Mango – Benefits and Delicacies
Mango, the king of fruits, is one of the tastiest, nutritious and delicious fruits famous across India, the Philippines, Southeast Asia and some parts of Africa. Mango plants originated in Eastern India and Burma about 4000 years ago. India is the largest producer of mangoes in the world. With the summer in full swing in India especially in the eastern part where I stay; mangoes are adorning the fruit markets of India. It's my favourite fruit too and hence instantly I felt like writing the article “Mango – Benefits and Delicacies”.
Mango Myths
Lord Buddha is said to have meditated beneath a mango tree in an orchard. It is believed that Buddhist monks introduced the fruit first in Eastern Asia, Malaysia. Then it spread to Eastern Africa and Brazil by the Portuguese travellers.
Facts about Mango Trees
Before I talk about Mango – Benefits and Delicacies, let me state some facts about mango trees. Mango trees can grow up to a height of about 65 feet. They are said to bear fruits for almost 300 years if cultivated in well-drained soil and have sufficient ground space for their roots to spread properly. The trees mostly are grown in tropical countries where the soil is rich in pH levels. The fruits take about 3 months to mature from the flowers. They vary in shapes, tastes, sizes, and colours.
Health Benefits
In this section and the subsequent sections, I will now mention in details about Mango – Benefits and Delicacies. Several kinds of research have proved the immense benefits of mango especially because of its nutrient value.
- Reduces indigestion and acute acid problems. The digestive enzymes and the bioactive ingredients present in mangoes aid in improving our digestion capacity. Since mangoes contain dietary fibre and water, common digestive problems like constipation, diarrhoea can be minimized. To treat diarrhoea, it is recommended to consume dried mango leaves.
- Cures Anemia due to the presence of rich content of iron in mangoes. Iron is an essential mineral for increasing the red blood cell count within our body.
- Enhances our body immunity. Beta-carotene, Polyphenols and Vitamin A are the key nutrients in mangoes that uplifts our immunity levels as well as acts as an anti-oxidant for protection against harmful disease-causing organisms. Vitamins B, E, and K present in mangoes are also said to boost immunity.
- Controls diabetes. Well, we tend to believe that mangoes have high sugar content due to their sweetness and hence should be avoided by diabetic patients. But certain researches have proved that due to the presence of a high amount of minerals and vitamins, mangoes tend to control blood sugar levels.
- Scales up our concentration levels and memory capacity due to the presence of Vitamins C and B6. Vitamins contribute to maintaining proper brain functions and enhances memory.
- Contributes to visionary power improvement. Vitamins and anti-oxidants in mangoes protect the eyes from the sun's ultraviolet rays, reduce dryness, support proper functioning of the retina and even prevent night blindness.
- Prevents heart diseases. The numerous minerals and anti-oxidants in mangoes are very effective in lowering blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels. High blood sugar and cholesterol are two fatal reasons for heart ailments. Controlling their levels is very essential for a healthy heart. Some reports also prove that potassium in mangoes helps in controlling hypertension.
- Protects from asthma. Mangoes are rich in Vitamin C, an important nutrient for controlling asthma.
- Regulates the sodium levels in our body thus preventing heat strokes and dehydration. Consumption of mango juice or raw mangoes keeps us energetic and active.
- May assist in preventing cancer. Researches and studies are in progress to prove the benefits of mangoes in preventing the growth of cancer cells. The anti-oxidant and the anti-inflammatory properties of the polyphenols and several other phytochemicals are said to be contributors to eradicating cancer cells growth.
Enhances Beauty
Mangoes contribute immensely in improving our skin and hair.
- Apply mango pulp on your face, commonly affected by acne. This helps in unclogging the pores in the skin and eventually stop acne formation
- Consumption of mangoes in adequate quantities add an extra glow to your skin
- Prevents wrinkle formation, a concern faced by many with increasing age.
- Increases hair growth since it prevents dryness in our scalp
- Vitamins presence protects the skin from the sun radiance
- Anti-oxidants in mangoes prevents hair follicles from damage, thus keeping our hair grow strong and healthy
- Helps to treat dandruff, a common issue in countries with dry and humid weather
Mango Delicacies
The lip-smacking taste of mangoes has lead to the discovery of many tasty food recipes. They can be easily prepared at home and is one of the favourite members of our fruit basket during the summer season.
Mango Juice
A very simple and easy one to make in our home with a juicer. You need only mango pulp and ice.
