Healthy Fruit: Mangoes

Mangoes are tropical fruits known for their sweetness and juiciness. They grow in warm tropic areas that receive a lot of rainfall. Mangoes have grown to be very popular because of one major characteristic and this is the sweetness of the fruit. Not only are we lucky to eat sweet mango flesh but, the fruit is also known to produce very sweet and quality juice. To add beauty to the mango name, this yellow fruit is also very nutritious.

Mangoes belong to the list of fruits that are most nutritious. They contain more than 20 than 20 different vitamins and minerals. Mangoes are also rich in carbohydrates and calories. The minerals contained in the mango fruit include iron, potassium and copper. There are some that come in small traces and they include minerals such as calcium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, selenium and phosphorus. The vitamins that are found in mangoes include vitamin A, vitamin C, Vitamin K, vitamin B and vitamin E. Also included is folic acid or commonly known as folate.

The vitamins found in the mango give us a lot of health benefits. Vitamin A and vitamin C act as antioxidants. Vitamin A has several other benefits. They induce bone growth especially in children as well as help develop healthy skin and good vision. Vitamin A also contains a very important component known as beta-carotene which protects us from the sun's radiations. This vitamin has other advantages such as improving the functioning of the lungs, mitigating the aging process; reducing the complications that are associated with diabetes and preventing some forms of cancer.

Vitamin C which can be found in abundance in the mango fruit has its health benefits too. It helps in the formation of collagen. This, in turn, helps in the repair and growth of tissues, thus, enabling quick healing of wounds. Vitamin C also goes a long way in promoting the body's immune function. For those who are prone to stress, vitamin B in mango helps relieve the stress.

Mangoes also contain some chemicals that are also extremely healthy to eat. They are known as phytochemiclas. They include lutein, anacardic acid, gallic acid and cryptoxanthin.

The mango contains another important component that the body needs. It is known as fiber. Mangoes are very rich in fiber which has a number of benefits to the human body. It assists a huge deal in the loss of weight especially for the obese people and also helps maintain weight. Mangoes also have the advantage of having low fat content and being cholesterol free. The other advantage would be that it helps fight any cancerous cells that might be growing.

Mangoes are important for the consumption of people with the following ailments - acidity, hair loss, leucorrhoea, menstrual disorders, indigestion, diarrhoea, piles, prickly heat, sinusitis, vaginitis, spleen enlargement, bacterial infections, scurvy, spastic colon, constipation, anaemia and asthma.

The mango fruit comes in many varieties. The good thing is that, despite the size and shape of the mango variety, you still get to enjoy the many health benefits it offers. Take note that mangoes are best harvested and eaten in summer.