Mangoes may help lower blood sugar and cancer risk

STILLWATER, Okla., April 23 (UPI) -- Mangoes may have a positive effect on blood sugar in obese individuals and help to limit inflammation, U.S. researchers suggest.

Edralin Lucas, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at Oklahoma State University, examined the effects of daily mango consumption on clinical parameters and body composition in obese subjects -- body mass index of 30 or more.

Eleven men and nine women participated in the study, which included daily dietary supplementation with 10 grams of freeze dried mango -- the equivalent to approximately 100 grams, or 3.5 ounces, of fresh mango for 12 weeks.

Blood sugar levels at the conclusion of the study were significantly lower than the baseline in both male and female subjects, but there no significant changes in body composition for either gender, and BMI increased significantly in female subjects but not male subjects.

These findings are the result of a single study and more research is needed on the effects of mango consumption on human health.

"The results of this study support what we learned in our recent animal model, which found mango improved blood glucose in mice fed a high-fat diet," Lucas said in a statement. "Although the mechanism by which mango exerts its effects warrants further investigation, we do know that mangoes contain a complex mixture of polyphenolic compounds. Research has shown that several other plants -- soy, green tea and grape seed -- and their polyphenolic compounds have a positive effect on adipose tissue."

The findings were presented at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology in Boston.