How we all love mangoes; in fact, there must be very few people who don’t! Sometimes when eating a mango, we dream of tropical islands and relishing the fruits of the island. The magnificent mango not only just tastes sweet like honey, and is full of sweet nectar to relish on a hot sunny day, but it is packed with powerful nutrients and enzymes to benefit your health tremendously. It would make sense that the mango is known as the King of Fruits – it’s hard to imagine that there is another fruit that can top it for sheer delight, and then still to be oozing with health benefits – in fact, dried mango strips as a snack is like eating candy! With drying, mangoes are dried naturally, enabling them to have a long shelf life after the moisture has been eliminated.
Other forms of mangoes
Ha, ha, no, you mustn’t confuse this fruit with the beautiful tropical hummingbird that also has the name of mango! The mango we are talking about has often been said to taste like a cross between a pineapple and a peach, so its taste very tropical – in fact, the mango is noted to be the most widely eaten fruit in the world! In India, if you give someone a basket of mangoes, you are offering friendship.
Glowing health benefits
Dried and fresh mangoes are very healthy as far as Ayurvedic medicine goes; they are thought to promote proper elimination, to create moisture in the body, and to soothe a sore throat. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, mangoes strengthen digestion, ease coughing, and build up bodily fluids. The mango nourishes the qi in the body, the vital energy force of the organs.
Nutritional facts about dried mangoes
Manganese, Mn 10 mg (434.78%)
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 42.3 mg (47.00%)
Carbohydrate 78.58 g (60.45%)
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 4.02 mg (26.80%)
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 0.334 mg (25.69%)
Copper, Cu 0.3 mg (33.33%)
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 68 µg (17.00%)
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 2 mg (12.50%)
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 13.2 µg (11.00%)
Sodium, Na 162 mg (10.80%)
Being so nutritious, a mango has health benefits
Mango lowers blood sugar level
One study found that when you supplement your diet with mango for 12 weeks, you can significantly lower your blood sugar levels. Mango also regulates blood pressure. Mangoes are rich in potassium and magnesium which are two vital nutrients to regulate blood pressure.
Mangoes boost the brain
Mangoes are considered one of the best brain foods as they are full of vitamin B5, essential for the proper functioning of the brain. Some research shows that if you have a deficiency of this vitamin it contributes to neurological decline and impaired cognitive function.
Supports strong bones
Mangoes have plenty of vitamin K which is important for bone metabolism and to maintain calcium in the bone tissue. A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that vitamin K deficiency can be associated with low bone density and the risk of fracturing bones is increased.
Combats growth of cancer cells
That’s good news! This is because mangoes have large amounts of pectin in them, like an apple. Pectin is a type of soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol levels in the blood and also reduces the risk of heart disease as well.
Boosts the immune system
As the immune system is your body’s first line of defense against disease, mangoes, with all their top vitamins, and particularly vitamin C, support a healthy immune system to keep illness and infection away.
Digestive health is improved
There are three grams of fiber in a cup of fresh or shredded dried mango which is excellent for the digestive tract. Fiber helps to add bulk to the stools which is great for those who suffer from digestive problems.
Good for vision
Dried mangoes have plenty of vitamin A in them. In fact, when your body is deficient in vitamin A, you can even suffer from blindness and an inability to see certain colors. Vitamin A is particularly forthcoming in the yellow and orange veggies and fruits so mango is a rich source of vitamin A.
What about the mango skin?
Some people say they eat the mango skin; some say they will never as it doesn’t have the same flavor as the fruit. But mango skin is edible, yes. It is packed with vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber. People who eat the skin can also develop allergies such as itching or the skin swells, and burning as well. Rather avoid eating the skins, but if you want to eat the skins and even dry them with your dried mango, see what you think. If you choose not to eat the fruit with the skin on, you still are getting in all the nutrients of the fresh fruit, it’s up to you.
Are there any risks and side effects?
Although there are plenty of benefits of mango, there are a couple of downsides too. Mangoes are in the same family as pistachios or cashews. This means that if you have an allergy to the nuts, you could well have an allergy to mangos and should consider this. Mango is also in the same botanical family as poison ivy which means the rind and sap of the mango fruit contains urushiol. This oil causes the poisonous ivy rash.
Want to dry your own mangoes?
Mangoes rank as one of the sweetest when it comes to fruits, and dried mango is just as delicious as eating candy. A fresh mango to eat is delicious but when it’s dried, it is even sweeter and more convenient to eat. They are so packed with nutrients that it makes sense that they have been an imperative food in traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine for well over 4000 years. Dried mangoes are even used as a folk remedy for inflammation, lowering blood sugar, and boosting the immune system.
Try this dry mango smoothie recipe:
o 100g of dried mango – soak in 200ml of hot water
o 700 ml of mil
o 200ml Greek yogurt
o 1-Tablespoon honey
o Some ice cubes
Take the soaked mangoes and the water they were lying in into a food processor together with 100ml of the milk. Blend this up until very smooth. Next, add the yogurt, honey, rest of the milk, plus the ice cubes. Blend these very well and until the ice is crushed. Serve immediately.
