Eating this popular fruit daily may support postmenopausal heart and metabolic health

Eating fresh mango every day may help to boost women's postmenopausal heart and metabolic health, researchers said Tuesday.

They found that eating about 1.5 cups of the sweet fruit a day for two weeks significantly reduced blood pressure and cholesterol among postmenopausal women living with obesity. Both blood pressure and cholesterol are key indicators of heart health.

“Risk factors like high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol are key contributors to cardiovascular disease, but a nutrient-rich diet that includes fresh fruit, like mango, has long been shown to help reduce those risks,” Dr. Roberta Holt, an associate researcher at UC Davis, said in a statement. “This study shows that even short-term changes — like eating fresh mangos daily — can make a measurable impact on chronic disease risk in certain populations.”

Holt was a co-author of the research which was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Nutrition Association. The study was supported through an unrestricted grant from the National Mango Board, although the board had no influence over the study.

To reach these conclusions, they examined the health of 24 women between the ages of 50 to 70 years old who were overweight or obese. Before the study period, the authors instructed them to refrain from eating mangos. Over two weeks, the researchers collected baseline measurements, measurements when consumption began during a second visit to their lab, and then more measurements at the third visit.

open image in gallery

The women ate mangos in the mornings and the evenings. Two hours after consumption, their resting blood pressure dropped and there was a reduction in average arterial pressure. After consuming mangos every day for two weeks, their total cholesterol was slashed by nearly 13 points and their bad cholesterol dropped by the same amount.

A smaller follow-up with just six participants from the initial study examined insulin and sugar levels after eating the same amount of mango with 83 grams of white bread. The researchers found the women's blood sugar levels rose significantly less after eating mango than after eating white bread. Insulin levels also responded more favorably to mango.

open image in gallery

Although mangos are high in natural sugar compared to other fruits, they also provide crucial vitamins and other nutrients. Additional research is needed to determine the effects of mango consumption of heart and metabolic health, but the benefits could aid the 1.3 million U.S. women undergoing menopause: a period when the risk of heart disease rises significantly. Women spend up to 40 percent of their lives in this life stage, and nearly half of American women are affected by cardiovascular disease.

“Post-menopausal women face distinct metabolic changes that can impact their risk of developing cardiovascular disease,” said Holt. “These findings help to identify targeted dietary strategies, like eating fresh mangos daily, to aid this at-risk population and support cardiovascular wellness and potential reductions in chronic disease risk.”