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More Mangos For Hearty Health

Mango - The King of Fruits

Mango – The King of Fruits

The mango has long been called the “king of fruits” for its combination of taste, aroma and health promoting properties. Eating a mango will get you all of the major vitamins and minerals along with a good dose of healthy fiber and phytonutrients. Unripe mango is very tart, so choose ripe fruit whose skin has changed from green to yellow or red. The ripest fruit will also usually contain the most nutrients. Mango can be a delicious part of any healthy whole food diet.

Although there are more than 1,000 varieties of mango, only 4-5 types are usually found in the U.S. Try different kinds of mangos when you see them to find out which you like best. My personal favorite is the small, golden “honey mango”. Mangos are closely related to several other fruiting trees including cashews.

Ripe mangos are yellow or red on the outside and rich golden yellow in the inside.

Ripe mangos are yellow or red on the outside and rich golden yellow in the inside.

There are many health benefits from eating mango:

*Mango alters fat metabolism and controls blood glucose levels to prevent the body from storing calories as body fat. Mango does this as effectively as some common prescription drugs. And there are never side effects from eating mango.

*Mango provides high levels of prebiotic compounds to keep good gut bacteria happy and healthy. Good gut bacteria can prevent problems like irritable bowel syndrome. These bacteria can also keep pathogens in check by out-competing them for resources and preventing them from becoming established in our bodies.

*Several compounds proven to suppress cancer cells are present in mango.

*Like several other tropical fruits such as pineapple and papaya, mango contains and enzyme that aids digestion.

*The many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in mango aid and strengthen the immune system.

*Eating mango can help to lower high blood cholesterol levels.

*Mango helps the brain form calming neurotransmitters.

Cut mango is ready to eat.

Cut mango is ready to eat.

Mangos originated on the plains below the Himalayan mountains. This fruit has been domesticated for more than 4,000 years. It is now grown in most tropical and sub-tropical areas around the world. Mangos might be the most widely eaten fresh fruit on the planet and are especially popular in India.

The following links were used for source material and I encourage you to explore the mango further for yourself:

http://www.medindia.net/news/mango-and-grapes-are-healthy-for-the-gut-81673-1.htm

http://www.fruitsinfo.com/mango-health-benefits-nutrition-values.php

http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/mango-health-benefits.htm

http://humansciences.okstate.edu/nsci/index.php/component/content/article/1-latest/56-nsci-research-finds-health-benefits-in-mangos

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/mango-fruit.html

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-health-benefits-of-mangos.html