Nutrition Facts and Tips

Health Benefits Mangoes, Nutritional Values, Culinary, Medicinal Uses

The mango is one of the most popular of the tropical fruits with a unique flavor, texture, fragrance and taste that is used for a variety of main meal dishes, sauces, drinks and desserts.

Surprisingly, the heath benefits of mangoes are often unknown.

Mangoes have low calories and are rich sources of vitamins and anti-oxidants. A 100 g serving of ripe mango provides you with half your daily allowance of Vitamin C and a quarter of your daily allowance of Vitamin A.

Mangoes, though having a sweet taste, have relatively few calories (60 Calories in 100 g) and are a moderate source of potassium but with little fiber.

Mangoes yields more beta-carotene than any other fruit. Beta-carotene is a very powerful anti-oxidant that can help your body ward off disease and help maintain the immune system. Mangoes also has a moderate GI or around 50 much lower than watermelon, figs(61), dates (103), fried fruits, and other tropical fruits such as Papaya (59), Pineapple(59) Cantaloupe Melon(65).

This article outlines the health benefits of fresh mango when eaten as a food in a healthy diet or when consumed for medicinal purposes.

The Mango tree is thought to have originating in the Himalayan plains of Indian subcontinent.

The large oval-shaped fruit has a smooth outer skin that is green when unripe, turning golden yellow, orange-red, bright yellow, depending on the variety, when the fruit ripens.

The juicy flesh is orange-yellow in color with a pleasant sweet, rich flavor and a mild tartness. Good quality mangoes have very few fibrous strings and don't taste sour.

They are best eaten when just ripe rather than soft and mushy.

Health Benefits of Mangoes

Mangoes ideal as a snack on their own or included in healthy main meals and desserts.

As shown in the table of calorie contents for 100 g for 100 fruits, mango contains only about 60 calories and occurs midrange in the list. Mango has more calories than apples and oranges, but much less than many tropical fruits such as

• Rambutan (68),
• Guavas (68),
• Figs (74),
• Sapodillas (83),
• Bananas, Cavendish (89),
• Jackfruit (94),
• Custard Apple (101),
• Pawpaw (124),
• Sapote (135),
• Avocado (160),
• Tamarind (239) and
• Dates (277).

Mango fruit is a rich source of minerals, vitamins and poly-phenolic, flavonoid compounds with antioxidant properties.

Mango fruit is excellent source of Vitamin-A and flavonoids like alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene.

Just 100 g of fresh mango provides 765 mg of Vitamin A, which is equivalent to about 25% of recommended daily allowance.

These vitamins and other nutrients provide a powerful antioxidant function.

Vitamin A is also important for vision and for maintaining healthy skin and mucus membranes. 

Fresh mango is an excellent source of potassium with 100 g of fresh pulp yielding 156 mg of potassium and low amounts of sodium (2mg).

Potassium is important in balancing the sodium in body fluids and the blood and helps maintain blood pressure and heart functions.

Mango is an excellent source of vitamin-C, vitamin-E and vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine).

It also rich in many minerals such as copper (12% of daily allowance), iron and magnesium.

Mangoes have moderate levels of fiber, but very low levels of fat and cholesterol.

Like papaya, mangoes have enzymes that break protein and can enhance the tenderizing function of marinades.

Green mango can be juiced, mixed with ice and water to provide a refreshing summer drink.

Nutritional Facts for 100 g of Fresh Mango Pulp

Calories per 100 g for a Variety of Fruits (Lowest to Highest)

Medicinal Benefits of Mangoes

Research studies have shown that mangoes can play an important role in weight loss, dieting, obesity and diabetes.

Studies with mice showed that including mango in the diet lowered body fat and also lowered blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

Mango was shown to lower the concentration of the hormone leptin in the blood.

Leptin plays a key role in regulation of energy balance in the body and appetite, affecting calorie intake and energy expenditure.

Mice on high fat diets showed lower levels of leptin when they were given mango in their diets.

Culinary Uses, Preparation and serving of Mangoes

Always wash mangoes in cold running water before peeling them and removing the pulp from the seed. This is essential to remove dust and dirt and any chemicals such as pesticide residues that may be clinging to the surface. 

The simples way to remove the pulp is to place the mango flat on its widest side and make two cuts up and over the seed. Some flesh can be cut from the middle section that contains the seed. For the other two sections make a series of cuts about 1 cm apart (1/2 inch) length-wise and cross-wise to form a cross-cross pattern. When the section is pushed out the small squares of pulp can be easily removed from the skin.

Mango Serving Tips

• Mango fruit provides a sweet and nutritious snack that can be eaten with a spoon or toothpicks.
• Mango fruit can be added to many savory and sweet dishes such as: mango, chicken and avocado added to a salad. It can also be added to curries and spice dishes with pork, chicken and beef.
• Mango is a wonderful addition to any desserts such as yogurt dishes, flans, slices, cookies, crepes and cakes.
• Mango sorbet is a delightful low-calorie dessert that is easy and quick to prepare.
• Fresh mango cubes are a wonderful addition to various fruit salads.
• Blended mango fruit can be combined with milk as a delicious and healthy snack, sweetened with honey.
• Mango fruit is also used to prepare ice cream, jam, and various sweets and candy.
• Green mango is widely used for making pickles, sauces and chutneys.

Comparison of Mango with Other Common Fruits

The table below compares the nutrients in mangoes with other healthy fruits.

The key points are:

• Mango has less fiber that most of them
• These moderate levels of protein and fiber, but no fat or cholesterol
• Vitamin C levels are higher than in apples and bananas
• Folate levels are higher than any of the other fruit
• Vitamin A levels are higher than all other fruits except for cantaloupe
• Vitamin K levels are higher than in all fruits other than kiwi fruit
• Calcium levels are moderate
• Phosphorus levels are higher than all fruits apart from kiwi and bananas
• Selenium levels are high

Best Mango Recipes to Try

=> Crispy Coconut Shrimp Batter Recipe, with Yogurt, Mango, Chive Dip

=> Fresh Mango Recipe Collection - Savory Dishes, Sweet Dessert Recipes

=> Indian Mango Lassi Recipes - Sweet, Salty, Spicy, Fruity, Savory Options

Comparison of Nutrients in Mango with Other Fruit ( serving size 100 g)