Get to know your Mango

The exact guidelines for a low-carb diet, including recommended carbohydrate intake – varies with each plan. According to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 45 to 65 percent of a person’s total daily calorie intake should come from carbohydrates. This is approximately 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates per day for a 2,000 calories per day diet. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), or minimum recommended carbohydrate intake for both men and women is 130 grams. While there is no official definition for a low-carb diet, carbohydrate intake is often below 130 grams per day on low-carb diets.. A one-cup serving of mango provides 25 grams of carbohydrates.
A one-cup serving of mango provides 23 grams of naturally occurring sugar. Naturally occurring sugars are sugars found naturally in foods, such as fructose (found in fruits) or lactose (found in dairy). Added sugars are those that are added to food and beverage products during processing. Mangos are naturally free of any added sugar.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the rind of the mango fruit and the sap from the mango tree contain urushiol, an oily, organic allergenic chemical that is also found in poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Contact with urushiol by touching mango tree leaves, bark, or the skin of mango fruit may cause allergic contact dermatitis, an itchy, blistering skin condition.

Although some individuals can have allergies to the mango flesh, the mango’s skin is most often the culprit. The most commonly consumed part of the mango fruit (the pulp or flesh) does not contain urushiol. You can avoid coming in contact with urushiol by having someone else cut the fruit or by wearing thick non-latex gloves when preparing and slicing the mango.

Additionally, although labeled with a low/undetermined degree of association, some people who report sensitivity to latex may have adverse reactions to mango skin. Latex is a milky fluid that secretes from rubber trees, or Heveabrasiliensis, when the plant is cut. It is used to make medical supplies, gloves, rubber bands, balloons, and toys. According to the American Latex Association, some of the same proteins from latex are also found in fruits, which may cause the allergic reactions in sensitive individuals

According to the American Diabetes Association, “A healthy meal plan for people with diabetes is generally the same as a healthy diet for anyone – low in saturated and trans fat, moderate in salt and sugar, with meals based on lean protein, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, good fats and fruit.”

The main goal of a diabetic friendly diet is to help keep blood sugar levels controlled. Carbohydrates provide energy and essential nutrients to the body, however they do have a greater impact on blood sugar levels than either protein or fat.

For individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, controlling portion size when eating fruit is key for managing blood sugar levels.

In summary, while no foods are off-limits for individuals with diabetes, portion control and carbohydrate intake is key to managing blood sugar levels.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s My Plate, one serving of fruit is one cup. Because mangos vary in size, smaller mangos, such as the Ataulfo may only yield one cup (one serving) of fruit. Larger mangos, such as the Haden or Kent, may have more than two cups (two servings) of fruit.
A one-cup serving of mango provides:
100 calories
1 gram of protein
0 grams of fat
25 grams of carbohydrates
3 grams of fiber (12% of daily needs)
No sodium or cholesterol
100% of daily vitamin C needs
35% of vitamin A needs
Mangos are a superfruit — bursting with antioxidants and over 20 different vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, fiber, vitamin B6, and copper. These vitamins and minerals have been linked to a bounty of health benefits including immune health, and cardiovascular, cognitive, and neurologic function.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Preliminary studies have found mango consumption linked to blood glucose control, cancer protection, and digestive health.

SOURCES:

United States Department of Agriculture. Choose My Plate. All About the Fruit Goup. Accessed June, 9, 2016. http://www.choosemyplate.gov/fruit

American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Basics; Diabetes Myths. Accessed June 13, 2016. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths/?loc=db-slabnav

Wang S. O’Connell B. Ready, Set, Starting Counting! Diabetes Care and Educated Dietetic Practice Group. American Dietetic Association. 2011.
American Diabetes Association. Fruits. Accessed June 13, 2016. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/making-healthy-food-choices/fruits.html

Evans S, Meister M, Mahmood M, et al., Mango Supplementation Improves Blood Glucose in Obese Individuals. Nutrition and Metabolic Insights. 2014. 7. 77-84.

United States Department of Agriculture. USDA Food Composition Databases.  Accessed June 13,2016. https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search

2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Appendix 7. Nutritional Goals for Age-Sex Groups Based on Dietary Reference Intakes and Dietary Guidelines Recommendations. Table A7-1. Daily Nutritional Goals for Age-Sex Groups Based on Dietary Reference Intakes and Dietary Guidelines Recommendations. Accessed June 14, 2016.

Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate. Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2002/2005). Accessed July 26, 2016. http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/DRIs/DRI_Macronutrients.pdf   

Boeing H, Bechthold A, Bub A, et al,. Critical review: vegetables and fruit in the prevention of chronic diseases. European Journal of Nutrition. 2012; 51(6): 637-663.
Bellevia A, Larsson S, Bottai, et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and all-cause mortality: a dose-response analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2013; 98(2):454-459.

Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in US adults: the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2002; 76(1): 93-99.

American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Can Reaction to Poison Ivy Cause Mango Allergy? Accessed June 14, 2016. http://acaai.org/resources/connect/ask-allergist/can-reaction-poison-ivy-cause-mango-allergy

United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. Classification for Kingdom Plantae Down to Family Anacardiaceae. Accessed June 14, 2016. http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Anacardiaceae

United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. Plant Guide. MANGO. Accessed June 14, 2016. http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_main3.pdf

American Latex Allergy Association. Tips to Remember: Latex Allergy. Created by the Public Education Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Updated 2003. Accessed June 16, 2016. http://latexallergyresources.org/articles/tips-remember-latex-allergy

American Latex Allergy Association. Latex Cross-reactive foods Fact Sheet. Tom Grier for Latex Allergy 101. Updated 10.8.2015. Accessed June 16, 2016. http://latexallergyresources.org/latex-cross-reactive-foods-fact-sheet

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