6 Reasons Why to Get Down with Mangoes: “The King of Fruit”

We’ve had a short spurt of beautiful weather down here in the DMV, and I’m hoping that soon the good weather will be here to stay. Whenever it gets warmer, I find myself longing for one of favorite fruits: mangoes! They are awesome to peel and eat or blend into smoothies. Although I eat them frequently, I never knew what nutrients I was getting. To my pleasant surprise, mangoes have a lot to offer beyond just being sweet and flavorful.

Mangoes are native to India, and belong to the same family as cashews and pistachios (I never would have guessed this). They are known widely as the “king of fruit” because they are packed with nutrients including, but not limited to: amino acids, vitamin A, C (1 cup has around 75% of the daily recommended value of Vitamin C), and E, beta carotene, calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, potassium, and B Vitamins. Sound good? Below are six more reasons why you may want to get down with a mango. -XoXo Raw Girl

1. Promotes Good Digestion. The soluble fiber in mangoes prevent constipation, and also mangoes contain digestive enzymes that soothe the stomach and help to digest proteins.
2. Keep Your Eyes Healthy.  Apparently one cup of mangoes contain 25% of the daily recommended value of Vitamin A. This will help prevent night blindness, dry eyes, softening of the cornea, or any itching and burning in the eyes.
3. Prevent Cancer! In a study conducted that Food Science and Human Nutrition Department of Florida they found after testing mango juice for antioxidant and anticancer activity that mango juice inhibits the growth cycle of cancer cells. In addition consuming mangoes or other foods which are high in soluble fiber is scientifically linked with a lower risk of contracting cancer in the gastrointestinal tract.
4. Get that Vegan Glow. Mango is a fruit that will help keep your skin flawless, as it is known to help unclog pores if the pulp is directly applied to the skin. Also eating mangoes with keep your skin smooth and of course give  you that vegan glow!
5. An Anemic’s Best Friend. Mangoes are great for anemic and pregnant women because of their iron content.
6. Parasite Killa! Last but never least, to my delight mangoes are another addition to a parasite killa’s arsenal. A study in mexico tested the effectiveness of plant extracts against giardia and found that mango has anti-giardia properties. Giardia is the most common parasite people are infected with because it is water-borne and spreads through our drinking water sources. I’m definitely keeping some mango ammo handy, from now on!