with tartaric and malic acid and contain traces of citric acid, it helps in maintaining the alkali reserve of our body.

A way to lose weight

As mango contains a lot of vitamins and essential nutrients, eating one mango makes you feel fuller. Also, as it is loaded with fibrous content, it boosts the digestive function and burns unwanted calories from the body. This, in turn, helps in losing extra weight.

An Aphrodisiac fruit

Mango is also known as the ‘love fruit’. It has the aphrodisiac qualities which also increase virility in men. So, have mangoes and enhance your love and passion.

For healthy eyes

Mangoes are also loaded with vitamin A, making it a perfect fruit to improve eye sight. It also prevents night blindness and dry eyes.

Aids good digestion

The enzymes in mangoes help in breaking down protein content in the body. Enriched with fibre, mangoes aid good digestion and prevents many stomach related diseases.

Prevents heat stroke

This summer fruit also helps in preventing heat stroke. Eating it cools you down instantly and hence refreshes you. Add this ‘super fruit’ in summer and stay cool during the got weather.

Help in strengthening immune system

Mangoes also contain vitamin C, A and other different kinds of carotenoids. All these essential nutrients are beneficial for your immune system keeping it strong and healthy.

Use it as a body scrub

Apart from eating, applying mango scrub on your body gives you a smoother and tender skin. You can make a paste by mashing mangoes and adding honey and milk to it. Gently massage and leave on for 10-15 minutes and then wash it off to get a great skin.

Improves concentration and memory

If you find it difficult to concentrate and have low memory, then gorge on mangoes. They not only help in improving your concentration but also boost your memory.

Contains high iron content

The high iron content in mango is a natural remedy for anaemic people. Also, women should eat mangoes to increase iron level and calcium content in their bodies.

What counts as 5-a-day?

Are mangoes good for digestion?

There was a pilot study in 2018 where people with chronic constipation were each given mango over a 4-week period, and the results demonstrated that those who ate mango saw a significant improvement in their constipation symptoms, in part due to the fibre content but potentially from other mango-specific compounds, too. Interestingly, the leaves of the mango tree have been studied and offer potential antidiarrheal activity thanks to its plant extracts.

An earlier study by the Journal of Nutrition also found that mice who had a high-fat, diet-induced obesity had improved gut microflora after adding mango to their diet. Again, this was in part due to the high fibre content of mango.

A lot of a fruit's phytochemicals are in the skin, and the same is true for mango. A 2012 study looked at the peel of mangoes and concluded that they may play a role in preventing obesity.

The mango's phytochemicals have also been studied for their gastroprotective effects, offering both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to the digestive system, and may even help reduce inflammation in conditions like ulcerative colitis.

Can mangoes help maintain healthy skin & hair?

Mangoes contain good levels of both vitamins A and C.  

Vitamin C is involved in the formation of collagen – the protein that provides the skin's elasticity. Vitamin C is one of the most important antioxidants, playing a protective role against environmental damage; a deficiency of vitamin C can affect wound healing and increase fine lines and wrinkles. Our hair also requires vitamin C both for collagen production and also to help with the absorption of iron – an important mineral needed for hair growth.

All cells require vitamin A for growth, including the skin and hair – and some studies suggest that it may offer potential protective effects against the signs of ageing. One of vitamin A's key roles in hair and skin health is its involvement in the production of sebum, the oily substance that moisturises both our skin and scalp.

Are mangoes good for the heart?

An animal study in 2016 suggested that one of the phytonutrients in mango, mangiferin, offered heart protective benefits including reduced inflammation.

Eating a balanced and varied diet that includes five portions of vegetables and fruit, such as mango, can help to keep your heart healthy.

Is dried mango as healthy as fresh mango?

Dried mango may be a convenient alternative to fresh mango but it is significantly higher in sugar and calories, packing over 300 calories per 80g portion (compared to 53 calories in 80g of fresh mango), and over four times the amount of sugar, at 63g per 80g portion. Dried mango does have good fibre levels, at 12g per serving, but it is still worth watching your portion size and opting for fresh mango where possible.

How to ripen and store mangoes

Mangoes shouldn’t be put in the fridge until they are ripe, so simply place unripe fruits at room temperature for a few days or you can place them in a paper bag to speed up the process. As soon as they are ripe, store in the fridge for up to five days. In order to tell if it is ripe, just gently squeeze it – it should feel soft and you may be able to smell a sweet scent from the stem-end of the fruit.