“The king of the fruits,” mango fruit is one of the most popular, nutritionally rich fruits with unique flavor, fragrance, taste, and heath promoting qualities, making it numero-uno among new functional foods, often labelled as “super fruits”. Mango is one of the delicious seasonal fruits grown in the tropics. Botanically, this exotic fruit belongs to the family of Anacardiaceae, a family that also includes numerous species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plants such as cashew and pistachio. When you savour delicious and succulent mangoes every season, you probably don’t think about the immense health benefits coming with every bite. A common nickname for mangoes is actually ‘the king of fruits’. Beyond the sweet, luscious taste of mangoes, they also contain an abundance of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that assure your optimum health.
For decades, mangoes have been used to soothe stomachs. Similar to papayas, mangoes contain certain enzymes with stomach comforting properties. As the popularity of mangoes has spread, many food manufacturers have introduced jellies, jams, squash, pickles, marinades and spices that include pure mango flavour.
Mango is rich in fiber, so if you have at least one mango every day in your diet, you are almost guaranteed to prevent constipation, piles and symptoms of a spastic colon. Dietary fiber has a positive effect on eliminating degenerative diseases, including certain cancers and heart conditions. Now you have even more reasons to include this delicious fruit in your daily diet. The more you participate in strenuous activities, the more bodily potassium you lose, which is yet another helpful side effects of mangoes – high potassium content
NUTRITION
One cup of mangoes (225 gms contain) contains the following percentages that apply to daily value.
105 calories
76 percent vitamin C (antioxidant and immune booster)
25 percent vitamin A (antioxidant and vision)
11 percent vitamin B6 plus other B vitamins (hormone production in brain and heart disease prevention)
9 percent healthy probiotic fibre
9 percent copper (copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes plus production of red blood cells)
7 percent potassium (to balance out our high sodium intake)
4 percent magnesium
HEALTH FACTS
Prevents Cancer
Research has shown that antioxidant compounds in mango fruit have been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. These compounds include quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgallat, as well as the abundant enzymes.
Lowers Cholesterol
The high levels of fiber, pectin and vitamin C help to lower serum cholesterol levels, specifically Low-Density Lipoprotein (the bad stuff).
Clears the Skin
Can be used internally and externally for the skin. Mangos help clear clogged pores and eliminate pimples.
Improves Eye Health
One cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25 percent of the needed daily value of vitamin A, which promotes good eyesight and prevents night blindness and dry eyes.
Alkalizes the Whole Body
The tartaric acid, malic acid, and a trace of citric acid found in the fruit help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body.
May Help with Diabetes
Mango leaves help normalize insulin levels in the blood. The traditional home remedy involves boiling leaves in water, soaking through the night and then consuming the filtered decoction in the morning. Mango fruit also has a relatively low glycemic index (41-60), so moderate quantities will not spike your sugar levels.
Promotes Healthy Sex
Mangoes are a great source of vitamin E. Even though the popular connection between sex drive and vitamin E was originally created by a mistaken generalisation on rat studies, further research has shown balanced proper amounts (from whole fruits) does help.
By: Umaru Maryam Hadejia
