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HOME > Features | Health | Vegan Diet |
Read Time: | 3rd February 2022
Mango trees probably originally come from India but have been cultivated in South and Southeast Asia for millennia.
From there, they spread thanks to trade routes first to Africa, then Brazil, the Caribbean and Mexico.
Eventually, they made their way also to Spain, Florida, California and Hawaii and became popular all over the world.
As well as tasting amazing, mango is bursting with a myriad of health benefits too.
Fresh mango is a treasure trove of antioxidants, including mangiferin, catechins, quercetin, kaempferol, anthocyanins, gallic and ellagic acids and others1,2.
These help to protect your tissues and DNA from damage, defend you from environmental toxins and assist your immune system in keeping you healthy.
Natural sugars found in mango will fuel your day the healthy way. The energy will last longer thanks to mango’s fibre that slows down sugar digestion and keeps your gut healthy.
It’s the perfect morning or pre-workout snack.
Mango is an excellent source of beta-carotene that your body converts to vitamin A which is essential to eye health and vision.
It is also rich in other carotenoids – lutein and zeaxanthin – which protect the retina of the eye from sunlight and from the blue light emitted by digital devices.
With its antioxidants, vitamin A and vitamin C, mango supports your immune system and helps to defend you against infection.
Mango has anti-inflammatory effects on your gut and encourages beneficial gut bacteria to thrive3,4. This doesn’t just help resolve digestive issues, a healthy gut also means better immunity and increased energy levels!
And research shows mango can offer natural relief from constipation, too5.
Mango’s powerful antioxidants have anti-cancer properties, mangiferin in particular6.
They are not so strong as to treat cancer or prevent it completely but researchers are exploring how to use mangiferin in the fight against cancer.
Not only is mango a great source of antioxidants that protect your blood vessels from damage, it also contains potassium which plays a role in healthy blood pressure and vitamin K responsible for healthy blood clotting.
Mango has a whole bunch of nutrients important for healthy skin, including beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and other antioxidants.
Vitamin C is important for the formation of collagen – a protein that keeps your skin firm and plump.
The antioxidant mangiferin found in mangos protects the blood vessels in your brain from damage and helps to protect your neurons too7.
Scientists say it may even help to prevent and treat some neurological disorders.
Mango is 83% water so while you’re enjoying its sweetness and delicious flavour, it contributes to your fluid intake and so helps to keep your kidneys happy!
Mango isn’t the only food bursting with health benefits. These foods are nutritional powerhouses too:
Each 100 grams of fresh mango contains:
Almost! If we’re talking unsweetened dried mango, it retains much of the nutrients but its antioxidant content goes down, as well as beta-carotene (vitamin A) and vitamin E.
How much of each they contain depends on the temperature used in the process of drying.
Perhaps surprisingly, its vitamin C decreases only a little and vitamin K content is even higher than in fresh mango.
The best option is sun-dried mango as it hasn’t been exposed to excessive heat which helps to preserve its nutritional value.
If you’re tempted to snack on sweetened dried mango, don’t – it’s infused with sugar so you may as well be eating sugar lumps!
Sweetened dried mango is infused with sugar so it is better to enjoy sun-dried mango as part of a healthy diet.
The first step is to wash your mango. The next step is up to you – either peel and then slice your mango, or slice most of the flesh off the stone first and then dice it and cut it out of the peel – the ‘hedgehog method’.
The crucial part is to get as close to the large fibrous stone when slicing to get the most of your mango.
Once you have your prized golden pulp, you can add it to a smoothie or fruit salad, eat it on its own, dice it and sprinkle on top of your morning cereal, pancakes or desserts.
You could even grill it as part of a barbecue or blend it with plant-based cream to make mango ice cream.
Mangoes only grow in tropical and some subtropical regions, so when we want to enjoy them in Europe, it means they have to travel from far away.
There are also ethical issues with many workers not being paid living wages and the questionable use of fertilizers.
Taken together, it means that it’s best to buy fair trade mangoes and enjoy them as a treat rather than a daily indulgence.
Many people are considering a vegan diet as a quick fix for weight loss.
But can a vegan diet help you lose weight?
Veronika Charvátová MSc is a biologist and Viva! Health researcher. She studied MSc Biology and Teaching of Biology at the University of South Bohemia and is a Human Biology lecturer at the University of New York in Prague. Veronika has spent years uncovering the links between nutrition and good health and is an expert on plant-based diets.
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