Mango For Digestive Health

Introduction

Mangoes have been considered a vital part of the Ayurvedic system for more than 4,000 years. The scientific name of the mango is Mangifera, and they belong to the Anacardiaceae family of the plant kingdom. There are around two-and-a-half dozen varieties of mangoes found on the planet, and they are cultivated in tropical areas.^{1, 2, 3}

Mangoes possess numerous medicinal properties due to the presence of a large number of chemical constituents, and they are typically well-digested. Many of the naturally present nutrients include various kinds of vitamins, amino acids and fibres.  Mangoes support  digestive health in a multidimensional manner  as they allow for the  betterment of microorganisms (also known as gut flora or gut microbiome) naturally present in the gastrointestinal tract for digestion of the ingested substances.^{4, 5, 6} 

Nutrients present in mangoes and their importance in digestive health

There is a wide range of macro- and micro-nutrients present in mangoes. Macronutrients are those nutrients required in large amounts for the body to function normally, whereas micronutrients are those elements needed in minute quantities. 

Almost all of the present chemical constituents play important roles in human digestive health.^{2, 3}

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are present in the form of various types of sugars, such as glucose, fructose and sucrose. However, an important type of carbohydrate for digestive health is also present, known as fibre (or roughage). Fibres absorb water, swell and make faecal matter (waste to be excreted) soft while passing through the area of the stomach and intestine, causing waste to be easily expelled out of the body.⁷

Amino acids

Amino acids (AAs) are generally called the building blocks of the proteins. However, the functionality of AAs is not limited to serving only as protein building blocks, as they  help in various other body activities as well.^{2, 8}

Many AAs, including arginine, glutamine, threonine, and lysine, present in mangoes help maintain the digestive system. 

Arginine

Arginine maintains immunity in the intestine and keeps a check on the changes that occur in the intestinal region, such as inflammation, promoting cell growth and aiding in detoxifying the body.²⁵

Glutamine

Glutamine is found to be useful in the reconstruction of the cells which form threadlike structures in the small intestine. These structures are called microvilli and are responsible for increasing the surface area of the intestine for better absorption of any ingested substance, and eventually digestion.

It is also responsible for increasing the diversity of the microbes present in the intestine, which assists the digestion process.

Threonine

Threonine is a vital component in maintaining the integrity and function of the intestinal barrier of the gut area. In threonine deficiency, one might suffer from a leaky gut.

Lysine

Lysine, one of the amino acids found in mangoes has an anti-inflammatory role in the lining of the gut and can in the recovery of stress-related diarrhoea. .

Vitamins

Vitamins are essential for the human body to work well. There are two types of vitamins based on their solubility traits: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Vitamin B complex and vitamin C are water-soluble, and others discussed below are fat-soluble (not soluble in water).²

Mangoes contain both types of vitamins, and their presence makes the fruit extremely valuable for health, especially for digestive health.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K shows its effect on microbes present in the intestine by its antioxidant and coagulation properties. This allows the inner lining of the intestine to be healthy and, therefore, the overall digestive system.

There are a few proteins which depend on vitamin K to function and those help in the protection of the inner lining of the stomach by exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties.⁹

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is known for its anti-ageing properties, and this works for the betterment of digestive health as well. Vitamin E  improves the microbiome as bacteria with benefits are found with increased Vitamin E intake.¹⁰

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps in maintaining the gut barrier, which allows the smooth removal of endotoxins from the body to keep the digestive system healthy.

Vitamin C also takes care of the gums and teeth, which is the starting point of the digestive system.¹¹

Vitamin B

Vitamin B is not any single substance, but a combination of 8 is referred to as vitamin B complex. Many of these 8 are found in mangoes, which possess functions  for the well-being of the digestive system.²

Vitamin B1

Vitamin B1, also known as thiamin, is found to be crucial for the microbiota (a combination of trillions of microbial cells in the human gut for better digestion). Microbiota need Vitamin B1 for their survival.¹² Vitamin B1 also helps the body break down and release energy from food.

