NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Mango

Mangifera indica

Tropical stone fruit rich in vitamin C

Preliminary evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup pieces (165 g)

165gSERVING
  • Water 137.7 g84%
  • Sugars 22.5 g14%
  • Fibre 2.6 g2%
  • Protein 1.4 g1%
  • Fat 0.6 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C67%Copper20%Folate18%Vitamin B612%Vitamin A10%Vitamin E10%Fibre9%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
99 kcal1.4 g protein2.6 g fiber0.6 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C60 mg67%
Copper0.18 mg20%
Folate71 mcg DFE18%
Vitamin B60.2 mg12%
Vitamin A89 mcg RAE10%
Vitamin E1.5 mg10%
Fibre2.6 g9%
Potassium277 mg6%
Vitamin K6.9 mcg6%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Mango?

Mango (Mangifera indica) is a fruit used for may improve glycemic control and insulin sensitivity despite its sweetness (small, short rcts). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Human evidence for mango is still emerging and rests largely on small, short-duration trials in overweight, obese, or type 2 diabetic adults. Several randomized and controlled studies report that regular mango intake (roughly 250-400 g/day over 6-12 weeks) modestly lowers fasting glucose, HbA1c, and inflammatory markers, and one 8-week RCT in type 2 diabetes found two mango varieties outperformed isocaloric white bread on glycemia, weight and lipids. These benefits appear tied to systemic exposure to polyphenol metabolites such as mangiferin and gallotannins. Mango itself has not been isolated in large prospective cohorts, but it contributes to the broad fresh-fruit intake that the China Kadoorie Biobank (>500,000 adults) linked to markedly lower cardiovascular mortality and stroke. Overall the data are promising but preliminary: sample sizes are very small (often under 30 participants), trials are short, control comparators vary, and no meta-analysis of mango-specific RCTs yet exists. Mango is best viewed as a nutrient-dense whole fruit within a varied diet rather than a proven therapeutic.

Purported Benefits

✓May improve glycemic control and insulin sensitivity despite its sweetness (small, short RCTs)
✓Associated with lower cardiovascular risk as part of fresh-fruit intake (large cohorts)
✓Anti-inflammatory effects via polyphenol metabolites (mangiferin, gallotannins) in early human studies
✓Excellent vitamin C source supporting antioxidant defense and immune function
✓Provitamin A carotenoids (beta-carotene) contributing to vitamin A status
✓Soluble and insoluble fiber supporting digestion and satiety

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
A typical serving is about 1 cup of pieces (165 g) or roughly half a medium mango; clinical trials used larger doses of 250-400 g/day. Fits well within the recommended 2 cups of fruit per day.
Active Compounds
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)Provitamin A carotenoids (beta-carotene)Mangiferin (xanthonoid polyphenol)Gallotannins and gallic acidFolatePotassiumCopperPectin (soluble fibre)Vitamin B6

Safety & Cautions

Generally safe as a food. Mango is relatively high in sugar (about 22 g per cup), so portion awareness matters for people with diabetes despite favorable trial data. Mango belongs to the Anacardiaceae (cashew/poison ivy) family: the skin, sap, and area near the peel contain urushiol, which can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals, and oral allergy syndrome can occur in those with birch or latex allergy. Unlike grapefruit, mango is not a clinically significant CYP3A4 inhibitor at dietary amounts. No notable oxalate concern. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Mango with any medicine.

