Mango Fruit: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

Mango fruit is often referred to as the “king of fruits”. It’s possibly the tastiest stone fruit (fruits with a large seed) found on this planet.

Mango trees are native to Southeast Asia and India. The fruit has been cultivated in those parts of the world for more than 4,000 years.

To date, scientists have discovered more than 1000 varieties of mango. The new breeding methods invented in the past few decades have allowed cultivators to come up with approximately 1000 more varieties.

These mango types differ in their shape, size, color, and of course taste.

This article will not focus on the amazing taste this wonder fruit possesses. Here, we have discussed about the striking nutritional profile of mango and its health benefits.

Mango Fruit Nutrition Information

Being a powerhouse of multiple nutrients, one cup or 165 grams of cubed mangoes would offer the following –

• 99 calories
• 4 grams of protein
• 7 grams of carbohydrates
• 6 grams of fat
• 6 grams of dietary fiber
• 67% of the RDI (reference daily intake) for vitamin C
• 20% of the RDI for copper
• 18% of the RDI for folate
• 6% for the RDI of vitamin B6
• 10% of the RDI for vitamin A
• 7% of the RDI for vitamin E
• 7% for the RDI for niacin
• 5% of the RDI for vitamin B5
• 6% of the RDI for vitamin K
• 6% of the RDI for potassium
• 5% of the RDI for riboflavin
• 5% of the RDI for manganese
• 4% of the RDI for thiamine
• 4% of the RDI for magnesium

Other than the above macro and micro-nutrients, mangoes also contain pantothenic acid, iron, calcium, selenium, and phosphorus in small quantities.

Health Benefits of Mango Fruit

Adding mango to your daily diet would shower you with a series of health benefits.

Read on to know about them:

Fight Free Radicals More Effectively

Mango is a rich source of polyphenols i.e. plant compounds known for working as antioxidants.

The fruit contains more than a dozen of these compounds. These include:

• Catechins
• Mangiferin
• Kaempferol
• Quercetin
• Anthocyanins
• Rhamnetin

These antioxidants together prevent our cells from getting damaged by free radicals.

For those who don’t know, the term “free radicals” is used for a group of highly reactive and harmful compounds that bind to our cells and damage them.

If you fail to protect your system against free radical damage, you will become victims of different chronic diseases. You may also see the signs of aging appear prematurely.

Among the polyphenols mentioned above, mangiferin has garnered a lot of attention. It is often referred to as the “super antioxidant” due to its amazing healing properties.

Several animal and test-tube studies have confirmed mangiferin’s ability to fight free radical damages associated with diabetes, cancer, and several other serious illnesses.

Mango Decreases the Risk of Having Certain Cancers

Mangoes come filled with antioxidants like fisetin, quercetin, isoquercitrin, methyl gallate, gallic acid, astragalin, and mangiferin.

These antioxidants together protect us against prostate cancer, colon cancer, leukemia, and breast cancer.

Makes Maintaining Cholesterol Levels Easier

Presence of high amounts of pectin, fiber, and vitamin C in mango make it a healthy fruit option for people with high cholesterol.

Alkalizes our Body

Mangoes contain good quantity of malic and tartaric acid. The fruit also has citric acid in small quantities.

Together, these compounds help in maintaining our body’s alkali reserve.

Enhances Eye Health

The vitamin A content of mango is pretty high, which allows the fruit to improve our eye health.

Adding mangoes to your daily diet would not only improve your eyesight but will also protect you against dry eyes and night blindness.

Cures Digestive Disorders

Mangoes contain digestive enzymes known as amylases.

For those who don’t know, digestive enzymes work by breaking down bigger food molecules to enable easy digestion and absorption.

We need amylases to break down the complex carbohydrates into simple sugars like maltose and glucose. This means, consuming mangoes on a regular basis would help you digest carbs more easily.

Here, we would like to mention that presence of amylases makes the ripe mangoes sweeter than the unripe ones.

What’s more, as mango contains lots of dietary fiber and water, it might help people suffering from digestive issues such as diarrhea and constipation.

A study conducted on adults suffering from chronic constipation confirmed mango’s ability to manage constipation effectively.

Researchers found that daily consumption of mango relieved symptoms of constipation more effectively than daily consumption of soluble fiber in similar quantities.

This finding shows that mango has other constituents besides dietary fiber for fighting digestive disorders.

Supports Heart Health

The potassium and magnesium present in mango work by lowering blood pressure, relaxing blood vessels, and keeping the pulse rate normal.

Mangiferin, a powerful antioxidant found in mangoes, on the other hand, protects our heart against oxidative stress, apoptosis or programmed cell death, and inflammation.

The antioxidant is also instrumental in lowering the levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol.

Strengthens Our Immune System

Being a rich source of vitamins A and C, mango is a boon for our immune system.

The carotenoids present in the fruit also help in keeping the immune system healthy and strong.

Improves Memory and Concentration

You are unlikely to get results overnight but eating mango regularly for a prolonged period might improve your ability to concentrate. The fruit might also make your memory sharper.

Fights Anemia

Mango contains plenty of iron, which makes it a great natural remedy for anemia.

Other than the benefits discussed above, mango when applied topically, helps in brightening up our skin.

You can combine mashed mango with sugar to make an effective body scrub and use it for flawless exfoliation once every week.

Conclusion

You can surely start having mango every day to enjoy the health benefits mentioned above.

However, if you have any chronic illness, do ask your doctor whether it would be a good idea to have mango so frequently.

References:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mango#cancers

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/15-healthy-reasons-to-eat-mangoes/articleshow/19708108.cms