Eating mangoes may lower blood sugar, cancer risk

A research reveals the consumption of mangoes may potentially have a positive effect on blood sugar in obese individuals and reduce cancer risk. The study led by Oklahoma State University’s Nutritional Sciences Associate Professor Edralin Lucas examined the effects of daily mango consumption on clinical parameters and body composition in obese subjects. “Mango contains many nutrients and other bioactive compounds that can provide various health benefits aside from what we investigated,” Lucas said. “It is high in fibre, vitamins A and C, as well as other minerals. In addition to the positive effects on body fat, blood lipids and glucose, it is not associated with serious side-effects such as negative effects on bone that is linked with the use of rosiglitazone, a drug commonly used to lower blood sugar.” Blood sugar levels at the conclusion of the study were significantly lower than the baseline in both male and female subjects. These findings are the result of a single study and more research is needed on the effects of mango consumption on human health and reduces the cancer risk. “The results of this study support what we learned in our recent animal model, which found that mango improved blood glucose in mice fed a high fat diet,” said Dr Lucas. “The researches show the mangoes contain a complex mixture of polyphenolic compounds, while several other plants and their polyphenolic compounds, such as isoflavone from soy, epigallocatechin gallate from green tea, and proanthocyanidin from grape seed, have a positive effect on adipose tissue,” the researcher stated. Another research led by Institute for Obesity Research and Program Evaluation of Texas A `n’ M University Assistant Professor and Research Director Susanne Mertens-Talcott examined the effects of polyphenols found in fresh mangos on cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells. This study suggested that mango polyphenols might limit inflammatory response in both cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells. The research was presented at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) in Boston. app