Should diabetics eat mangoes? Know it from an expert

Do you tend to avoid some of your favorite fruits and vegetables because you have diabetes? Perhaps this is true for all diabetes patients. Fear of a blood sugar surge prevents many people from eating their favorite meals, especially the king of fruits. You probably guessed the name. Yes, we’re discussing about mangoes. Can diabetics eat mango? If you’re wondering about this, let’s get some expert advice.

Known as the king of fruits, mango is one of the most popular and nutritionally rich fruits with a unique flavour, fragrance, and taste. For being the most loved fruit of the summer season, it is very hard to resist, but for the sake of health and because of the high sugar content, diabetics fear consuming it and completely avoid it.

Without further ado, let’s find out if a diabetic can eat mangoes or not.

Is it safe to eat mangoes for diabetics?

Well, surely if you’ve got diabetes, mangoes cannot be your go-to fruit, but according to experts, you’re not supposed to avoid them completely. You can still enjoy mangoes, but in moderation.

Sherly Ganesh, Head of Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Manipal Hospital Hebbal, Bengaluru, spoke to Health Shots about the effect of mangoes on diabetes patients.

“Mango contains natural sugar, which contributes to an increase in blood sugar levels. Intake of mango for diabetics is usually not recommended as the carbohydrates in the mango increase the blood sugar levels and can lead to secondary medical conditions,” says Sherly.

However, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends you to count fruit as a carbohydrate in your meal plan. Carbohydrates have a recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 130 grams per day. A person with diabetes should take 45 to 60 grams of carbs per meal and 15 to 30 grams for snacks.

Your body converts the carbs you eat into sugar, thereby directly affecting your blood sugar levels. Mangoes should be consumed in moderation to maintain blood sugar control. It is recommended that you watch your serving sizes. Also, maintain a gap between your fruit consumption throughout the day.

This is simply to ensure that you are not eating a large amount of carbohydrates all at once, as this may influence blood glucose levels thereafter.

A safe quantity of mango to consume for diabetics?

Mangoes are a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin B-complex (except B12), vitamin C, and polyphenols. Along with that, it also has protein, fibre, copper, folate, potassium, and magnesium, which makes it a very healthy fruit.

It can also boost your immunity due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effects. Even though it has a low Glycemic Index of 56, diabetics should consume it in moderation.

Four medium slices of mango have 15 grams of carbs in them. So, Sherly says, “For diabetics, you can limit the portion size and can consume one slice once every four days.”

In fact, Sherly also recommends that diabetics can eat mango as part of a mixed salad (tomato, cucumber, onion, radish, chopped coriander, and 6-7 mango pieces tossed with salt) or even in curd! Mix tomato, onion, chopped coriander leaves and 4-5 mango pieces with curd, and enjoy!