Mangos taste so good that
people forget they are also healthy! Discover how the “king of fruits” can help
you, plus learn fascinating trivia facts and a few mango cautions and concerns.
Health Benefits:
1. Prevents Cancer:
Research has shown antioxidant compounds in mango fruit have been found to
protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. These compounds
include quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and
methylgallat, as well as the abundant enzymes.
2. Lowers Cholesterol:
The high levels of fiber, pectin and vitamin C help to lower serum cholesterol
levels, specifically Low-Density Lipoprotein (the bad stuff)
3. Clears the Skin:
Can be used both internally and externally for the skin. Mangos clear clogged
pores and eliminate pimples. (Read more on page 5.)
4. Eye Health:
One cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25 percent of the needed daily value of
vitamin A, which promotes good eyesight and prevents night blindness and dry
eyes.
5. Alkalizes the Whole Body:
The tartaric acid, malic acid, and a trace of citric acid found in the fruit
help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body.
6. Helps in Diabetes:
Mango leaves help normalize insulin levels in the blood. The traditional home
remedy involves boiling leaves in water, soaking through the night and then
consuming the filtered decoction in the morning. Mango fruit also have a
relatively low glycemic index (41-60) so moderate quantities will not spike your
sugar levels.
7. Improved Sex:
Mangos are a great source of vitamin E. Even though the popular connection
between sex drive and vitamin E was originally created by a mistaken
generalization on rat studies, further research has shown balanced proper
amounts (as from whole food) does help in this area.
8. Improves Digestion:
Papayas are not the only fruit that contain enzymes for breaking down protein.
There are several fruits, including mangoes, which have this healthful quality.
The fiber in mangos also helps digestion and elimination.
9. Remedy for Heat Stroke
Juicing the fruit from green mango and mixing with water and a sweetener helps
to cool down the body and prevent harm to the body. From an ayurvedic viewpoint,
the reason people often get diuretic and exhausted when visiting equatorial
climates is because the strong “sun energy” is burning up your body,
particularly the muscles. The kidneys then become overloaded with the toxins
from this process.
10. Boosts Immune system
The generous amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A in mangos, plus 25 different
kinds of carotenoids keep your immune system healthy and strong.
man holding mango at Real Food for Life.com
Facts and trivia:
According to some, more mangos are eaten fresh than any other fruit in the
world.
Originated 4,000 plus years ago.
Biologically a close relative with other flowering plants like cashew and
pistachio.
Originated in sub-Himalayan plains.
In India where they are most heavily grown and eaten, mangos are known as
“safeda.”
There are over 1,000 different varieties of mangos.
vitamin pills at Real Food for Life.com
Nutrition by the Numbers
One cup (225 gms contain) contains the following. Percentages apply to daily
value.
105 calories
76 percent vitamin C (antioxidant and immune booster)
25 percent vitamin A (antioxidant and vision)
11 percent vitamin B6 plus other B vitamins (hormone production in brain and
heart disease prevention)
9 percent healthy probiotic fiber
9 percent copper (copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes plus production
of red blood cells)
7 percent potassium (to balance out our high sodium intake)
4 percent magnesium
mango cut properly at Real Food for Life.com
How to Prepare a Raw Mango Fancy Style
1. Hold the mango on its side and cut down on either side of the central seed.
You will end with two big “halves” plus the central seed.
2. Place each half on the cutting board with peel facing down and cut the
exposed flesh in a horizontal and vertical pattern, taking care not to cut deep
through skin.
3 Then invert the whole half to push out the cubes as shown in the photo above.
Mangos for the Skin:
Externally:
Just blending up the mango and applying to the face is fast and easy. Mangos
contain beta-carotene, which is converted by your body to vitamin A. That and
vitamin C are crucial to skin self-repair.
Follow this link to see a more complete recipe: Mango Mud Mask. This has all the
benefits of mango plus the exfoliating benefits of oatmeal and almonds.
For a less serious treatment of this mud mask, you can watch me making my own
at…Randy’s Homemade Mango Mud Mast
Internally:
When eaten, mangos help resolve all skin problems including pimples. Extract the
large pit or seed from green mangoes. You can eat this seed raw or cooked, or
try a recipe like this Cucumber-Mint-Mango Lightness.
Do Monkeys Know Something We Don’t?
Monkeys choose to eat the seed from the green mango. Ayurvedic healers suggest
that it is the seed that gives the monkey its energy and powerful strength to
jump in the tress.
Cautions:
If you have a latex allergy, a reaction is possible with mangos and particularly
green mangos. This reaction develops because of anacardic acid.
Mango peel and sap contain urushiol, the chemical in poison ivy and poison sumac
that can cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals.
Mangos are ripened by some dealers using calcium carbide which can cause serious
health problems (one more reason to buy organic). If you do have inorganic
mangos, do wash them properly before consuming or soak overnight in water.
Mango Recipes:
Deluxe Mango Crumble: Something about mangos makes them luxurious, and when made
into a crumble they become divine.
Cucumber-Mint-Mango Lightness: A cooling and refreshing drink using green
mangos.
The mango is so delicious and healthy we consider it a Powerfood.
Other Powerfoods to check out:
Almonds: King of nuts.
Green Tea: The Powerfood that rules the world.
Apples: Powerfood pomme.
Oatmeal: 10 smart reasons to enjoy oatmeal