Vitamin B2

Vitamin B2 is also called riboflavin and is essential for the digestion of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Thus, mangoes indirectly help in the digestion of other nutrients as well.¹³

Vitamin B3

Vitamin B3 is also referred to as niacin and helps the digestive system by taking care of the responses related to inflammation. This allows the gastrointestinal tract to be in a healthy condition.¹⁴

Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5 is also pantothenic acid, and it makes a coenzyme, which is a compound that assists the digestive enzyme in breaking the fatty acids down.¹⁵

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 (also known as pyridoxine) also makes coenzymes that are involved in various reactions. As far as digestion is concerned, it helps in metabolising proteins.¹⁶

Vitamin B9

Vitamin B9 has another name, folic Acid. It is found to be extremely important in the betterment of the digestive system, as it stimulates  the formation of acids in the digestive system.¹⁷

Minerals

Apart from vitamins, mangoes contain many r minerals. They are usually present in trace amounts but are extremely important for digestive health.

Calcium

Calcium is important in the digestion process, as acid secretion is dependent on calcium ions, and secretion gets activated by means of calcium ion sensing receptors. Then, this secreted acid dissolves the ingested substances in itself to digest them.¹⁸

Potassium

Potassium is one of the minerals found in the mango fruit, and it assists in the release of saliva and digestive acids. This helps maintain digestive health, as a breakdown of starch starts from the mouth, and saliva contains enzymes that digest the substance being discussed.¹⁹

Magnesium

Magnesium is an important element for gut wellbeing as it facilitates the peristaltic movements of the intestine, which moves the content further to excrete.²⁰

Sodium

Sodium is also present in mangoes and has been found to be responsible for the improvement of the special microbiota in the gut, which helps in the digestion of protein.²¹

Zinc

Zinc is one of the essential minerals required for the human body and plays numerous functions in the body. As far as the digestive system is concerned, zinc works on the maintenance of the gastrointestinal tract barrier and avoids the leaky gut situation.²²

Manganese

Manganese is an essential among the elements present on the list of micronutrients and functions as a coenzyme. Thereby, it helps many enzymes to perform their action, for example, the digestion of carbohydrates, cholesterol and proteins.²³

Selenium

Selenium is one of those essential trace elements found in mangoes, and it improves digestive health by increasing the number of good bacteria in the human intestine.²⁴

Enzymes present in mango

Enzymes are the chemical molecules present in the human body, which are responsible for the execution of the majority of biochemical reactions (chemical reactions in the biological system, for example in cells). Since enzymes speed up the chemical reaction in cells, they are also called biological catalysts.

The digestive system needs many enzymes to perform reactions, and interestingly two of those enzymes are found in mangoes: amylase and Invertase. These help the digestive system in the digestion of certain kinds of ingested substances.

Amylase

This enzyme is responsible for the digestion of complex carbohydrates and breaks them down into smaller and less complex molecules so that they can be absorbed through the intestinal wall. Amylase is produced by the salivary glands, initiating the process of digestion, however, it is also produced by the pancreas where starches are further broken down into simple sugars. 

Invertase

Invertase helps the human body’s digestive system in the breakdown of large sugars like sucrose into smaller sugars such as glucose and fructose. Thus, invertase promotes the digestion of carbohydrates.

Since it improves immunity as well, it is useful in defending the gastrointestinal tract from disease-causing agents.

FAQ

Is mango good for digestion?

Yes, mangoes are full of fibres, and very few trace elements are required to maintain good digestive health.

Is mango helpful for constipation?

Interestingly, yes it is. Mangoes contain fibres which absorb water and soften the content in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, mangoes contain magnesium which helps the intestine to perform the peristaltic movement, thereby content in the gastrointestinal tract moves forward (or in a better way you can say downward).

Summary

Mangoes have been considered a vital component in the Ayurvedic medical care system for thousands of years, because of the chemical constituents present in it, which possess medicinal activities of various kinds.

There are numerous macro- and micronutrients in mango to support digestive health, by a wide range of actions. These include improving gut flora, repairing the gastrointestinal lining and constructing damaged structures in the intestine.

Moreover, there are many elements to assist the chemical reactions of the digestive system, such as enzymes found in mangoes.