Two new clinical trials have countered conventional dietary wisdom by revealing that eating mango instead of carbohydrates like bread can improve blood sugar levels for type 2 diabetes.
Around 830 million people have diabetes across the world, the World Health Organisation has said, with 90 per cent diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, meaning the body has become resistant or doesn’t produce enough insulin.
In India, this amounts to an estimated 77 million adults, while another 25 million are prediabetic. Speaking to the BBC, one Mumbai-based diabetologist said he frequently gets asked if patients can eat mangoes, a fruit that is central to Indian life.
“Mangoes, with their rich sweetness and diverse varieties, are a staple of Indian summers, and it’s understandable why people want to indulge,” says Rahul Baxi.
However, there are a number of misconceptions with some believing mangoes should be strictly avoided, while others think the fruit might “reverse diabetes”.
A pilot study involving 95 participants found that three Indian mango varieties, the Safeda, Dasheri and Langra, produced similar or lower glycemic responses than white bread over two hours of glucose testing.
A glycemic response refers to how a food or meal affects your blood sugar (glucose) levels after you eat it.
Over a period of three days, continuous monitoring of people with and without type 2 diabetes found that post-meal sugar fluctuations were significantly smaller when swapping bread for a mango.
Experts say this could be beneficial to the body, with Dr Sugandha Keha, the author of both studies, stating: “These studies show that within prescribed diets, consumption of mangoes are not detrimental to blood glucose and may even be beneficial.”
A second week trial reinforced these findings, finding that the 35 adults with type 2 diabetes who replaced bread with 250g of mango showed improvements in their insulin resistance, fasting glucose, weight and waist circumference among other positive outcomes.
“We showed the benefits of small doses of mangoes in place of carbohydrates (bread) in breakfast in two detailed studies for the first time, laying to rest all speculations regarding adverse metabolic effects of its consumption,” says Prof Anoop Misra, senior author and study lead.
“But the key is moderation and clinical supervision – this is not a licence for unlimited mango feasts.”
In India, mangoes occupy cultural, social and even diplomatic influence and are a feature of everyday life. There are over 1,000 varieties grown across the country, while baskets of mangoes are often given to visiting dignitaries as a sign of welcome and respect.
In terms of moderation, it is advised that any mango should be part of a person’s daily limit of calories.
“If your daily limit is 1,600 calories, any calories from mango should be part of that total, not extra. A 250g mango – about one small fruit – has roughly 180 calories. As in the study, you’d replace an equivalent amount of carbs with mango to get the same results,” Professor Misra said.
