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Mango Nutrition And Its Benefits Not only does it delight the palate, mango nutrition comes with many health benefits. The Mango The mango fruit belongs to the Anacardiaceae family together with cashew and pistachio plants. Its scientific name is Mangifera Indica. The mango is one of the most popular and exotic tropical fruits. It has a distinctive flavor and is absolutely divine!. The fruit varies in size and color depending on its variety. Its length may range from 4 to 8 inches. Most are oval. Some are longer and more pointed while others are more spherical. Its weight ranges from 150 gm to more than a kg. It is green when unripe but turns yellowish-green, bright yellow or orange-red when ripe. A few varieties remain green when ripe. The color of the skin (its pigmentation) indicates its underlying goodness in the form of its phytonutrients that have health promoting properties. Mango Nutrition and Its Benefits The mango fruit has high sugar content and is excellent for those who need an energy boost or those who are on the go. Diabetics should consume less of this fruit due to its high sugar content. Instead, choose guava or avocado which have less sugar in them. The mango fruit is a rich source of vitamin A which is excellent for the eyes. Vitamin A is an excellent antioxidant and everyone would do well to take antioxidant-rich food every day. The fruit is also a good source of vitamin C which promotes healthy immune function and collagen formation as well. It contains a number of vitamin Bs namely, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), folate (B9) and pyridoxamine (B6). The mango fruit is a good source of potassium which is excellent for maintaining good blood pressure and hence, is good for the heart. It also contains a number of flavonoids such as alpha- carotene, beta-carotene and beta-crytoxanthin. They are excellent antioxidants and yes, they are good for the eyesight too. Studies have shown that the antioxidants in mango are effective in preventing breast and colon cancer too. The fruit helps those who suffer from anemia. This is due to its iron content. How To Enjoy It It is best to take it when it has just ripen. Leaving it a day or two is not advisable. The fruit may be too soft. The best thing to do is to put it in the fridge a day before it fully ripens. That way, you can to enjoy it chilled the next day. Unripe or half ripe mangoes make excellent mango salsa, an excellent appetizer and side dish to go with your meat dishes. You may choose to enjoy its juice. I personally prefer to blend it instead of juicing it. It has excellent fiber which is good for the colon. |
