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Mango supplements improved blood glucose control in adults with obesity
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Eating freeze-dried mangos regularly could improve fasting blood glucose in patients with obesity and does not negatively affect body weight, according to research published in Nutrition and Metabolic Insights.
“We are excited about these promising findings for mangos, which contain many bioactive compounds, including mangiferin, an antioxidant that may contribute to the beneficial effects of mango on blood glucose,” Edralin Lucas, PhD, of Oklahoma State University, said in a press release. “Mangos contain fiber, which can help lower glucose absorption into the bloodstream.”
Lucas and colleagues conducted a 3-month pilot study involving 20 adults (11 men, nine women; aged 20-50 years) with obesity (BMI, 30-45 kg/m2) to investigate the effects of mango supplementation on anthropometrics, body composition and biochemical parameters.
Patients were assessed at baseline and end of study in each of the three categories. The researchers requested patients maintain their usual diet, exercise and medications for 12 weeks but instructed them to add 10 g of ground freeze-dried mango pulp each day.
At the end of the study, blood glucose levels decreased with mango supplementation in men (–4.45 mg/dL; P=.018) and women (–3.56 mg/dL; P=.003). Hip circumference was reduced in men (–3.3 cm; P=.048) but not women; however, no significant changes were seen in either group for body weight or composition.
The investigators concede that small sample size, lack of control group, duration of supplementation, inaccurate self-reporting of diet and exercise or noncompliance with supplementation could have influenced results.
“This research suggests that mangos may give individuals with obesity a dietary option in helping them maintain or lower their blood glucose,” Lucas said. “However, the precise component and mechanism has yet to be found and further clinical trials are necessary, particularly in those that have problems with glucose control.”
Disclosure: This study was supported by the Oklahoma State University College of Human Sciences and through a grant from the National Mango Board.
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