08/09/2020 / By Virgilio Marin
Mangoes are one of the most popular fruits in the world. Their sweet and tangy taste makes them a favorite ingredient for desserts, smoothies and salsas while its juice is refreshing for the summer. Although they’re one of the sweeter fruits, mangoes have several varieties that can be more sour than sweet and more green or orange than yellow.
Despite their differences, however, all varieties are packed with vitamins and minerals that are essential for good health. For one, mangoes are rich in vitamin C and vitamin A, providing 76 percent and 25 percent of the daily recommended intake of the two nutrients, respectively.
Mangoes confer various health benefits including:
Mangoes are rich in nutrients that play an important role in immune health such as vitamins C and A. Both nutrients are antioxidants that play a protective role against oxidative damage that could lead to cancer.
In addition, vitamin A is beneficial for the skin and mucous membranes that line the nose, sinuses and mouth.
Zeaxanthin in mangoes is an antioxidant that is linked to a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration or AMD, which is one of the leading causes of vision impairment and blindness. Research has found that eating three or more fruits a day can help slow down and lower the risk of AMD.
Research on animals found that mangiferin, an antioxidant in mango, can reduce inflammation, oxidative stress and programmed cell death in heart cells. Additional research also found that it helps lower blood cholesterol, triglyceride and free fatty acid levels. (Related: Superfood: Mango helps prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes.)
Mangoes are also good for digestion, according to studies. A group of researchers gave mangoes to people with chronic constipation for four weeks and found that the participants had significant improvements in the symptoms of constipation. This is because mangoes are rich in fiber and amylase, both of which help improve gut health. Amylase, in particular, is a digestive enzyme that enhances gut bacterial composition and helps break down large food molecules for better absorption.
Vitamins C and A in mangoes promote healthy skin and hair. Vitamin C plays an essential role in collagen production; collagen is a protein that gives structure to the skin and hair and is known to combat the sagging and wrinkling of the skin.
On the other hand, vitamin A boosts hair growth and sebum production, which keeps your scalp moisturized and your hair healthy. It is also found to protect the skin from the harmful rays of the sun. (Related: Why mango is an undeniable ‘superfruit’ you should be eating more frequently.)
Although mangoes are delicious in itself, there are a variety of ways to incorporate it into a meal or snack:
You’ll need 15 minutes to prepare this salsa.
The preparation time is 10 minutes.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
The savory dish takes about 40 minutes to prepare.
Start adding more mangoes to your diet. Not only are they nutritious — mangoes are also delicious and refreshing which makes them a perfect fruit for the summer.
Fresh.news has more on the various uses of mangoes.
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