Mango is a tree fruit native to southern Asia that has a cultivation history more than 4,000 years old. The mango fruit looks somewhat like a kidney. Beneath its inedible leathery rind is a sweet, juicy, orange-colored fibrous flesh. The pit is almost as wide and long as the fruit itself. Mango's assorted nutrients can contribute to good health.
Vitamins
Mangoes have 12 different vitamins in concentrations that range from 3 percent to 36 percent of the recommended dietary intake, as established by the Food and Nutrition Board for vitamins and minerals. In general, vitamins promote your physical growth and cognitive development. Vitamins A, B-6 and folate, or vitamin B-9, are the most plentiful in mangoes. Vitamin A keeps your skin, teeth, bones and tissue healthy. The nutrient is also essential for acute vision. The pigment that gives mango fruit its orange color is a carotenoid, an antioxidant and a precursor of vitamin A. Antioxidants neutralize molecules known as free radicals that form during digestion. They can damage cells and cause disease if antioxidants do not stop them. Folate and vitamin B-6 are part of the B complex vitamins, which control enzyme function during digestion so that food gets broken down into energy. Vitamin B-6 also strengthens the activities of your nervous and immune systems, and it helps to keep your body well supplied with red blood cells. Folate supports production of DNA.
Minerals
Although mangoes supply macro and trace minerals, the fruit is a better source of the latter as far as percentages go. Macrominerals are substances your body needs in large quantity. Calcium, for instance, is a macromineral, but only 2 percent of the recommended dietary intake is available in 1 cup of mango. At 9 percent of the recommended daily serving, copper is the most plentiful trace mineral in mango fruit. As the name indicates, your body needs just a hint of trace minerals in your bloodstream. Copper collaborates with iron, another trace mineral, to produce red blood cells. The nutrient also keeps your blood vessels toned and your immune and nervous systems functioning smoothly. Potassium represents the largest macromineral concentration in mangoes, at 6 percent per cup. Potassium is vital for heart, kidney, nerve and digestive health.
Amino Acids
Amino acids occur as essential and nonessential nutrients, and mangoes have both types. Your body needs essential amino acids all the time, but it is not able to produce them. You need to eat the foods that provide the nutrients. On the other hand, your body produces nonessential amino acids, which it only uses in certain situations. Amino acids are the parts that form a protein. A complete protein has all of the existing amino acids, all of which you find in the mango fruit.
Carbohydrates and Fiber
Carbohydrates are sugar compounds that your body breaks down to use for energy. Mangoes contain three different types of sugar: sucrose, glucose and fructose. The fruit also provides 11 percent of the recommended intake of dietary fiber. The enzymes your body produces cannot break down fiber. The material binds to waste matter created during digestion, building bulk and helping to push the toxins out of your body.
Member Comments