Is eating a high-sugar snack a bad idea when it comes to maintaining healthy blood sugar and weight?
Most of us would automatically answer ‘yes’ to that question.
But according to scientists at George Mason University, it actually depends on which snack you pick.
In fact, choosing one specific tropical fruit, packed with over 30 grams of sugar, can not only help you shed unwanted body fat, but also improve insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control.
Here’s the fruit — packing a sugary punch — that actually decreases diabetes worries…
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It’s about the whole food – not just the sugar
In a long-term clinical trial on the effects of mangoes on diabetes parameters and body composition, researchers were able to demonstrate that, “It is not just the sugar content that matters, but the overall food context that matters.”
As they point out, despite the fact that tropical fruits, like mangoes, are often considered to be too sugary (sporting anywhere from 10 – 50 grams of sugar), the sugars found in these fruits don’t occur in a vacuum.
Instead, they are enhanced by fiber and other vitamins and nutrients that are net positives for your health.
Yet many of us mistakenly reach for lower sugar snacks, like breakfast cereals and granola bars, that may not have the same nutritional value and can even increase diabetes risk.
In fact, in a study spanning six months, the researchers were able to prove that compared to eating a low-sugar granola bar with just 11 grams of sugar daily, consuming 32 grams of sugar from mangoes resulted in:
- Improved blood glucose control
- Enhanced insulin sensitivity
- Reduced body fat
When asked about what the researchers hoped to achieve through the study, clinical nutrition researcher Raedeh Basiri, replied: “The goal is to encourage people to include whole fruits, like mango, as part of healthy eating behaviors and practical dietary strategies for diabetes prevention.”
She went on to encourage that, “Individuals at high risk of diabetes should not only focus on the sugar content of foods, but on how sugars are delivered.”
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Beyond blood sugar: mangoes deliver for your health
And the good news that comes from eating mangoes goes beyond reducing diabetes markers and supporting a healthy weight…
Previous studies have found that the tropical fruit can also offer amazing heart and gut health benefits.
Research in postmenopausal women showed that eating mangoes lowered systolic blood pressure, as well as pulse pressure (a hallmark of heart health) in just two hours.
And scientists at Texas A&M University in College Station found that eating more mango can offer key benefits for those living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including everything from reducing symptoms to decreasing endotoxin levels associated with inflammatory conditions.
This makes mango a powerhouse fighting against a quadruple-threat of health issues, blood sugar issues, obesity, poor heart health and gut inflammation.
So my advice is to eat up!
Enjoy a mango a day to keep health problems away.
Sources:
This high-sugar fruit may actually lower diabetes risk — ScienceDaily
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