Mango's Role In Heart Health

In various parts of the world, the mango is commonly known as “the king of fruits”.¹ There are hundreds of types of this stone fruit (a fruit that contains a hard, inedible seed in the middle), each with its characteristic flavour, shape, size and colour (skin colours ranging from yellow to green to red). Mangoes have been cultivated for over 4000 years in the tropical areas of South and Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central America. However, due to their growing demand, the warmer parts of the US and Europe have started to grow their own mangoes over the past decades.² Besides its rich flavour, this fruit is renowned for its significant health benefits - one of the most prominent examples being supporting our heart’s health and decreasing risks of developing cardiovascular disease (the leading cause of death worldwide). This article will detail the specific vitamins, minerals and compounds found within mangoes that help maintain a healthy heart, as well as explain how they do so. 

Nutritional composition of mangoes

The mango, although low in calories, is packed full of nutrients which help keep us healthy, including our heart. The following are the most prominent vitamins and minerals found within the mango that have a substantial benefit to our heart health:¹

• Vitamin C - This vitamin is so abundant in a mango, that even 165g of fresh mango provides roughly 67% of the advised daily intake of vitamin C 
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Potassium
• Copper
• Magnesium

Also found within the mango, particularly in its skin, are natural plant compounds, which have also been proven to be beneficial for our health. The most abundant examples which will be referenced throughout the rest of this article include:¹

• Beta-carotene - This is a strong red-orange pigment, giving the mango skin its vibrant colour
• Polyphenols - Examples include mangiferin, quercetin and gall tannin
• Triterpenes - Example including lupeol 

How do these mango nutrients help keep our hearts healthy?

There are numerous ways in which the nutrients found in mangoes help keep our hearts healthy…

Lowering excess cholesterol levels

Cholesterol is the fatty substance found in our blood that is needed in the body to build our cells and make our vitamins and hormones. However, too much of this substance in our bloodstream (which can occur due to unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as eating a lot of fatty foods, not exercising, and smoking) can cause a variety of health issues.³ There are two types of cholesterol found in our body: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). If the latter exists in high levels within our blood, then it can stick to the walls of our blood vessels and build up plaques. As a consequence, this can lead to obstructions within our blood vessels, which in turn can increase our risk of developing cardiovascular complications and lead to a heart attack or stroke.³ This is why LDL is often known as the “bad cholesterol”, whereas HDL is known as the “good cholesterol”, since HDL can remove any excess LDL from the body and take it to the liver to be broken down. Hence, HDL can help keep our hearts healthy and lessen the risk of developing heart disease.³ 

Mangoes have been shown to lower cholesterol levels within our blood - specifically, they help increase our HDL levels and reduce our LDL levels. This helps keep our heart healthy by reducing any chances of excess LDL forming plaques in our blood vessels, thus reducing our chances of heart disease.⁴ The nutrients within mangoes that have been shown to play an important role in the reduction of cholesterol levels within our blood are mangiferin⁵ and tripertenes⁶. 

The antioxidant properties of mangoes

The nutrients found in mangoes are rich in antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are compounds which protect cells from substances in our body called reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are highly reactive compounds which are either naturally produced by various cellular processes or produced via exposure to certain toxins such as cigarette smoke, pollution and radiation.⁷ A moderated level of ROS is important for us, as they are crucial for various cellular processes around the body. However, too much ROS can lead to DNA damage (damage to the genetic material found within our cells, causing our cells to not function properly and die).⁷ Such abundance of ROS and their consequential DNA damage can become a risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases. Hence, antioxidants shield our cells from such excess ROS levels, protecting our DNA from any damage and in turn keeping our hearts healthy.⁸ 

Specific nutrients within mangoes that act as such protective antioxidants include the plant compounds gallotannin and mangiferin,^9,10 as well as the vitamins A, E and C.¹

Blood pressure regulation

Blood pressure is the pressure of circulating blood against blood vessel walls - it is a measurement of how much force your heart uses to pump circulating blood out of the heart and around the body. When your blood pressure is high, your heart uses a lot of force to pump blood around the body, and there is a lot of pressure against the walls of your blood vessels. Persistently high blood pressure (also known as hypertension), which can be caused by unhealthy lifestyle habits, can increase your risk of developing several heart problems (such as strokes and heart failure).¹¹ 

Mangoes help maintain healthy blood pressure and prevent you from experiencing hypertension, as their nutrients magnesium and potassium are known to promote the relaxation of the walls of blood vessels. In turn, they keep your heart healthy and reduce the risk of heart disease.^{12, 13} 

The anti-inflammatory properties of mangoes

Inflammation is a normal bodily response that occurs when any part of our body, such as the heart, is harmed - for instance, when it is subjected to an injury or infection. This inflammatory response alerts our immune system, our natural self-defence system, about where and what harm we are experiencing. This allows cells of the immune system to target the inflamed part of the body to get rid of the harm. Hence, inflammation is a crucial process to help us defeat injuries and infections. However, it is also equally important for the inflammatory response to stop once harm has been eliminated. If inflammation continues, this can cause various issues for us - this is called chronic inflammation.¹⁴ Such type of inflammation (caused by either an autoimmune disease, stress, exposure to toxins, or unhealthy lifestyle habits), can in turn negatively impact our heart health. Chronic inflammation can damage our blood vessel walls, jeopardising the whole cardiovascular system, including our heart. Hence, chronic inflammation can increase your risk of experiencing a heart attack, heart disease or stroke.¹⁵ 

Many of the nutrient components of the mango have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties, which can counter any excess or chronic inflammation and keep the heart healthier. Such nutrients include all the vitamins and polyphenols mentioned above, as well as lupeol, the minerals copper and potassium, and the pigment beta-carotene.²    

Fibre in mangoes and how they help keep our heart healthy

Another important component of mangoes that is particularly worth mentioning is dietary fibre. The mango is considered a rich source of fibre; a nutrient which plays an important role in protecting the heart and in reducing our risk of developing cardiovascular disease.¹⁶ They do so through a variety of mechanisms: lowering our LDL levels, decreasing our blood pressure to a healthy one, and reducing inflammation levels in our body.¹⁷   

FAQs

What is the recommended daily intake of mangoes?

An 80g portion of fresh mango (pulp and skin) can be considered as one of your 5-a-day fruits and vegetables. A 30g portion of dried mango counts as the equivalent. 

Is mango safe for everyone to eat?

Some people could have an allergic reaction when touching and/or eating a mango - the most common example is contact dermatitis.¹⁸ However, such rashes should soon be cleared up by themselves or by using certain creams (ask a pharmacist before using any). Despite this, the mango is considered safe and is even recommended as part of your daily balanced diet.    

Summary

The mango is not only a delicious, low-calorie tropical fruit, but its skin and pulp are packed with essential nutrients that help maintain the health of our hearts. Its vitamins, minerals, fibre and plant compounds all help keep our heart healthy and reduce our chances of developing a life-threatening cardiovascular disease through a variety of mechanisms - by lowering our levels of cholesterol (specifically LDL), as well as our blood pressure, thus protecting us from hypertension. The nutrients in mangoes also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which protect our heart cells and blood vessels from DNA damage and persistent inflammation. Hence, mangoes are a highly recommended fruit which you should consider adding to your balanced diet.