MANGO AND ITS BENEFITS

MANGO AND ITS BENEFITS

Mango is, above all, a fruit with a great antioxidant power, because it has significant amounts of the 3 most important antiradical free nutrients: vitamins C and E and beta-carotene (provitamin A).

Fruit of the tree Mangifera indica, from the same botanical family as the cashew and pistachio, is native to the region at the foot of the Himalayas, in northwestern India, although it found fertile soil throughout Southeast Asia, where it is grown for more than 4,000 years. From there it has spread to all the warm areas of the planet in the hands of Buddhist monks and Persian, Portuguese, Spanish and English merchants.

Almost all languages   have incorporated into their vocabulary a derivation of the Tamil (language of Southeast India) "mangkay", which the Portuguese transformed into "manga" and the English into "mango". However, in India it is known by the Hindi term "aam", which means "common".

National Fruit of India
It is not strange, because it is a ubiquitous fruit in the subcontinent, where as many mangoes are produced as the rest of the fruit together.

It is estimated that India produces two thirds of the world's mangoes, about 14 million tons per year. It is therefore the national fruit and is linked to a thousand and one legends.

Mango Properties
The mango stands out for the set of nutrients and antioxidant substances that are found in its composition.

Vitamins C and A
A single piece of 200 g provides the recommended daily amount of vitamin C (about 60 mg) and 60% of vitamin A, in the form of beta-carotene. Mango is one of the most important sources of this nutrient.

Fruit rich in Vitamin E
Although vitamin E, one of the most effective antioxidants and heart protectors, is usually found in fatty foods, mango has an extraordinary amount in the case of a fruit. A piece of 200 g provides 2.3 g, that is, 23% percent of the recommended daily amount.

Provides Magnesium and Potassium
Regarding its mineral content, the proportions of magnesium and potassium stand out (in both cases, a mango provides 10% of daily needs).

Contains depurative acids
In addition to nutrients, mango provides other substances with beneficial effects on health. Tartaric and malic acids help counteract the effect of acidic metabolic waste.

Mango And Its Benefits

The peculiar composition of mango prevents degenerative diseases, especially cardiac disorders, cancer and diabetes (it is rich in carbohydrates, but does not provide as many calories as its sweet taste may suggest: 100 g contain only 65 calories with a good fiber dose).

1. Protects the Skin and Mucous Membranes
Due to its content of beta-carotene it is useful to protect the skin, mucous membranes, eyes and heart against the action of free radicals.

2. Keeps bones and muscles in shape
The combination of magnesium and potassium makes the mango is indicated to keep in good shape the musculoskeletal system, prevents from osteoporosis to muscle cramps.

These minerals also participate in the control of blood pressure, promote the elimination of fluids and the proper functioning of the kidneys.

3. Alkalizes and Fluidity the Blood
The weak organic acids that the mango contributes, once assimilated in the organism, combine with minerals and give rise to salts that have the capacity to fluidize and alkalize the blood.

4. It Favors The Assimilation of Nutrients
It also has enzymes with properties similar to those of the papain of the papayas or the bromelain of the pineapples.

These enzymes promote the assimilation of macronutrients and are partly responsible for the mango being so easy to digest, that it is said to "soften" and "purify" the stomach and intestines. That is why it is recommended to all people suffering from digestive problems.

5. Stimulate The Defenses
The antioxidant minerals and vitamins, along with the phenolic compounds, help the immune system to prevent and fight against diseases.

Quercetin, isoquercetin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgalact have antioxidant effects.

6. Effects of Fiber
Mango, like all fruits in general, also provides a significant dose of fiber, which helps prevent certain types of cancer, such as digestive, prevents constipation and lowers bad cholesterol, which protects the heart and circulatory system.

The Handle In The Kitchen
Describing the taste of mango is difficult. Juan Mari Arzak has said that its aroma is bittersweet and its taste resinous.

For the Basque chef, "mango pulp, orange yellow, is fondante, juicy, soft and refreshing, has a sweetness not syrupy and a perfume, especially if it is very ripe, really intoxicating."

It is therefore a fruit that is savored by the mouth and nose, and also has a complex and long aftertaste.

Mango Varieties
In the world there are more than 40 species of mango and a number of varieties that reaches the thousand. But food multinationals have privileged a few, the most resistant to pests and appreciated by the taste of Westerners.

If the mango is still green it can ripen slowly in the refrigerator at 12 degrees for one or two weeks. It can also be kept at room temperature for a few days or put inside a paper bag to accelerate ripening.

The ripe mango is characterized by its pleasant aroma and because pressing a little is not completely firm or soft. One way to know the state of maturation is to leave the fruit in water: if it sinks it is ripe and if it is not green.

Color is not a general indicator, it depends on the variety: some continue green when ripe, while others are yellow, orange or blue.