A new study shows that daily consumption of mango and avocado improves blood vessel function and blood pressure in adults with prediabetes, offering a simple, nutrient-rich dietary adjustment to support long-term cardiovascular heart health.
Daily Fruit Consumption and Cardiovascular Health
Eating an avocado and a cup of mango every day may provide surprising benefits for heart health, according to a new study involving adults with prediabetes, as published on the ScienceDaily website. After just eight weeks, participants experienced significant improvements in blood vessel function and diastolic blood pressure, particularly among men. These benefits occurred without weight gain or changes in calorie intake, suggesting that the nutrient-rich combination could support cardiovascular health through a simple dietary adjustment.
Eating mango and avocado every day could offer unexpected benefits for heart health, according to new research. In a study lasting just eight weeks, adults with prediabetes who regularly ate both fruits experienced improvements in blood vessel function and blood pressure, without gaining weight or consuming more calories, as per the ScienceDaily website. The findings could be especially relevant to the one in three (98 million) Americans with prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are elevated but have not yet reached the threshold for type 2 diabetes. Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the research suggests that incorporating these two nutrient-rich fruits into everyday meals may help support cardiovascular health. Researchers at Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) investigated the effects of an Avocado-Mango (AM) diet that included one medium Hass avocado and one cup of fresh mango each day. Participants followed this eating plan for eight weeks, while a comparison group consumed a similar diet in which the fruits were replaced with carbohydrate-based foods containing equivalent calories. The results revealed notable differences between the groups, particularly in how well their blood vessels functioned and how their blood pressure changed over time.
Mango and Avocado Improve Blood Vessel Function
One of the clearest improvements involved the ability of blood vessels to expand as blood flows through them. This flexibility helps maintain healthy circulation and is an important indicator of cardiovascular health. To evaluate this response, researchers measured flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a commonly used test of endothelial function (blood vessel health). The endothelium is the thin layer of cells lining the inside of blood vessels, where it helps regulate circulation and the widening and narrowing of arteries. Among participants eating avocado and mango, the measurement increased significantly to 6.7%. In contrast, it declined to 4.6% in the control group. The difference suggests that regularly consuming these fruits may help blood vessels function more effectively.
Blood pressure measurements also showed encouraging changes, especially among male participants. Men in the control group experienced an average increase of 5 points (mmHg) in central blood pressure, while those consuming avocado and mango saw a reduction of approximately 1.9 points, as per the study published on the ScienceDaily website Diastolic blood pressure, the lower number in a blood pressure reading, reflects the pressure inside arteries when the heart relaxes between beats. Maintaining healthy levels is important because elevated blood pressure can place additional strain on the cardiovascular system. Researchers noted that the differences observed in the study could be clinically meaningful if they persist over time. Importantly, the cardiovascular improvements occurred without significant changes in participants' body weight or total calorie consumption. This suggests that the nutritional quality of the foods people eat may influence heart health even when their weight remains stable.
A Simple Dietary Change With Potential Heart Benefits
“This research reinforces the power of food-first strategies to help reduce cardiovascular disease risk, particularly in vulnerable populations like those with prediabetes,” said Britt Burton-Freeman, PhD, Principal Investigator and Professor at Illinois Tech. “It’s an encouraging message: small, nutrient-dense additions—like incorporating avocado and mango into meals and snacks—may support heart health without the need for strict rules or major dietary overhauls,” added Brit as quoted in ScienceDaily website.
Beyond the improvements in blood vessel function and blood pressure, participants eating mango and avocado consumed more fiber, vitamin C, and monounsaturated fat. These nutrients are associated with cardiovascular wellness and may help explain some of the observed benefits. Researchers also identified improvements in certain indicators of kidney health, including estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a measurement used to assess how effectively the kidneys filter waste from the blood. However, the fruits did not produce significant improvements in every health measurement. Cholesterol levels, blood sugar, and markers of inflammation remained largely unchanged compared with the control group. Together, the results suggest that regularly including nutrient-rich fruits in the diet could be a practical way to support cardiovascular health, particularly for people with prediabetes who face an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Why Mango and Avocado May Benefit the Heart
Although mango and avocado have very different flavours and nutritional profiles, they provide complementary nutrients that support several aspects of cardiovascular and metabolic health. Mango provides dietary fiber (2g/serving, 7% DV, Mango serving size: ¾ cup) and is an excellent source of vitamin C (50% DV). Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage, while fiber contributes to healthy digestion and may help with blood sugar regulation, weight management, and cardiovascular wellness.
