Indian Mangoes are extremely popular in UK. The King of all mangoes is Alphonso.
Alphonso mangoes are grown in different regions of India but the most authentic ones are from Kokan region in Maharashtra. The flavour and taste of the Mango differs from different part of Kokan for e.g. Devgad Alphonso would taste different than Ratnagiri Alphonso and so on. The taste and flavour is driven by the soil in which Mango plant is grown. The rock in Devgad region gives a Mango very delicious taste and flavour.
Bringing Mangoes from India to UK is not an easy process. Alphonso - King of Mangoes is a very very sensitive fruit. From the time the Mangoes are grown on the tree until they arrive here in UK, they need to be well taken care of.
Mangoes don't like cold weather, if they get exposed to cold weather during any time in their journey from India to UK, their skin colour might get little dark spots or patches. This doesn't really affect the taste but we are not used to see such skin of Mangoes.
Many people ask question, why mangoes are not completely ripen when they get it here in UK? When mangoes are imported in UK, they cannot be imported ripened because if mangoes are soft or ripened, they will get damaged in transit. It is always better to let mangoes ripe at home.
Mango import and ripening process :
- Mango boxes are packed so that some of the mangoes are less ripe, some of them are partially ripe and some of them are almost ripe.
- Fresh batch of Mangoes arrive in UK and get distributed next day
- Mangoes initially need to be kept at room temperature
- Once completely ripe, mangoes need to be kept in cold place or fridge
Why not to buy mangoes from shop?
- Shops buy stock in bulk with judgemental analysis
- One cannot guarantee when the stock arrived in shop and hence you need to rely on your luck about quality of Mangoes
- Shops purchase stock from local markets from wherever they get more margin and really do not worry much about authenticity of products
- Not all shops maintain temperature in non-working hours
To avoid getting into quality issues, it is always best to purchase mangoes from pre-order vendors like us, Zingox Foods UK
Benefits of Mangoes:
Mango is an extremely popular food worldwide. While the sight of a mango basket itself is pleasing to the eyes, mango as a fruit provides an impressive array of health benefits irrespective of what type of mango you eat.
Mango is packed with vitamins, antioxidants and minerals that provides critical health benefits. Vitamin C in the mango is vital for forming blood vessels and healthy collagen. It also helps you heal. Vitamin K helps with the effective blood clotting and prevention of Anemia. It also helps to strengthens the bones. Let’s review the nutritional value of the mango and the health benefits offered
Nutritional value of Mango per 100 gm ( 3.5 Oz)
- Energy: 250 kJ (60 kCal)
- Protein: 0.82 grams
- Carbs: 15 grams
- Sugars: 13.7
- Dietary fiber: 1.6 g
- Fat: 0.38 grams
- Vitamin C: 36.4 gm (44% of the Reference Daily Value -DV)
- Vitamin A: 54 micrograms (7% of the DV)
- Vitamin E: 0.9 micrograms (6% of the DV)
- Vitamin B5: 0.197 mg (4% of the DV)
- Vitamin K: 4.2 micrograms (4% of the DV)
- Vitamin B6: 0.119 mg (9% of the DV)
- Copper: 0.111 mg (6% of the DV)
- Iron: 0.16 mg (1% of the DV)
- Magnesium: 10 mg (3% of the DV)
- Potassium: 168 mg ( 4% of the DV)
- Manganese: 0.063 mg ( 3% of the DV)
It also contains small amounts of phosphorus, pantothenic acid, calcium, selenium.
(Reference: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1102670/nutrients)
Health Benefits:
- Reduces Risk of Cancer:
- Mangos are rich in beta-carotene, a pigment responsible for the yellow-orange colour of the fruit.
- Beta-carotene is an antioxidant, just one of many found in mangos. The antioxidants in mangos have been shown to fight free radicals, which can cause damage to your cells and potentially lead to cancer.
- Supports cardiovascular health:
- Mangos are also helpful for supporting your cardiovascular system. They are a great source of magnesium and potassium, both of which are connected to lower blood pressureand a regular pulse.
- Furthermore, mangos are the source of a compound known as mangiferin, which early studies suggest may be able to reduce inflammationof the heart.
- Stabilizes digestive system:
- Mango has several qualities that make it excellent for digestive health.
- For one, it contains a group of digestive enzymes called amylases.
- Digestive enzymes break down large food molecules so that they can be easily absorbed.
- Amylases break down complex carbs into sugars, such as glucose and maltose. These enzymes are more active in ripe mangoes, which is why they’re sweeter than unripe ones.
- Moreover, since mango contains plenty of water and dietary fiber, it may help solve digestive problems like constipation and diarrhea.
- One four-week study in adults with chronic constipation found that eating mango daily was more effective at relieving symptoms of the condition than a supplement containing a similar amount of soluble fiber.
- This indicates that mango has other components aside from dietary fiber that aid digestive health.
- Improves hair and skin health:
- Mango is high in vitamin C, which promotes healthy hair and skin.
- This vitamin is essential for making collagen— a protein that gives structure to your skin and hair. Collagen gives your skin its bounce and combats sagging and wrinkles.
- Additionally, mango is a good source of vitamin A, which encourages hair growth and the production of sebum — a liquid that helps moisturize your scalp to keep your hair healthy.
- What’s more, vitamin A and other retinoids migrate to your skinand protect it from the sun.
- Aside from vitamins A and C, mango is high in polyphenols, which function as antioxidants.
- These antioxidants help protect hair follicles against damage from oxidative stress.
- Supports eye health:
- Mango is full of nutrients that help support healthy eyes.
- Two key nutrients are the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. These accumulate in the retina of the eye — the part that converts light into brain signals so your brain can interpret what you’re seeing — especially at its core, the macula.
- Inside the retina, lutein and zeaxanthin act as a natural sunblock, absorbing excess light. In addition, they appear to protect your eyes from harmful blue light.
- Mangoes are also a good source of vitamin A, which supports eye health.
- A lack of dietary vitamin A has been linked to dry eyes and nighttime blindness. More severe deficiencies can cause more serious issues, such as corneal scarring,
- It is a pregnancy super food:
- Mangos are rich in folate, which is used for healthy cell division and DNA duplication.
- Physicians recommend that people who can become pregnant consume at least 400 mcg of folate daily, because it is critical for avoiding birth defects.
Reference: https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-mango#1
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mango#immunity