Mangos taste so good that people forget they are also healthy!  Discover how the “king of fruits” can help you, plus why monkeys eat mango seeds 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 help clear clogged pores and eliminate pimples.

4.  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.

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. May Help with Diabetes: 

Mango leaves help normalize insulin levels in the blood. The traditional home remedyinvolves 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.

7. 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 generalization on rat studies, further research has shown balanced proper amounts (from whole foods) does help.

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. 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.

10. 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.

Nutrition by the Numbers
One cup (225 grams 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

How to Prepare a Raw Mango For Fancy and Practical Eating

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 too deep through the 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.

This Mango Mud Mask

has all the benefits of mango plus the exfoliating benefits of oatmeal and almonds.

Internally:
When eaten, mangos can aid in reducing skin problems, including pimples. Extract the large pit or seed from green mangos. 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 eat the seed from the green mango, which Ayurvedic healers suggest gives the monkey its energy and powerful strength to jump in the tress.

Cautions:

1. If you have a latex allergy, a reaction is possible with mangos, particularly green mangos. This reaction develops because of anacardic acid.
2. Mango peel and sap contain urushiol, the chemical in poison ivy and poison sumac which can cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals.
3. 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, wash them properly before consuming or soak overnight in water.

Mango Recipes:

Healthy and Refreshing Mango Yogurt Dessert

Eggplant and Mango Soba Noodles

Tropical Mango Banana Pie

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written by Randy Fritz