“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. Mangoes 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 generalization on rat studies, further
research has shown balanced proper amounts (from whole fruits) does help.
By: Umaru Maryam Hadejia
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