Mangoes

This article is part of a larger article titled "100+ Healthiest Foods On Planet Earth."  Read it here.

Mango is a juicy and sweet tasting stone fruit, native to south and Southeast Asia. Preserved in a variety of ways (raw, juiced, pickled), and eaten in a large variety of ways (in mango lassi, sorbet, fruit juice blends, chutneys and curries, for example). A delicious way to pack in a huge amount of phytonutrients, as well as a hefty dose of vitamin C, the mango is an easy way to add healthy foods to your diet, and a great source of health benefits in its own right. Nutrient dense, with potent antioxidant potential and unique compounds, the mango should be right near the top of the list of healthy ways to treat yourself.

Nutritionally, mango is nutrient dense, but regrettably fairly high in sugar. 100g contains 60 calories, but for that you get 60% of your Daily Value (DV) of vitamin C, 21% DV of vitamin A, and 5% DV of B6. Vitamin C is an essential vitamin for everything from iron absorption to immunity, vitamin A is crucial for eye health, and B6 is necessary for the creation of red blood cells. Nutrient deficiencies should be avoided at all costs, even if that means taking a multivitamin, but it’s much better to do it with real food! The only downside of using mango is the large amount of simple sugars present, but as long as you are trying to reduce the amount of refined sugar in your diet, this really shouldn’t be a problem.

Mango’s main benefit is its array of phytonutrients, which directly impact its large antioxidant potential. Antioxidants are essential to prevent ongoing free radical damage, incredibly important for the prevention of damage to both DNA and cells, possibly leading to mutations and tissue damage. Antioxidants are also incredibly important when it comes to aging; specifically preventing age associated oxidative stress. As the authors of that study say, antioxidants could delay the onset of a number of age-related diseases, which in real terms means an improved quality of life.

There are also a number of compounds within mangoes that are fantastic for a number of assorted diseases. A compound called lupeol, present in mango, has been highlighted for its cancer preventive effects, and a compound completely unique to mango, mangiferin, has been highlighted for its gastroprotective effects, and antidiabetic activity. Remember, this is a compound unique to mango!