Mango,
the name itself showers, water in your mouth and develops and urge to
have it the very right moment. Known as the king of the fruits, mangoes
have always been the favorite of people of any age. The sweet and
succulent taste it provides you with, is not only delicious to have but
also beneficial for many health problems. They carry some similar
properties like the papaya, and hence, are very soothing for the
stomach. Have it raw or ripe, the mangoes give equal nutrient to the
body.
Mango
comes from the drupe family, which includes other members like
coconuts, dates and olives. The tropical fruit comes with a variety of
color, flavor, shape and size of seed. The skin of the mango comes with
shades like green, red, orange and yellow, while the fleshy pulp inside
comes in golden yellow color. The creamy taste of mango brings you
various nutrients useful for your daily life.
Nutritional Values of Mangoes
Mangoes
are the cousins to gandaria, pistachios, cashew nuts and mombin. Hence,
they carry all the nutritional benefits, necessary for a fit and
healthy life. Mangoes carry a lower amount of saturated fats, sodium and
cholesterol, and hence, it is the beloved food for even the people
looking for weight gain. They are rich in dietary fiber, which makes it
useful for the people facing an obesity problem.
They are also a good
source of Vitamin B6, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Mangoes also carry
minerals like magnesium, copper, and potassium, as well as,
anti-oxidants like beta-carotene, astragalin and quercetin. The
antioxidants help in neutralizing the free radicals in the body, which
are the root causes for problems like cancer, premature aging, heart
disorders, degenerative diseases, and much more by damaging the cells.
The
thick pulp obtained from mangoes is used to make a tonic, which is
widely used in the treatment of constipation, anemia, bleeding gums,
cough, fever, nausea, sea sickness, weak digestion, and much more.
Health Benefits of Mangoes
Mangoes
have proved to be very beneficial for various health, skin and hair
benefits. Here are some benefits of consuming mangoes that may lead you
in increasing the consumption.
1. Have A Control Over Blood Pressure With Mangoes
Mangoes
are rich in various Vitamins, which are beneficial for the overall
health of the body. They also carry a good amount of potassium and
magnesium, which posses the quality of natural healing for the people
having blood pressure problems. The selenium, iron, calcium and
phosphorus it gives you are also beneficial for controlling the pressure
of your blood. People having disorders due to deficiencies of vitamins
and minerals should have mangoes, which would provide them with sources
like riboflavin, vitamins, niacin, thiamin, folate and pantothenic acid
to heal the disorders. Vitamin E obtained from mangoes help in boosting
the sex life as they activate your sex hormones.
2. Prevents From Cancer And Heart Disorders
Mangoes
are filled with pectin, which is a dietary fiber, efficiently working
on lowering the cholesterol levels. The dietary fiber is also helpful in
the protection against prostate cancer. Pectin by combining with
galectin 3 plays a vital role in controlling all types of cancer. Having
mangoes on a regular basis would also lower the risk of cancer
developed due to the gastrointestinal tract. It has also proved to be
helpful for problems like breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer,
leukemia, as well as enzymes. Mangoes are also beneficial in reducing
the chances of any kind of cardiovascular diseases.
3. A Boon For Weight Gain
Mangoes
have proven to be a boon for the people looking for weight gain
options. They are rich in calories, which are easily absorbed by the
human body. The starch mangoes have got transformed to sugar, which is
helpful in the acquisition of weight. Including mangoes in regular diet
through milk shakes, raw fruit, etc. would notoriously increase your
weight.
4. Helpful In The Digestion Process
As mangoes
carry some of the similar properties papaya does, it is also helpful in
improving the digestion process. It carries various digestive enzymes,
which boost the digestion process. Mangoes provide you with bioactive
like terpenes, esters, aldehydes, etc. that help in improving the
appetite, as well as, improve the digestion system.
5. Helpful During Pregnancy
Are
you pregnant? The mangoes would be very beneficial for your health in
your happy days. Mangoes are rich in iron, which is the prime nutrition
for the pregnant women. It can be taken as a supplement to the iron
tablets provided by the doctors. The mangoes are also helpful during
pregnancy when the taste buds lose their sensitivity hindering your diet
or tasty dishes you used to like. So, next time if you don’t feel like
having any food, have a mango to change your taste buds.
6. Helpful In Anemia
Mangoes
are rich in iron. This means, it is beneficial for the patients of
anemia. Having a moderate number of mangoes on a regular basis help in
plummeting anemia. It increases the count of red blood cells in the
body, which gradually decreases the anemic cells. It is also advisable
for the women facing menopause in their elder age.
7. For Getting Rid Of Acne
This
might surprise you, but mangoes have been helpful in getting rid of
those unwanted acne problems. Mangoes have suspicious qualities that
brighten your skin. They help in bringing back the lost glow to your
face gifting you with smooth and clear skin. Mangoes treat the acne by
opening the congested pores of your skin, which reduces the growth of
acne. You can also carry on the treatment by applying the thick mango
pulp on the face instead of eating it.
8. Controls The Premature Aging
Mangoes
are rich in Vitamin A and C, which help in the production of collagen
proteins in the body. The collagen is helpful in the protection of blood
vessels and human body tissues, which lower the chances of aging the
skin in a natural process. Hence, they are perfectly an anti-aging
ingredient. As a supplement of dietary fiber, it helps in giving you a
fresh and youthful skin in a natural and tasty way.
