The member of the drupe family, mango is one of the healthiest and most popular foods worldwide.
Mango is actually a nutritious powerhouse that provides your body with a host of vitamins and minerals, promoting your overall health.
A cup of diced mango supplies 76% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, 35% of vitamin A, 20% of folate, 11% of vitamin B6, 9% of vitamin E and copper, 8% of vitamin K, and 7% of potassium.
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Mango is also chock full of fiber, protein, and carbs, and is low in calories. There are small amounts of magnesium, iron, and calcium as well as a number of the powerful antioxidants, including quercetin, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, and astragalin.
Ranging in shape, color, seed size, and flavor, there are a great variety of mangoes. Regardless of this factor, mango boasts the following health benefits:
1.Prevent constipation
Constipation is one of the leading health issues these days. Whether it’s because of the poor nutrition or sedentary lifestyles, it’s important to prevent constipation in order to avoid more serious complications.
Mango is one of the best foods to eat to ensure a regular bowel movement. A medium-sized mango, regardless of the type, provides the body with more than 40% of the requirement daily intake of fiber, which acting as an effective and all-natural treatment for constipation.
Read More:Â Constipation: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
2.Strengthens the immune system
Your immunity is the first line of your body’s defense against harmful invaders and that’s why it’s vital to maintain a strong immune system.
Mango is an excellent source of beta-carotene that’s known for promoting a healthy immune system. The extra beta-carotene in the system is converted into vitamin A, which helps the body to combat free radicals that stimulate chronic inflammation and damage the overall health.
3.Relieve the symptoms of asthma and reduce the risk of its development
People who eat food high in nutrients, particularly beta-carotene have a reduced risk factor of developing asthma.
Mango is loaded with beta-carotene and it’s often recommended for people with asthma or those who are at risk. Asthma happens as a result of chronic inflammation in the air passages, causing temporary narrowing of the airways.
This causes the problems with an air transporting from the mouth and nose to the lungs. This can result in wheezing, difficulty breathing, chest tightness, coughing, and in some cases death.
4.Ward off premature aging
Due to a host of environmental issues, daily stress, and low quality foods, premature aging is becoming more common today.
Mangoes have been shown to aid in slowing down the process of natural aging as well as prevent premature aging. This is all thanks to their rich content of vitamin A and vitamin C, which both are responsible for producing the collagen proteins in the body.
Protecting the bodily connective tissue and blood vessels, collagen helps to delay the natural aging process of the skin.
5.Alleviate anemia symptoms
High in iron, mangoes are perfect for people with iron deficiency. An iron deficiency affects millions of people worldwide and it tends to become anemic, because iron deficiency is the most obvious sign of anemia.
Eating more iron-packed foods like mangoes can help to prevent this problem.
6.Lower the risk of cancer
Mangoes are chock full of pectin that plays an active role in reducing cholesterol levels in the blood, reducing the risk of prostate cancer. The compound found in pectin combines with a protein called galectin 3, which plays a great role in all stages of most cancers.
Plus, a regular consumption of beta-carotene found in mango can decrease the chances of prostate cancer. Some random studies have claimed that eating mangoes on a daily basis is a powerful way to prevent breast cancer.
7.Prevent cardiovascular diseases
Mango is rich in a soluble fiber called pectin, which has been shown to help to reduce the cholesterol levels in the blood naturally.
Plus, mango is low in sodium and high in B vitamins and potassium, which can ward off a cardiovascular disease that is a major killer worldwide.
The scientific report done by the Oklahoma State University showed that mango contains a great number of phytochemicals and minerals that have the positive effects on glucose, body fat, and heart health.
8.Improve your bone health
Mango has rich levels of vitamin K that plays a key role in bone building. The deficiency of this vitamin has been connected with an increased risk factor of the bone fracture.
Furthermore, vitamin K is essential for a great calcium absorption, which is another critical function for your bone health. Mango also contains calcium, a main bone nutrient required for bone building.
9.Maintain good eye health
In a digital screen era, it’s important to maintain good eye health. Mangoes can help you with it. A regular consumption of mangoes helps to preserve a vision and wards off any issues linked to the eyes.
The rich content of vitamin A in mangoes aids in maintaining eye health, according to multiple studies. The prolonged vitamin A deficiency can cause a lot of eye health issues and even lead to blindness.
A research conducted by the Oregon State University proved this fact. Whether you get Vitamin A from foods or supplements, you need it on a daily basis in order to improve your vision and eye health. Vitamin A in mangoes promotes an optimal functio of the retina.