Mango Smoothie
Mix mango, yogurt or curd, milk, ice, and little bit honey to prepare the smoothie.
Mango Lassi
Similar to the smoothie, only leave out the milk and honey. Add cardamom powder for the extra pungent taste.
Mango Banana or Strawberry Smoothie
Mix the mango pulp with chopped bananas or chopped strawberries and milk. Your mouthwatering smoothie will be ready with the creamy bananas or the reddish strawberries.
Mango Milkshake
Mix mango pulp with milk and blend it in a juicer mixer to prepare the milkshake within a jiffy.
Mango Mousse
Add layers of mango puree and cream in a glass and refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours. You can garnish the mousse with strawberries or blueberries.
Mango Icecream
The essential ingredients are whipped cream, mango pulp, vanilla essence or powder and sugar. The mixture needs to be refrigerated for sufficiently long for the ice cream.
Green Mango drink (Aam Panna in colloquial Indian language)
A very popular drink during the summers for a cooling effect. It has additional benefits in hydrating the body sufficiently preventing dryness and heat strokes. It is prepared with raw mango pulp, cumin powder, and mint leaves.
Raw mango pickle (chutney in colloquial Indian language)
Pickles are a very common side dish across India. Some are made tangy, some are made spicy and some are made sweet. It is a common kitchen member in Indian households.
There are beliefs that mango means “Life”. Its luscious taste intertwined with its innumerable benefits lures us. Kitchens during the summer season, especially in India, are dominated by the King of Fruits.
I hope I was able to provide you with sufficient and detailed information on Mango – Benefits and Delicacies. So friends what are you waiting for, enjoy your summers with mangoes and relish your taste buds?
Author
Kuntala
A travel enthusiast craving to explore the exotic destinations in the world, deciphering the mysteries and the thrill concealed in them.
Well, this is awesome! I love mango. I eat it almost every day. I’m so glad to know that I’m actually doing something that’s good for me, too!
Me too love mangoes and they are excellent for health
I love mangoes! Mango smoothies are incredible. I like adding pineapple to mine. I had no idea the skin benefits that mangoes have. Especially, the putting pulp on your face for acne tip! Thanks for sharing.
That sounds yummy mango and pineapple
I did not know mangoes had so many health benefits. This makes me so happy because I thought they were too sugary to have every day or every other day. They have officially been added to my daily diet. Thank you for the info!
Glad the article was useful to you
We eat mangoes ALL THE TIME. I had no idea they had so many benefits.
Its a truly beneficial fruit
Mangos are one of my daughter’s favorite foods. We love making mango lassis!
wow great and mango milkshake
Mango is something I only eat occasionally, but now that I know how healthy it is I’ll eat more of it. Thanks for sharing.
In Italy the mango is found but not so trivially and I must say that I especially appreciate it accompanied by peach!
Thats great
We love mangoes here in the Philippines. It’s good to know all of those fun facts about mangoes that you’ve listed.
Yup truly interesting
I love mango! We have a tree behind my grandparents house and always get fresh mangos. I did not know it was so beneficial, but I am glad I enjoy it.
Wow thats great, we too had two huge trees at the place where my father worked. But now sadly we have moved from there and have to rely on the grocery shop.
I love mangos etc but it’s hard to get them fresh here. While we do have them, they just aren’t the same and have usually travelled quite far. But I do love frozen mango.
Oh hope you get some fresh ones.
Clearly, I need to start eating more mango! I didn’t realize that there were so many benefits.
Its tasty and beneficial.
I love mangoes! They’re one of my absolute favorite fruits.
Mine too, one of my favourites
I so love this post! I always have mangoes here at home lately. Most especially that I have decided to keep healthier snacks or desserts over junk and too much refined sugar. I did not know that I can actually use it for my face.
Its pulp is very useful, truly
I love mangoes! They’re one of my favorite fruits. I hope I could try Indian mangoes soon.
Yup sure you must try
I love mango! the taste is awesome, I am glad to find out there is such more than just the taste
Me too love mangoes a lot
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Indeed, there are lots of benefits of mangos. This is my favorite fruit, I could eat it everyday
What an informative post about mangoes and as someone who loves mangoes, I can totally agree to those. It has plenty of benefits as well.
Awesome Recipee and perfect for the Summer!!
Thank You for sharing this amazing blog , i always love your blogs