Mango

While the mango may be near the top of the list of juicy, delicious fruits, it also features serious health and nutritional benefits. When eating a mango, nutrition is not usually at the forefront of most people's minds, yet experts agree that it is a great way to glean many of the vitamins and minerals our bodies need in order to perform at optimal levels. Useful in natural cures and home remedies, the powerful health benefits contained in this exotic fruit just may surprise many.

An antioxidant, known as lupeol, is among the most powerful ingredients in the mango. Nutrition experts cite lupeol as being one of the primary anti-cancer agents present in the fruit. However, in the fight against cancer, experts also cite that mango contains rich amounts of the following:

• Fiber
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B3
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Copper
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Riboflavin
• Niacin
• Folic acid
• Beta-carotene
• Carotenes
• Ascorbic acid
• Sulfur
• Phosphorus

Key health benefits revealed by mango nutrition facts include:

• Decreases prostate enlargement

• Protects against prostate cancer

• Protects the arteries

• Helps relieve indigestion

• Protects against anemia

• Protects against the development of Alzheimer's disease

• Aids in digestion

• Boosts immunity

• Helps treat coughs

• Helps treat excessive thirst and heat stroke

• Helps to improve memory

• Helps regulate the thyroid

• Useful in treating ulcerative colitis

• Useful in preventing scurvy

• Helpful in healing acne

• Helps protect against allergy symptoms

As with other unripe fruit, mango is full of carbohydrates before the fruit has fully matured. Eating it at this stage can cause indigestion. Also, it should be noted that, while the mango will continue to ripen slightly after harvesting, it will not completely ripen unless allowed to do so while on the tree. The vitamin C content will also not reach its full potential if it is picked too soon.

While eating just one unripe mango may cause stomach discomfort, eating several may cause the following symptoms:

• Throat irritation
• Colic
• Dysentery