Can you eat mangos if you have Type 2 Diabetes? Most physicians would probably answer “No” which is unfortunate because mango fruit may actually be quite beneficial for Type 2 diabetics, as documented by tons of scientific studies.
Mangos Can Lower Blood Glucose in Type 2 Diabetes
Mango is not only good for your taste buds, it may actually confer numerous health benefits. Studies clearly show that fresh mango fruit is able to lower blood glucose in Type 2 diabetics. For example, researchers from Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, and Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, performed a critical review of 28 scientific studies that looked at antidiabetic effects of whole mango fruit consumption. The findings were so impressive that the researchers concluded, “The animal and randomized control trial findings suggest that mango may be beneficial as an antidiabetic agent.”1
Mango as an Antidiabetic Agent
How does mango work to control your Diabetes? Researchers have discovered that mango fruit can exert its beneficial effects on Type 2 Diabetes through several mechanisms which are:
- Improvement in insulin sensitivity. In this way, mango hits at the root cause of Type 2 Diabetes which is a decrease in insulin sensitivity, also known as insulin resistance.
- Inhibition of Alpha-Glucosidase, which is an enzyme that breaks down starches into glucose. By inhibiting this enzyme in your gut, mango can reduce the amount of glucose load on your system.
- Regulation of glucose transporter type 4, insulin receptor substrate 1, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase: These are substances in your cell that are important for the transfer of glucose from blood into the cells.
- Lowering of Triglycerides and Cholesterol. In this way, mango can help reduce the risk of clogging up of the arteries.
- Antioxidant properties: Mango also possesses antioxidant properties. In this way, it can protect your cells from damage of free radicals inside the cells. Cells of diabetics, in particular, are at high risk of oxidative stress. In this way, mango can be beneficial to prevent Diabetes complications especially neuropathy.
In Summary
An abundance of scientific studies conclude that mango may be quite beneficial for Type 2 diabetics.
