The New Complete Book of Food



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Nutritional Profile

Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate

Protein: Low

Fat: Low

Saturated fat: Low

Cholesterol: None

Carbohydrates: High

Fiber: High

Sodium: Low

Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin A, vitamin C

Major mineral contribution: Potassium

About the Nutrients in This Food

Mangoes are high in soluble dietary fiber (pectins in the fruit). They

are an extraordinary source of vitamin A, derived from deep yellow caro-

tenes, including beta-carotene, and an excellent source of vitamin C.

The edible part of one seven-ounce mango has 3.7 g dietary fiber

(primarily the soluble fiber pectin), 1,584 IU vitamin A (69 percent of the

RDA for a woman, 53 percent of the RDA for a man), 57 mg vitamin C (79

percent of the RDA for a woman, 63 percent of the RDA for a man), and

29 mg folate (7 percent of the RDA).

Unripe mangoes contain antinutrients, protein compounds that

inhibit amylases (the enzymes that make it possible for us to digest

starches) and catalase (the iron-containing enzyme that protects our cells

by splitting potentially damaging peroxides in our body into safe water

and oxygen). As the fruit ripens the enzyme inhibitors are inactivated.

The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food

Ripe, chilled, and freshly cut.

Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food

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