9. Helps In A Healthy Brain
Mangoes
come with a complete lot of Vitamin B6. B6 is quite important for the
improvement and the maintenance of the functions of the brain. The
vitamins help in the consolidation of foremost neurotransmitters, which
are helpful in the shaping of the mood and in changing the sleeping
patterns. The natural nutrient you get from mango give you a healthy
brain by boosting its functions. It also contains glutamine acid, which
helps in concentrating and improves the power of your memory.
10. Immunity Booster
Mangoes
are also similar to carrots when it comes to immunity. They are rich in beta-carotene, which serve as a strong carotenoid. This
helps in increasing the immunity by boosting the immune system in the
body. Mangoes also have proven to be impermeable to toxins and bacteria.
The surplus of it gets converted into Vitamin A, which works as an
antioxidant, protecting you from free radicals harmful to the internal
systems.
11. Helpful for Diabetes
According
to some studies, mangoes have proved to be a natural tonic for
diabetes. It helps in the management of blood sugar levels, lipids and
insulin level in the body if the water of the mango leaves is taken on
an empty stomach on a regular basis. The fruit itself contains a low
glycemic index, which control your sugar levels when taken in moderate
quantity. In the similar way, it is helpful in the prevention of asthma.
12. For Healthy Skin, Eyes And Hair
Mangoes
help you with Vitamin A, which helps in the production of sebum, that
keeps your hair moisturized. It is also helpful in the growth of body
tissues, even of the skin and hair. Sufficient amount of mangoes on a
regular basis, would help in the production and maintenance of collagen,
an important ingredient for healthy skin and hair. Vitamin A from
mangoes would also help in stimulating good eyesight, especially, for
the dry eyes. It also helps in the prevention of night blindness.
Henceforth,
having a judicious quantity of mangoes on a regular basis would not
only give you health benefits, but also skin and hair benefits.
Side-Effects Of Consuming Mangoes
As
mango comes with bundles of nutrients, it is surely good for health.
However, it has some side-effects too. The over consumption of mangoes
would lead to the following problems:
1. Increase In Blood Sugar Levels
The
ripe mangoes come with abundant quantities of sugar. This increases the
blood sugar level in the body, which can be harmful for the people
having high blood sugar problem. Also, the people suffering from
diabetes are advised not to have ripe mangoes.
2. Diarrhea
Mangoes
are also rich in fiber. The overeating of mangoes would lead to
diarrhea, which is a common disorder. Even a medium mango gives you
enough fiber, hence, over eating it would surely lead to diarrhea.
3. Reactions Due To Allergy
There
are people with sensitive skin who face some kind of allergic reaction
by consuming mangoes. The allergies can be listed as watery eyes,
breathing problems, running nose, sneezing, abdominal pain, etc. Serious
conditions may also lead to situations like anaphylactic shocks.
4. Contact Dermatitis
Mangoes
contain a chemical known as urushiol. There are people who are allergic
to this kind of substance. The sensitivity of this chemical leads to
problems like contact dermatitis. In such cases, the results would be
visible on the skin like itching, crumbling, blistery, etc.
5. Increase In Weight
Mangoes
are bulked with calories. If the intake of mangoes increases more than
required, it would lead to increase in weight. Mangoes are also rich in
sugar, which is the enemy for those who are willing to reduce weight.
Hence, if you want to shape up your waist, avoid having mangoes in your
diet.
Thus, mangoes are good for health only if they are taken in a
limited number. The excess of it would surely give you one or the other
side-effect causing few disorders.
Some Interesting Facts About Mangoes
- Mangoes
come in two different types of varieties. One comes from India, while
the other come from the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The Indian
mangoes are bright yellow and red in color, while the other come in pale
green color.
- The mango trees grow to nearly 65 feet. Some of
the mango trees live to nearly 300 years or more giving similar quality
and quantity of mangoes every year.
- The shape of a mango grows
to nearly 2 to 9 inches in length, while the shape would be either like
kidney shape, oval or round. They fully mature in nearly 100-150 days
after the flowers mature completely.
- The tropical fruit grows well in regions like California, Central America, Florida and Mexico.
- The mango is not only an amazing fruit, but its bark, skin, leaves and pit have used in folk remedies for centuries.
- Mangoes are available in six different varieties in the U.S., namely Haden, Tommy Atkins, Kent, Honey, Keitt and Francis.
- When a ripe mango is placed into a refrigerator, the process of ripening slows down.
- A single mango contains more than 20 varieties of minerals and vitamins.
- Gifting a basket of mangoes is considered to be a gesticulation of friendship in India.
- It is believed that Lord Buddha meditated under the tree of mango, as it provided him with cool shadow.
- The
mango seeds are believed to travel from Asia to East Africa, Middle
East and South America in the initial period of 300 or 400 A.D.
Mangoes
whether raw or ripe, are used in several different ways. They can be
transformed in the form of a smoothie, chutneys, salads or salsas, to
increase their taste into something sweet or tenderizing. It is also
used in making various delicious snacks or desserts. The mangoes carry a
natural marinating property, which makes it a great ingredient in
making marinades. When consumed raw, it can be combined with salt, chili
powder and lime juice, to experience the mouth tempering flavor.
