Health Benefits Mangoes, Nutritional Values, Culinary, Medicinal Uses

The mango is one of the most popular of the tropical fruits with a unique flavor, texture, fragrance and taste that is used for a variety of main meal dishes, sauces, drinks and desserts.

Surprisingly, the heath benefits of mangoes are often unknown.

Mangoes have low calories and are rich sources of vitamins and anti-oxidants. A 100 g serving of ripe mango provides you with half your daily allowance of Vitamin C and a quarter of your daily allowance of Vitamin A.

Mangoes, though having a sweet taste, have relatively few calories (60 Calories in 100 g) and are a moderate source of potassium but with little fiber.

Mangoes yields more beta-carotene than any other fruit. Beta-carotene is a very powerful anti-oxidant that can help your body ward off disease and help maintain the immune system. Mangoes also has a moderate GI or around 50 much lower than watermelon, figs(61), dates (103), fried fruits, and other tropical fruits such as Papaya (59), Pineapple(59) Cantaloupe Melon(65).

This article outlines the health benefits of fresh mango when eaten as a food in a healthy diet or when consumed for medicinal purposes.

Mangoes are delicious to eat and provide many health benefits
Mangoes are delicious to eat and provide many health benefits. Source: Public Domain

The Mango tree is thought to have originating in the Himalayan plains of Indian subcontinent.

The large oval-shaped fruit has a smooth outer skin that is green when unripe, turning golden yellow, orange-red, bright yellow, depending on the variety, when the fruit ripens.

The juicy flesh is orange-yellow in color with a pleasant sweet, rich flavor and a mild tartness. Good quality mangoes have very few fibrous strings and don't taste sour.

They are best eaten when just ripe rather than soft and mushy.

Health Benefits of Mangoes

Mangoes ideal as a snack on their own or included in healthy main meals and desserts.

As shown in the table of calorie contents for 100 g for 100 fruits, mango contains only about 60 calories and occurs midrange in the list. Mango has more calories than apples and oranges, but much less than many tropical fruits such as

Mango fruit is a rich source of minerals, vitamins and poly-phenolic, flavonoid compounds with antioxidant properties.

Mango fruit is excellent source of Vitamin-A and flavonoids like alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene.

Just 100 g of fresh mango provides 765 mg of Vitamin A, which is equivalent to about 25% of recommended daily allowance.

These vitamins and other nutrients provide a powerful antioxidant function.

Vitamin A is also important for vision and for maintaining healthy skin and mucus membranes. 

Fresh mango is an excellent source of potassium with 100 g of fresh pulp yielding 156 mg of potassium and low amounts of sodium (2mg).

Potassium is important in balancing the sodium in body fluids and the blood and helps maintain blood pressure and heart functions.

Mango is an excellent source of vitamin-C, vitamin-E and vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine).

It also rich in many minerals such as copper (12% of daily allowance), iron and magnesium.

Mangoes have moderate levels of fiber, but very low levels of fat and cholesterol.

Like papaya, mangoes have enzymes that break protein and can enhance the tenderizing function of marinades.

Green mango can be juiced, mixed with ice and water to provide a refreshing summer drink.

Nutritional Facts for 100 g of Fresh Mango Pulp

Serving 100 g
Nutrient Value
% Recommended Daily Allowance
Energy
63 Cal
4%
Carbohydrates
17 g
13%
Protein
0.5 g
1%
Total Fat
0.27 g
1%
Cholesterol
0 mg
0%
Dietary Fiber
1.80 g
4%
Vitamins
 
 
Folates
14 mcg
3%
Niacin
0.58 mg
3%
Pantothenic acid
0.16 mg
1%
Pyridoxine (vit B-6)
0.13 mg
10%
Riboflavin
0.06 mg
4%
Thiamin
0.06 mg
5%
Vitamin C
27.7 mg
46%
Vitamin A
765 IU
26%
Vitamin E
1.12 mg
7%
Vitamin K
4.2 mcg
3%
Electrolytes
 
 
Sodium
2 mg
0%
Potassium
156 mg
3%
Minerals
 
 
Calcium
10 mg
1%
Copper
0.11 mg
12%
Iron
0.13 mg
2%
Magnesium
9 mg
2%
Manganese
0.03 mg
1%
Zinc
0.04 mg
0%
Phyto-nutrients
 
