One of the best parts of summer is the arrival of the King of Fruits, Mango. Did you know that mango is a fruit that is eaten fresh more than any other fruit, across the world? And there are more than 1000 different varieties of mango grown across the world, many in India itself. So, through this summer, you can explore many varieties like Mallika, Bainganpally, Malgoa, Raspuri, Thothapuri, Dasheri and of course, the world-famous Alphonso and many more.
It is old Indian wisdom, that seasonal fruits are supposed to be eaten during the season, and that they do not generally cause any harm. But mango is also associated with stomach disorders. The key to this is that everything, when eaten within limits, is good and should not be overeaten. In order to ensure this, we Indians also make a variety of dishes with mangoes, since the cooked food is also said to be much safer. Whatever, whichever way you enjoy it, make sure that you gorge on some delicious mangoes this year, for they are actually good for you. Please note mangoes are to be avoided if specifically advised by your doctor. So make a quick check if in doubt.
Benefits of Mango
Mangoes are said to be good for your health in many different ways. It is good for your skin and lowers cholesterol. It has rich antioxidants that can help you keep diseases like cancer at bay. In fact, mangoes also have sufficient Vitamin A to provide you with your daily dose and ensure your eye health. They can actually also improve your digestion by helping break down the proteins and the fibre in mangoes also helps in having a better digestive tract. Mangoes also contain Vitamin C that helps boost your immunity system. In fact, mangoes contain more than 20 Vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to us.
Consumption of mangoes can help reduce age and asthma-related issues and also help in calcium absorption, which is important for bone health. Bone health is one of the major concerns of ageing and hence, mangoes can help you with that. It is also said that mangoes eaten in moderation, can help with sugar and insulin levels as it is high in fibre content. Mangoes even help with heart diseases it contains potassium and many other beneficial Vitamins.
The Vitamin A and C in mangoes can help a lot in keeping your skin healthy and your hair moisturized. It also helps in maintaining collagen that is essential for the structure of skin and hair.
How to consume?
The benefits of eating mangoes are many, so it is evident that you should eat it. So, what are the different ways to consume mangoes? Mangoes can be had fresh, or beaten into a juice or a milkshake or even topped with ice creams to make it more delectable for the summer. Raw mangoes can be used to make pickles, chutney, chunda, murabba or even aampanna, that is so refreshing for the summer. Ripe mangoes can be used to make many dishes, or jam, cakes, ice creams, or even beaten into a lassi with curd.
Aam ras puri is a favourite dish of Maharashtra that you can try out and it is usually a big hit among the kids. In fact many variations of the mango dish like barfi, kheer, phirni etc. are made, apart from the traditional dishes in different parts of India.
Whichever part of India you are in, it is for sure that you will find a few different varieties of mangoes, coming to you in the summer. So, this summer, think about the benefits and enjoy the King of Fruits, even more, in many different forms.
