Are you wondering if it’s still ok to eat fruit when you have diabetes: this blog is for you! We’ll cover the health benefits of mango and answer your burning question: is mango a good fit if you have diabetes? Let’s dive in!
Check out the nutritional benefits of this tropical fruit and the glycemic index
This incredible tropical fruit is not only good for diabetes, but it is also replete with nutrients and bioactive components to improve your health. In this article, you will learn about the health benefits of mangoes and the delicious ways you can add mango to your diet.
Carbohydrates in Mango: too sweet to eat?
People with diabetes often believe that the sweeter the fruit, the higher the blood glucose spike results will be. As a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist, I am happy to report that this is inaccurate. The blood glucose response is the result of many different factors and two of them are:
- How much carbohydrate you eat and (ie – the total serving)
- How much of your own insulin (or injected insulin) is available to process the amount of carbohydrate you ate
Your blood sugar response has nothing to do with the sweetness of the fruit. Shocking, right? It has to do with the amount of carbohydrate in the fruit and that is usually based on the amount of food you eat.
How many carbs are in mango?
A ½ small mango weighing 3 3/4 ounces, about the size of a baseball, has
- 60 calories,
- 15 grams of carbohydrates
- 2 grams of fiber
- 0 grams of protein and fat.
The type of carbohydrate in mangoes changes according to its maturity. Ripe mango has naturally occurring sugar and unripe mango has starch and pectin.
Are you concerned that the sweetness of the mango will spike your blood glucose? You are not alone. Eliminating fruits from your diet is not the answer. Finding the portions that work with you and keep your blood glucose within target levels is key. If you want to know about how fast blood glucose rises, check out the glycemic index of foods next.
Mango Glycemic Index
Glycemic Index is a measure of how quickly blood glucose rises after eating a food that contains carbohydrates. The glycemic index ranks on a scale from 1 to 100. The lower numbers are associated with a slower and steady rise in blood glucose and the higher numbers are associated with a fast spike in blood glucose.
The glycemic index of mango ranges from 31-60. These are some of the reasons why the glycemic index values differ:
- Mangoes are grown in different countries: Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, India, and Australia.
- Most of the mangoes eaten in the United States are grown in Mexico. The glycemic index of Mexican mangos are between 33-43
- The glycemic index changes depending whether the fruit is green or ripe. It is usually lower when the fruit is green and higher when it is ripe. The value of 60 is when the mango was fully ripened.
- How the food is prepared (cooking, freezing, and thawing) alters the glycemic index. These may lower or raise the glycemic index.
- Rather than just focusing on the glycemic index, focus on the glycemic load, which considers the portion of the food you are going to eat.
Mango is Anti-inflammatory
According to various clinical studies, eating mangoes:
- Decreased inflammation
- Decreased systolic (top number) blood pressure
Mango is a whole food source of gallotanins, a powerful polyphenol. Polyphenols are substances in plants that safeguard against disease. Gallotanins have an overall anti-inflammatory effect that protects against heart disease, arthritis and certain types of cancer.
While some people discard the peel, some people do not. Certain mango varieties have soft peels that can be eaten. It is not harmful to eat the mango peel. The mango peel has the highest polyphenol content than the mango pulp does .
Is Mango Good for Diabetes?
In one study, a serving of mango had a lower glycemic response than white bread in both persons with diabetes and persons with obesity.
In other studies, mangoes:
The Nutritional Benefits of Mango
Fruit – including mango – are more than just carbs! There are many nutrients in mangos that promote your health. The mango pulp is also a good source of micronutrients, including calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, and vitamins (vitamins C and A).
Twenty vitamins and minerals place mango in the superfruit category. Just one ¾ cup of mango provides daily needs:
- 8% vitamin A (role in vision and skin health and enhance immune function)
- 8% vitamin B6 (role in brain development. Support in immune function. Maintains normal blood glucose.)
- 50% vitamin C (helps protect cells from damage. Supports wound healing. Helps absorb iron.)
- 20% copper (Helps maintain the nervous system and immune systems and activates genes. Makes energy, connective tissues and blood vessels.)
- 18% folate (make DNA and other genetic material)
Mango and Protein
Compared with carbohydrates, a ½ small mango contains less than 1 gram of protein. The amount of protein varies depending on the region where mango has been cultivated. The highest to lowest protein content can be found in
- Peru – mango contains 1.5 -5.5% of protein
- Java – mango contains 1-2% of protein
- India – mango contains 0.5-1% of protein
- Colombia- mango contains 0-0.6% of protein
Most U.S. mango imports come from Mexico and the rest comes from Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala, and Haiti.
How to pick a perfect mango: Unripe Mango or Ripe Mango
Do you know you can eat unripe and ripe mangoes? I was born in Cartagena, Colombia, in a neighborhood called Manga which was replete with mango trees. Some mangoes were yellow with greenish freckles, small and round called “sugar mangoes.” Their skin was soft and thin and we often ate the pulp and the peel with abandon leaving us with sticky hands, fingers and a dried seed after sucking out all the juice from the sweet sugar mango.
Other times, the unripe mango was cut in slices resembling french fries and drizzled with lime and salt. Nothing better than the puckering taste of a tangy mango. In Mexico, mango is sprinkled with Tajin (mild blend of chili peppers, lime, and salt) or chili powder.
The perfect mango is the one you enjoy, whether it is ripe or unripe.
If you enjoy unripe mango,
- Select a hard mango. It should feel as if you were touching a watermelon.
- Select one that has mostly green peel with very little blemishes
- Peel the skin
- Optional: Add lime or lemon juice, salt or chile powder to taste
If you enjoy ripe mango
- Select a mango with soft skin
- Avoid skin that feels squishy or looks moldy
- Smell the mango. It should smell sweet and fragrant.
- Select mangos that feel firm and not too soft. It should yield to thumb pressure.
Mango serving suggestions
You can eat mangoes alone or you can add them to:
- Yogurt with chopped nuts
- Oatmeal with chia seeds and walnuts
- Milk to make a smoothie
Mangoes can be:
- Cooked with sweetener, cinnamon, vanilla extract and served with mozzarella cheese as a dessert.
- Chopped and sliced and added to salsas and salads
Here are other ways to cut and slice mangoes.
Summary
Eating fruit has been associated with overall improvement in health, reduction in weight, improvement in blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes prevention. Studies show that eating mango has beneficial effects in overall health. Although mango has carbohydrates, moderate serving of mango along with a nutrient-rich diet will help you keep your blood glucose in check.
Need help managing your diabetes?
If you want to learn about how food fits and how to make adjustments to keep your blood glucose in range, check out my program On the Plate! Eating to Keep your Blood Glucose in Check
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