Mango: Eating this seasonal fruit does not make you gain weight, instead helps in weight loss

Along with its sumptuous tropical flavour, mangoes deliver a bevy of nutrients too.  

Consuming seasonal fruits is a delight; after all you have waited for months to savour their taste again. Summers are here and so are mangoes! Remember the days when as kids we would savour this fruit by stealing it from neighbourhood trees and run like there’s no tomorrow? Nostalgic much? Who wouldn’t remember mangoes as their favourite fruit as kids!

Belonging to the flowering plant Mangifera (scientific name), mangoes are native to South Asia. India is one of the largest producers of this fruit, followed by China and Thailand. The king of fruits is not only known for its sugary element, but is also healthy in more ways than one. Along with its sumptuous tropical flavour, mangoes deliver a bevy of nutrients too.

A lot of people these days avoid eating mangoes as much as they would like. They think that eating mangoes everyday could make you put on weight. Mangoes are fat free, cholesterol free and salt free and are super fruits for summers. They are great nourishers for the body. However, that does not mean one eats mangoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Excess of anything makes you gain weight. Similar is the case with mango, if you eat above the calorie limit, you are bound to gain weight. So, the misconception around mangoes making you gain weight might not be true after all. Maintaining portion control is key here.

In fact, mangoes can help in losing weight, only if they are eaten within a specified calorie limit. Mango is rich in vitamin C and vitamin A, iron, copper and abundant potassium that is great for the body. It is an energy food and provides sugar rush to your body keeping you energetic and active throughout the day.

However, it is imperative to keep a check on your calorie limit as excess intake of mango may bloat your tummy and create problems for digestion. Indians love to have mangoes after a meal, which means we are consuming extra calories. To avoid these extra calories that later store as fats in the body, you must refrain from taking mangoes right after a meal to prevent weight gain. It is advisable to savour mangoes around mid-morning or as an evening snack.