Eat Me: Tango with Mango’s 10 health benefits

Mangoes are great and most people eat the fruit solely for the juicy flavor but there’s a lot more to it than that.

The fruit comes in different variations and does more for you than excite your taste buds.

Care 2 has shed some necessary light on the health benefits of mangos.

Improves 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.

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.

May help with diabetes
Mango leaves help normalise 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 has a relatively low glycemic index (41-60) so moderate quantities will not spike your sugar levels.

Mango fruit also has a relatively low glycemic index (41-60) so moderate quantities will not spike your sugar levels.

Promotes healthy 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 generalisation on rat studies, further research has shown balanced proper amounts (from whole foods) does help.

Improves digestion
Papayas are not the only fruit that contains enzymes for breaking down protein. There are several fruits, including mangos, which have this healthful quality. The fiber in mangos also helps digestion and elimination.

Helps fight heat stroke
Juicing the fruit from green mango and mixing with water and a sweetener helps to cool down the body and prevent harm from overheating.

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.

Boosts the 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.

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.

Lowers cholesterol
The high levels of fiber, pectin and vitamin C help to lower serum cholesterol levels, specifically Low-Density Lipoprotein (i.e, the bad stuff).

Clears the skin 
Can be used both internally and externally for the skin. Mangos help clear clogged pores and eliminate pimples.