How to manage Mango intake if are a Diabetic

Mango season is back again. At every fruit stall we are overwhelmed with the delicious fragrance of fresh mango. Not to mention the addictive power this fruit has if you decide to just have one slice or piece. Before you know it you will be eating the whole mango and dreaming of eating one more or one or two every day.

You may even justify it saying after all it’s only for 2-3 months in the year so why not? Mango is a fruit with all the goodness of fruits, in that it contain natural sugars, glucose and fructose, it has lots of vitamins and minerals and fiber. However it is dangerous for those suffering from diabetes, triglyceride problems and obesity.

The reason it is dangerous for a diabetic is that it contains a large amount of sugar as compared to other fruits like sweet lime or watermelon. It is very pulpy in nature and it has a high Gycemic index.

Glycemic index is a numerical value given to foods, which denotes the rate at which a persons blood sugar levels will rise soon after that particular food is consumed. E.g. Glycemic index of mango is 55, that of banana is 53 but that of orange is 43 and apple is only 36. Similarly Glycemic index of rice is 88, ragi is 68 and whole wheat flour (atta) is only 60.

We have observed that diabetics go into many complications of diabetes starting from sugar levels suddenly shooting up, skin rashes flaring, eye sight blurring, etc. during the mango season.

If your blood sugar levels are below 140 mg/dl post prandial or below 110 mg/dl fasting then you may have half a mango, in the mid morning, between 10.30 to 11.30 am., once or twice in a week.

Those with a triglyceride problem too need to be aware that though their problem is about fat or lipids in the blood, excess sugar that comes from eating too many mangos gets converted to triglycerides.100 calories for 100 gms of the edible part of the mango is the caloric value. All excess calories from repeated consumption of mangoes can get stored in the blood as triglyceride.

Those who are trying to lose weight must avoid mango completely till your target weight is reached. If you are on a 2-3 months programme tell yourself that you will avoid the mango this season. If you are 30, then tell yourself that you have eaten it for 30 seasons, so no big deal if you miss this season. The next season will always come again and you can be your dream weight and eat your mango too.