Key Studies

RCT Kehar 2025 ✓ PubMed
8-week RCT in type 2 diabetes: 250 g/day of Safeda or Dasheri mango (replacing breakfast bread) lowered fasting glucose, HbA1c (~0.5-0.9%), HOMA-IR, weight and waist vs white bread, and raised HDL.
RCT Foods 2025 (Prediabetes RCT) ✓ Full text
In a 24-week randomized controlled study in prediabetes (n=23 completers), one fresh mango/day lowered fasting glucose (p<0.02) and improved insulin sensitivity (QUICKI p=0.02), with HbA1c stable in the mango group but rising in controls (p=0.02) and reduced body fat.
RCT Nutrients 2025 (Insulin Sensitivity) ✓ Full text
In adults with overweight/obesity and chronic low-grade inflammation (n=48), ~2 cups fresh mango daily (~100 kcal) lowered fasting insulin and improved insulin sensitivity versus a calorie-matched control food.
RCT Eur J Clin Nutr 2025 (CGM crossover) ✓ Source
A pilot crossover study using oral tolerance testing and continuous glucose monitoring compared glycemic responses to three mango varieties in subjects with and without type 2 diabetes, characterizing variety-dependent postprandial glucose differences.
RCT Rosas 2021 ✓ Full text
12-week randomized crossover in 27 overweight/obese adults: daily fresh mango (100 kcal) significantly decreased blood glucose and CRP, while an isocaloric cookie control raised insulin, CRP and triglycerides.
RCT Fang 2018 ✓ PubMed
6-week randomized trial (n=9 obese): 400 g/day mango pulp cut HbA1c ~18% and PAI-1 ~20% and lowered IL-8/MCP-1, correlated with plasma polyphenol metabolites.
Review Burton-Freeman 2017 ✓ PubMed
Review of mango bioactives (mangiferin, gallotannins) summarizing emerging anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and cardioprotective potential and calling for whole-fruit human studies.
Cohort Du 2016 ✓ PubMed
China Kadoorie cohort of 512,891 adults: daily fresh-fruit intake associated with about one-third lower cardiovascular death and lower coronary, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke risk.
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Mango

What is Mango used for?

Mango is most often taken for May improve glycemic control and insulin sensitivity despite its sweetness (small, short RCTs), Associated with lower cardiovascular risk as part of fresh-fruit intake (large cohorts), Anti-inflammatory effects via polyphenol metabolites (mangiferin, gallotannins) in early human studies, Excellent vitamin C source supporting antioxidant defense and immune function. Tropical stone fruit rich in vitamin C

Does Mango work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Human evidence for mango is still emerging and rests largely on small, short-duration trials in overweight, obese, or type 2 diabetic adults. Several randomized and controlled studies report that regular mango intake (roughly 250-400 g/day over 6-12 weeks) modestly lowers fasting glucose, HbA1c, and inflammatory markers, and one 8-week RCT in type 2 diabetes found two mango varieties outperformed isocaloric white bread on glycemia, weight and lipids. These benefits appear tied to systemic exposure to polyphenol metabolites such as mangiferin and gallotannins. Mango itself has not been isolated in large prospective cohorts, but it contributes to the broad fresh-fruit intake that the China Kadoorie Biobank (>500,000 adults) linked to markedly lower cardiovascular mortality and stroke. Overall the data are promising but preliminary: sample sizes are very small (often under 30 participants), trials are short, control comparators vary, and no meta-analysis of mango-specific RCTs yet exists. Mango is best viewed as a nutrient-dense whole fruit within a varied diet rather than a proven therapeutic.

What is the typical dose of Mango?

A typical serving is about 1 cup of pieces (165 g) or roughly half a medium mango; clinical trials used larger doses of 250-400 g/day. Fits well within the recommended 2 cups of fruit per day.

Is Mango safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally safe as a food. Mango is relatively high in sugar (about 22 g per cup), so portion awareness matters for people with diabetes despite favorable trial data. Mango belongs to the Anacardiaceae (cashew/poison ivy) family: the skin, sap, and area near the peel contain urushiol, which can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals, and oral allergy syndrome can occur in those with birch or latex allergy. Unlike grapefruit, mango is not a clinically significant CYP3A4 inhibitor at dietary amounts. No notable oxalate concern.

How many studies support Mango?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for Mango, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Mango (Mangifera indica): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/mango

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_mango,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Mango (Mangifera indica): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/mango},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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