 
Carotene-beta
445 mcg
--
Carotene-alpha
17 mcg
--
Crypto-xanthin
11 mcg
--
Lutein-zeaxanthin
0 mcg
--
Lycopene
0 mcg
--

Calories per 100 g for a Variety of Fruits (Lowest to Highest)

Fruit - Serving 100 g
Calories (Cal)
Black currants
28
Watermelon
30
Grapefruit
30
Star fruit (Carambola)
31
Babaco 
31
Strawberries
32
Salak
32
Cantaloupe
34
Honeydew
36
Musk Melon  
36
Huckleberry
37
Plumello
38
Peaches
39
Papaya
39
Prickly Pear
41
Blackberries
43
Mulberries
43
Nectarine Orange
44
Gooseberries
44
jaboticaba
45
Plum
46
Cranberries
46
Amazon Tree-Grape
46
Loquats
47
Clementine Orange
47
Tangelo Orange
47
Salmon berries
47
Apricot
48
Fejioa
49
Navel Orange
49
Pineapple
50
Boysenberry
50
Mandarin Orange
50
Cloudberries
51
rose apple (Wax jambu, makopa or java apple)
52
Apple
52
Raspberry
52
Tangerine Orange
53
Calamondin
53
Logan Berries
55
Mammee Apple
55
Currents
56
Pluot (plumcot)
56
Blueberries
57
Quince
57
Pears
58
Longan
60
Dragon fruit
60
Ice cream bean
60
Gold kiwi
60
Cherries
63
Marang
63
Mangosteen
63
<<< Mango >>>
63
Lychee
66
Soursop
66
Grapes
67
Star apple
67
Rambutan
68
Guavas
68
Strawberry guava 
69
Persimmons
70
Kumquat
71
Cupuacu
72
Crab Apple
73
Elderberries
73
Figs
74
Red Mombin  
74
Cherimoya
75
Pomegranate
77
Jujube
79
Atemoya
80
Melon pear
80
Chempedak
81
Sapodillas (Chikoo, Sapota)
83
Bananas, Cavendish
89
Jackfruit
94
Sugar-Apple (Sweetsop)
94
Abiu
95
Passion fruit (Grandilla)
97
Cempedak
98
Custard Apple (Bullock’s heart)
101
Breadfruit
103
Rowal
111
Plantain
122
Pawpaw
124
Sapote
135
Abiu
140
Canistel ( Egg-fruit, Yellow Sapote, Khamen, Khe maa)
140
Fresh Lucuma
143
Durian
147
Akee
152
Ambarella (Ambra)
157
Avocado Really fatty fruit
160
Monstera Deliciouso
229
Tamarind
239
Dates
277
Velvet Apple (Mabolo)
504

Medicinal Benefits of Mangoes

Research studies have shown that mangoes can play an important role in weight loss, dieting, obesity and diabetes.

Studies with mice showed that including mango in the diet lowered body fat and also lowered blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

Mango was shown to lower the concentration of the hormone leptin in the blood.

Leptin plays a key role in regulation of energy balance in the body and appetite, affecting calorie intake and energy expenditure.

Mice on high fat diets showed lower levels of leptin when they were given mango in their diets.

Culinary Uses, Preparation and serving of Mangoes

Always wash mangoes in cold running water before peeling them and removing the pulp from the seed. This is essential to remove dust and dirt and any chemicals such as pesticide residues that may be clinging to the surface. 

The simples way to remove the pulp is to place the mango flat on its widest side and make two cuts up and over the seed. Some flesh can be cut from the middle section that contains the seed. For the other two sections make a series of cuts about 1 cm apart (1/2 inch) length-wise and cross-wise to form a cross-cross pattern. When the section is pushed out the small squares of pulp can be easily removed from the skin.

Mango Serving Tips

Comparison of Mango with Other Common Fruits

The table below compares the nutrients in mangoes with other healthy fruits.