Additionally, mango is fortified with zeaxanthin and lutein. Zeaxanthin is believed to be good for the eyes while zeaxanthin helps to decrease the chance of a macular degeneration development, according to a report from the University of Utah Health Care.
Mangoes also contain cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid that aids in lowering the risk of the age-related macular degeneration in older people.
10.Boost your brain health
Mango is brimming with vitamin B6, which is essential for improving and maintaining healthy function of the brain.
This vitamin helps with the amalgamation of the main neurotransmitters, which contribute to the modification of sleeping patterns and determining mood.
They provide a great amount of this vitamin in a natural way. Consuming mangoes on a daily basis can significantly increase your brain function and improve your memory and concentration due to the glutamine acid content.
11.Manage the high blood pressure
Because mango is a wonderful source of potassium and magnesium, and low in sodium, it helps to reduce the high blood pressure naturally.
Known as the silent killer, hypertension affects about 70 million adults in the United States only. If you have problems with your blood pressure, be sure to include mangoes in your weekly diet.
12.Reduce the blood sugar levels
The most recent research has shown that a regular mango consumption can help to reduce the blood sugar levels in obese adults.
Even though mango can’t replace the medications, it significantly aids in the blood glucose management. Moreover, other studies showed that the blood glucose management and glycemic control is possible by eating mangoes daily.
More research is required to prove this fact, yet some scientific reports have indicated that mango is an effective natural treatment for diabetes.
People with diabetes have been avoiding mangoes for decades due to a popular myth that mango is too sweet for diabetics. Today, researchers have claimed that both mango fruit and leaves might be helpful in treating diabetes.
13.Improve digestion
Mango plays an important role in alleviating digestion problems, including excess acidity and indigestion.
The digestive enzymes found in mango promote healthy digestion and the bioactive ingredients such as aldehydes, terpenes, and esters contribute in controlling appetite and boosting the overall digestive system function.
Another reason why mango is good for digestion is because of the high fiber content that wards off constipation and maintains the health of the digestive tract. Plus, fiber helps you feel full for longer and keeps your colon clean, letting it work efficiently. Mango is also rich in a number of digestive enzymes that are responsible for breaking down proteins and promoting digestion.
14.Mango can help to gain weight
If you need to put on some pounds, load your shopping cart with a lot of mangoes. 150g of mango contains nearly 86 calories, which are easily absorbed by the body.
Additionally, mango contains starch that transforms into the sugar, promoting weight gain. Drinking mango milkshakes is a delicious way to speed up the weight gain process!
15.Good for pregnant women
Mango can ensure healthy pregnancy as it fulfills the daily requirements of iron.
A doctor usually prescribes iron supplements during pregnancy, however it’s better to eat foods rich in this mineral instead of supplementation. When you crave something sweet, a cup of mango can satisfy your taste buds.
16.Enhance healthy sex
Although mango doesn’t belong to aphrodisiacs, more and more studies have suggested it’s a great fruit for enhancing healthy sex life.
High in vitamin E, one mango a day can increase your sex drive. The study done by Australian researchers indicated that the combination of beta-carotene and vitamin E helps to boost sperm health and prevent sperm damage in males.
Another study published by the US National Institutes of Health claimed that vitamin E helps to prevent oxidate damage that affects the sperm membrane. Mango is also chock-full of zinc, which is vital for female and male fertility.
17.Promote weight loss
When eaten in small amounts, mango can aids in weight loss. It’s all about the phytochemicals found on the outer side of mango, which act as natural fat burners. Scientists from the University of Queensland proved the effectiveness of the mango peel for weight loss.
Since mango contains fiber that ensures a regular bowel movement and healthy digestion, it can be an amazing contributor to shedding pounds. A research from the University of Minnesota showed that dietary fiber can speed up the weight loss process.
18.Keep your skin healthy
The largest organ of the body, your skin needs healthy foods as well. A Korean study done in 2013 indicated that mango extracts help to protect against the skin aging induced by UVB.
As mentioned above, mango is high in vitamin A and beta-carotene and these carotenoids help to promote the skin health.
A photoprotective agent, beta-carotene stimulates the photochemical reactions in the epidermis, and thus stopping the ultraviolet rays from damaging the skin.
Mango also contains the polyphenols that have anticancer properties and can reduce the risk of skin cancer, according to a Chinese study. Vitamin A in mango helps to suppress the skin oil production, treating acne and other skin imperfections.
Sometimes one mango per day can be just what a doctor ordered. Apart from reaping some potent health benefits, you can also enjoy a delightful taste of mango and use it in many meals. So the next time you go grocery shopping, be sure you load your cart with mangoes.
