Is Mango Good for Weight Loss? Let’s Find Out.
Written by Nishant Garund
Medically Reviewed by
Dr.Varuni Agarwal
Dr. Varuni Agarwal is an esteemed Ayurvedic physician specializing in
diagnosing diseases through Ayurvedic dosha imbalances and providing personalized treatments. She
focuses on ahara (diet) and vihara (lifestyle) to manage and heal various ailments.
Is mango good for weight loss? :Mango is the king of all fruits for a reason. Almost every one of us likes to eat mangoes. Deliciousness is not the only quality mango has. Mangoes are also rich in vitamins and minerals.
Mangoes are often misinterpreted as being unhealthy. Especially if you’re on a weight-loss journey, you might be advised to avoid mangoes in your diet. In reality, that’s not the case. Mangoes may be one of your many companions on your weight-loss journey. Want to know why and how? Keep reading to learn more about the role of mango in weight loss.
Table of Contents
The role of mango for weight loss
You might be in a dilemma about whether you should eat mango for weight loss or not. If we look into the composition of mangoes, they contain fructose (natural sugars). Many people often avoid mangoes in their diet for weight loss.
Fructose is not as unhealthy as artificially produced crystal sugars. Also, mangoes have vitamins C, A, E, K, B, and minerals like manganese, potassium, etc. They also have a good amount of fibre, which adds to the benefits of eating mangoes for weight loss.
Mango is also low in calorie content. There are less than 100 calories per 150 grammes of mango. The low calorie content of mango helps to maintain a calorie deficit, eventually leading to weight loss.
Instead of eating desserts that are high in sugar, you can resort to eating mangoes. Mangoes are naturally sweet and also low in calories; both factors allow mangoes to be in the healthy category.
Also, mangoes have a good amount of fibre, due to which you can feel full for a longer time after eating mangoes.
Glycemic Index (GI) of mango
The GI of any food indicates the pace at which that particular food item would be digested by a normal human body. It can be fast, slow, or medium accordingly.
The lower the GI, the more time food takes to get digested. Lower-GI foods help you feel fuller for a longer period of time.
The GI of mango lies between 50 and 55 per 200 grams. This lies in the medium category. According to this, it is advised that you can eat mangoes, but within a certain limit. Eating between 1 and 2 mangoes a day is healthy.
The medium GI of mango permits diabetic patients to eat it, but they should avoid eating more than one a day. However, it is always advisable to consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, especially if you’re diabetic.
Mango-related food items to avoid for weight loss
After knowing the answer to this question: Is mango good for weight loss? , you may rush to the market to buy some mangoes. But wait, even after learning that mangoes are healthy and can be one of the many companions in your weight loss journey, you should also be aware of the fact that there are many mango-related products and items available in the market that are not healthy. These items should be avoided by you for weight loss; otherwise, they may result in the opposite. Let’s know about some of them.
Shakes: Mango shakes available in the market or made at home contain sugar. Sometimes, market-available shakes are made from artificial flavouring, making them unhealthy. Sugary and artificial-flavoured shakes may not help with weight loss and are also unhealthy for consumption.
Sweets: Sweets made from mangoes also contain high sugars. Also, they are high in calories, which can affect your overall weight loss journey.
Drinks: The market is flooded with mango-based fruit drinks. The contradictory part is that they miss the fruit in the products. Instead of real mangoes, they use artificial flavoring. Also, the sugars in these drinks are very excessive in quantity.
Instead of these artificially flavoured, sweetened, and processed mango-based products, you can opt for some items or dishes such as homemade aamras (with lesser quantities), smoothies (with no milk), or fresh raw mango itself.
Things to remember before eating mango for weight loss
You should eat only 1 to 2 mangoes a day.
According to Ayurveda, you should eat mangoes only before a meal, not after any meal.
You should not pair up your mango with milk because they both have conflicting chemical properties. Mango has citric acid, and it can spoil the milk.
As the GI of mango is in the medium range (50 to 55 per 200 grams), it can also be eaten by diabetic patients, but in limited amounts. They can eat one mango a day, but not more than that.
Conclusion
Mangoes lie in the healthy food category, as mangoes are naturally sweet and also low in calories. The sugar present in mangoes is fructose, and it is not as unhealthy as crystalized sugars. Also, the low calorie content of mango helps to maintain a calorie deficit. The nutritional value of mangoes plays a key factor in weight loss. Mangoes are rich in vitamins A, C, E, K, and B, and also contain nutrients such as potassium, manganese, etc. The glycemic index of mango is 50 to 55, which is considered medium. Therefore, you can eat mangoes for weight loss, but at a limit. Diabetic patients can also eat mangoes, but it is advisable to eat only one a day.
Thus, it can be said that yes, mango can be helpful in weight management and weight loss journeys, but it is always advisable to consult your nutritionist before making changes to your diet. So next time if you get this question in your mind: Is mango good for weight loss?, you know the answer to it i.e. yes it is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it OK to eat two mangoes a day?
Yes, according to nutritionists, you can eat up to two mangoes a day. The GI of mango is also medium, due to which it is considered to be good to eat for weight loss. Diabetic patients can also eat mango, but only one, not more than that.
Is mango juice good for weight loss?
It depends on the type of mango juice and whether it is good for weight loss or not.
If the mango juice is packaged, sugary, and processed, then it may not be good for weight loss.
If you have prepared the mango juice at home with fresh mango pulp with no added sugars, then it may be good for weight loss.
Is mango high in calories?
Mangoes are not high in calories. Mangoes are healthy by nature, and they are also good for weight loss.
Can diabetic patients eat mangos?
Mangoes have naturally present sugars, known as fructose. Fructose is not as unhealthy as crystallised sugars. The glycemic index of mango is 50 to 55, which is considered medium.
Therefore, diabetic patients can also eat mangoes, but it is advisable to eat only one a day. It is always advisable to consult a nutritionist or doctor before making changes to your diet.