The key points are:

Best Mango Recipes to Try

=> Crispy Coconut Shrimp Batter Recipe, with Yogurt, Mango, Chive Dip

=> Fresh Mango Recipe Collection - Savory Dishes, Sweet Dessert Recipes

=> Indian Mango Lassi Recipes - Sweet, Salty, Spicy, Fruity, Savory Options

Comparison of Nutrients in Mango with Other Fruit ( serving size 100 g)

Serving Size 100 g
Cantaloupe
Mango
Pineapple
Papaya
Orange
Apple
Banana
Kiwi
Calories (Cal)
34
63
49
43
47
52
89
61
Protein (g)
0.84
0.82
0.54
0.47
0.94
0.26
1.09
1.14
Total Fat (g)
0.19
0.37
0.12
0.25
0.12
0.17
0.33
0.52
Total Carbohydrates (g)
8.16
14.89
13.04
10.75
11.75
13.81
22.84
14.67
Dietary Fiber (g)
0.88
1.57
1.45
1.65
2.37
2.42
2.63
3.04
Sugar (g)
7.86
13.58
9.8
7.77
9.35
10.39
12.23
8.99
Vitamins
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vitamin C (mg)
36.75
36.14
47.47
60.51
53.21
4.62
8.73
92.75
Thiamin (mg)
0.04
0.03
0.08
0.02
0.09
0.02
0.03
0.03
Riboflavin (mg)
0.02
0.04
0.03
0.03
0.04
0.03
0.07
0.02
Niacin (mg)
0.73
0.67
0.5
0.35
0.28
0.09
0.67
0.34
Pantothenic Acid (mg)
0.11
0.2
0.21
0.19
0.25
0.06
0.33
0.18
Vitamin B6 (mg)
0.07
0.12
0.11
0.04
0.06
0.04
0.37
0.06
Folate (mcg)
21.25
42.17
18.07
36.71
29.77
2.75
20.34
24.64
Vitamin B12 (mcg)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Vitamin A (IU)
3383
1076
58
944
225
54
64
87
Vitamin E (mg)
0.05
0.89
0.02
0.3
0.18
0.18
0.1
1.46
Vitamin K (mcg)
2.5
4.22
0.72
2.53
0
2.2
0.51
40.29
Minerals
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Calcium (mg)
8.75
10.84
13.25
20.25
39.69
6.04
5.08
33.33
Iron (mg)
0.21
0.16
0.29
0.25
0.1
0.12
0.26
0.3
Magnesium (mg)
12.5
9.64
12.05
20.25
9.92
4.95
27.12
17.39
Phosphorus (mg)
15
14.46
8.43
10.13
13.74
10.99
22.03
33.33
Potassium (mg)
267
167
108
181
180
107
357
311
Sodium (mg)
16.25
1.2
1.2
7.59
0
1.1
0.85
2.9
Zinc (mg)
0.18
0.08
0.12
0.08
0.07
0.04
0.15
0.14
Copper (mg)
0.04
0.11
0.11
0.04
0.05
0.03
0.08
0.13
Manganese (mg)
0.04
0.06
0.92
0.04
0.03
0.04
0.27
0.1
Selenium (mcg)
0.38
0.6
0.12
0.63
0.53
0
1.02
0.14
Fatty Acids
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Saturated Fat (g)
0.05
0.09
0.01
0.08
0.02
0.03
0.11
0.03
Monounsat Fat (g)
0
0.14
0.01
0.07
0.02
0.01
0.03
0.05
Polyunsat Fat (g)
0.08
0.07
0.04
0.06
0.03
0.05
0.07
0.29




Health benefits of mango. Learn more in this article
Health benefits of mango. Learn more in this article. Source: Public Domain
Fresh mangos are so healthy and versatile that should be used more often when in season
Fresh mangos are so healthy and versatile that should be used more often when in season. Source: Public Domain
Learn how to quickly and easily cut the mango flesh away from the seed - see this article to learn how to do it
Learn how to quickly and easily cut the mango flesh away from the seed - see this article to learn how to do it. Source: Public Domain
Fresh mango slices provide a key ingredient for a healthy snack or treat
Fresh mango slices provide a key ingredient for a healthy snack or treat. Source: Public Domain
Mango is an essential ingredient for fuit salad using fresh fruit ingredients
Mango is an essential ingredient for fuit salad using fresh fruit ingredients. Source: Public Domain
The vivid yellow color or mango helps to make mixed fruit plates so attractive at parties and special dinners
The vivid yellow color or mango helps to make mixed fruit plates so attractive at parties and special dinners. Source: Public Domain
Mango should be used more ofter in salads and side dishes for barbecues and picnics
Mango should be used more ofter in salads and side dishes for barbecues and picnics
Mango is a wonderful ingredient or cakes, pie, slices and all sort of baked items
Mango is a wonderful ingredient or cakes, pie, slices and all sort of baked items . Source: Public Domain