Avocado offers another combination of potentially beneficial nutrients. It contains fiber (3g/serving, 11% DV, Avocado serving size: 50 g (1/3 of a medium avocado)), which plays a role in managing cholesterol, blood sugar, and body weight. It also supplies unsaturated fats (6g unsaturated fats), which can support heart health by helping reduce LDL cholesterol, often called bad cholesterol, when they replace less healthy fats in the diet. Additionally, avocado contains potassium (250mg, 6% DV), a mineral involved in regulating blood pressure. By providing fiber, antioxidants, healthy fats, and potassium, mango and avocado offer a convenient way to increase the nutritional value of everyday meals. However, the study did not establish whether eating the two fruits together provides greater benefits than consuming either fruit separately.
Easy Ways to Add Mango and Avocado to Your Diet
Incorporating these fruits into meals does not require a complicated eating plan. Their contrasting flavours and textures make them useful ingredients in salads, smoothies, and grain bowls. For example, fresh mango can add sweetness to a savoury dish, while avocado contributes a rich, creamy texture. Both can be used in recipes such as Mango Avocado Tuna Ceviche or an Avocado and Mango Topper. Additional recipes and nutritional information are available at Mango.org and LoveOneToday.com.
How Researchers Conducted the Eight-Week Study
The investigation included 82 adults between the ages of 25 and 60 who had prediabetes and were classified as having overweight or obesity (BMI 25–35 kg/m2). All participants were generally healthy, did not smoke, were not following specialised diets, and had no major chronic medical conditions. Over eight weeks, participants followed calorie-controlled eating plans modelled on typical American dietary patterns. One group ate a medium Hass avocado and a cup of fresh mango daily, while the control group received carbohydrate-based alternatives with comparable calorie content. To make the comparison as consistent as possible, researchers prepared and supplied meals covering 75% of each participant's estimated daily calorie needs. Participants chose their remaining foods independently, allowing some flexibility while helping the researchers limit differences between the two diets and encourage adherence.
The primary measurement was flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a noninvasive method for assessing how effectively blood vessels respond to increased circulation. Researchers also examined blood pressure, blood sugar, and other metabolic indicators, inflammation, kidney function, and dietary nutrient intake. Despite the additional fruits, the avocado and mango group did not experience significant changes in body weight or overall calorie intake. This finding suggests that incorporating nutrient-dense foods into an otherwise balanced diet may improve certain aspects of cardiometabolic health without necessarily contributing to weight gain.
Promising Results, but More Research Is Needed
The study had several strengths, including its carefully controlled feeding approach, two parallel comparison groups, and emphasis on whole fruits rather than isolated nutrients or supplements. However, researchers also acknowledged important limitations. The intervention lasted only eight weeks, so it remains unclear whether the improvements would persist over months or years. The participants also represented a relatively narrow population of adults with prediabetes and overweight or obesity, meaning the findings may not apply equally to people with different health conditions or dietary habits. The research measured cardiovascular risk indicators rather than long-term outcomes such as heart attacks or strokes. Larger and longer studies will be needed to determine whether the observed changes translate into lasting reductions in cardiovascular disease risk. Nevertheless, the findings offer an encouraging indication that relatively modest changes in food choices may benefit blood vessel health, even without weight loss or a major dietary overhaul. This study was supported through an unrestricted grant from the National Mango Board (NMB) and the Hass Avocado Board (HAB). NMB and HAB had no role in the study design or findings, as quoted by the ScienceDaily website. (ANI)
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