‘Tis that time of the year again! The time for the King of fruits. The most succulent and delicious of all. And one of the most favourite of most of us, if not the only one. But there’s so much more to mangoes than its ability to appeal to our taste buds. They are one of the most nutritious fruits, packed with a whole lot of nutrients that nourish our bodies. Food for our body and soul indeed. However, the fruit is marred with several ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’, and myths – are mangoes good for diabetics and whether mangoes are good for weight loss? This makes us question – are mangoes healthy. Especially by people diagnosed with serious health conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart conditions.
Let’s address it all here.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Mangoes?
If your question is – are mangoes healthy, the below health benefits of the fruit will answer your doubts.
1. Loaded With Nutrients
When your question is – what are the health benefits of mangoes? This is one benefit you should always remember. Mangoes are riched in a wide range of nutrients like protein, carbs, fibre, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, copper, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin K, potassium, magnesium, riboflavin, and thiamine. Consumption of 1 cup of 165 gms of the fruit is known to provide as much as 67% of the daily value required for Vitamin C. This water-soluble vitamin helps your body absorb iron, boosts your immune system, and contributes to cell growth and repair. Copper and vitamin B9, on the other hand, are beneficial for pregnant women, helping with healthy foetal growth and development.
2. Low In Calories
Contrary to popular perception, mango is low in calories, contributing to less than 100 calories. Not just that, it is also low in calorie density, which implies it provides lesser calories for the quantity of food it provides. According to a study, eating a mango at the beginning of a meal can prevent overeating later. However, it might not be the same for a dried mango, a cup of which roughly comprises 106 gms of sugar, 510 gms of calories, and a higher calorie density.
3. Rich In Healthy Plant Compounds
Mango is laden with a dozen types of polyphenols, which are plant compounds that serve as antioxidants. This nutrient is spread all over the fruit – in its flesh, peel, and also the seed kernel. Like antioxidants, polyphenols protect cells against free radicals, which are known for accelerating signs of ageing and chronic diseases.
4. Boost Immunity
Mango is replete with immune-boosting nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, and several categories of B vitamins, all of which is closely associated with helping your body produce disease-fighting white blood cells (WBCs). It enables your cells to work better and also improves your skin defences. Deficiency of this nutrient is known to raise the risk of infections.
5. Boost Digestion
Digestive enzymes called amylases present in mango to make the fruit improve your digestive health. The enzymes break down large molecules of food like carbs and sugars (glucose and maltose) so your body can absorb them more readily. This is true only for ripe mangoes. Not just that, mangoes are also high in water content and dietary fibre, which aid in easy digestion, keeping constipation and diarrhoea at bay.
6. Improve Heart Health
Magnesium and potassium in the fruit aid in maintaining a healthy blood flow. That apart, it relaxes your blood vessels and lowers blood pressure levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and free fatty acids. The antioxidant in the fruit is also beneficial for heart health.
7. Packed With Healthy Carb
Despite being rich in carbs, mangoes are packed only with the benefits of this nutrient, without going overboard, as a result of being low in glycemic index (GI). Any food ranked 55 and lower is considered to be a good choice of carbs, especially for diabetics. The GI of mango is 51, emphasising that mangoes contribute carbs but without adding to the cons of this nutrient.
Are Mangoes Good For Diabetics?
No, mangoes do not contribute to weight gain because of their low glycemic index (GI), make you feel full for longer, and keep fat production under check – advantages of the fruit which we will discuss in the next section of the article. Mangoes are good for weight loss, you ask? The answer is an astounding yes, provided you restrict its intake.
Do Mangoes Cause Weight Gain? 3 Nutritional Facts To Rebut The Doubt
Are mangoes good for weight loss? Let’s find out how you can eat the fruit without allowing it to affect your health.
1. Control Fat Production
Polyphenols in mango suppress and shrink fat cells by disrupting adipogenesis, that is, control fat production in the body, which in turn, shrinks fat cells. To add to that, they may also play a role in burning more fat, thus, helping in weight loss.
2. Make You Feel Full
The high water content of 83% and dietary fibre in this fruit make you feel fuller for longer, assuaging frequent pangs of hunger. This will, of course, enable you to not give in to binge snacking and overeating, again controlling your fat intake. Now you know one of the ways on how mangoes are good for weight loss.
3. Low In Calories
Mangoes are a low-calorie fruit, despite them being sweet and high in carbs. 100gms of mangoes contain just 60kcal. The best way to cut down on unhealthy food and desserts is to have a mango instead when the fruit is in season.
Can Diabetic People Consume Mango? What Is The Ideal Quantity That One Can Have Each Day?
It is believed that people with diabetes can eat mangoes, provided they consume them in restricted quantities. As discussed earlier, the fruit is low in GI (glycemic index), which makes it possible for us to consider it as a good carb – one that enables you to load up on the benefits of carbs, keeping the disadvantages at bay.
Are mangoes good for diabetics? 2 things diabetics should remember about how to eat mangoes.
1. Keep An Eye On The Portion
Intake of carbs can increase blood sugar levels and that includes carb-rich food that is low in glycemic index, like mangoes. A healthy serving of mangoes for diabetes would be 15 gms. Half a cup of mangoes contains 12.5 gms of carbs approximately. Hence, diabetes should restrict their intake of mangoes to about half a cup a day, to ensure mangoes are good for diabetes.
2. Compliment Carbs With Protein
Protein, like fibre, helps minimise blood sugar spikes when taken with high-carb foods like mangoes. The fruit has fibre but isn’t packed with enough protein. Therefore, combining mangoes with a protein source like boiled egg whites, a handful of nuts, or cheese will do the trick for you in keeping blood sugar levels in check. But you still need to keep a strict watch on the amount of mangoes you consume per day.
The above factors prove how mangoes are good for diabetes provided you eat them the right way.
How To Eat Mangoes In 4 Health-Conscious Ways?
1. First Thing At Breakfast
Consuming mangoes for breakfast, especially on an empty stomach before you move on to other foods that are a part of your breakfast, is one of the best ways to include the fruit in your diet. Doing so helps the body make the most of the healthy nutrients present in the fruit.
2. As A Healthy Snack
Incorporate a mango or half a cup of mango as a snack or in between meals, depending on whether you have been diagnosed of health conditions like diabetes or not. This will enable you to skip eating unhealthy junk food while adding the benefits of water and fibre for your body.
3. Pre Or Post Fitness Sesh
Mangoes serve as a delicious way to pack in carbs, which is necessary to fuel your physical self before a workout. At the same time, the presence of vitamins and antioxidants also works wonders in enabling your muscles to recover after a strenuous fitness session.
4. Eat It As A Dessert
A dash of health and taste. Yum! Mangoes will appeal to sweet bugs and satisfy your sugar cravings, without compromising on your health.
You’ve now become aware of what are the health benefits of mangoes, that mangoes are good for diabetes, and mangoes are good for weight loss. Whatever the food is, one mantra you should always follow is to eat them in moderation. Don’t keep yourself away from them (unless your doctor advises you to do so) or overdo it. The same goes for mangoes as well. Add the fruit to your diet in restricted portions and as advised by your doctor (in case you have health conditions) and there’s no way the fruit can harm you.
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