Make Ours A Mango Smoothie: Why Mangoes Are The New Superfood
Magnificent mangoes have been found to boost gut bacteria [Photo: pixabay.com]
Scooch over goji berries, there’s a new fruit on the superfood block and scientists believe it could be just as beneficial to health. New research claims that mangoes have been found to boost gut bacteria, which can help stop obesity and ward off type 2 diabetes.
Scientists at Oklahoma State University have studied how regularly getting a mango fix impacts health and found that it can prevent the loss of beneficial gut bacteria which can be caused by a high-fat diet.
They claim the specific bacteria in the intestinal tract may play a role in obesity and obesity-related complications, such as Type 2 diabetes.
For the study, the researchers put 60 mice in one of four dietary treatment groups for 12 weeks. This included a control group where 10 per cent of calories consumed were from fat, a high fat group where 60 per cent of calories were from fat, or a high fat diet where one or 10 per cent of it was mango.
Mangoes are the new superfood [Photo: pixabay.com]
All high-fat diets had similar macronutrient, calcium, phosphorus, and fibre content.
When samples were compared from the beginning to the end of the study period, those which were supplemented with mango lost the least beneficial gut bacteria.
“Mango is a good source of fibre and has been reported in previous studies to have anti-obesogenic, hypoglycemic and immunomodulatory properties,” said Professor Edralin Lucas.
“The results of this animal study showed that adding mango to the diet may help maintain and regulate gut health and levels of beneficial bacteria levels.”
The research, published in the Journal of Nutrition, was commissioned by the National Mango Board which promotes consumption of the fruit in the US.
Make ours a mango smoothie [Photo: pixabay.com]
The latest study adds to the growing evidence of the tropical fruit’s health boosting benefits. Not only does it contain over 20 different vitamins and minerals it also provides a good source of fibre and contains compounds which exhibit anti-inflammatory activities which can aid digestion.
On the downside (isn’t there always a downside?), mangoes have a relatively high sugar content, so while a mango a day could well help keep the doctor away, any more than that and the sugary negatives may well outweigh the fruit’s plus points.
But still, mango smoothie anyone?
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