Mango reduces blood sugar spikes, belly fat when eaten instead of bread, says study: How can this change your breakfast?

This was a randomized controlled trial held among 35 adults with Type 2 diabetes who consumed either 250 grams/day (one small-sized fruit) of Safeda or Dasheri mangoes, or an equivalent amount of white bread at breakfast for eight weeks. The study was led by Dr Sugandha Kehar, Fortis C-DOC Hospital and co-authored by Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Fortis Healthcare.

Why is the study significant?

“We chose mango because it is the most loved fruit, has never been studied but is maligned for its sugar-raising effect. Breads carry no such warnings for diabetics and feature regularly in most breakfasts. The studies show that within prescribed diets, consumption of mangoes is not detrimental to blood glucose and may even be beneficial,” says Dr Kehar.

“So far, nobody has rigorously looked at mangoes and their effects on blood glucose levels. There are some studies from other countries but they are not with the Indian varieties of mangoes,” says Dr Misra. “This is a thorough study and the messaging is clear. The mango has to replace the carbohydrates and not be added on top of it. Even something as healthy as almonds — would be bad without portion control and reductions in calories.”

What did the study find?

Participants were sorted in groups that consumed either Safeda (10), Dasheri (10), or bread (15) for eight weeks. Researchers found that consuming mangoes decreased fasting blood glucose level by 26.9 mg/dL with Safeda and 36.1 mg/dL with Dasheri. The study also showed that having mango instead of bread reduced HbA1c levels — the average blood glucose count of three months. The HbA1c levels went down by 0.9 percentage points with Safeda and 0.5 percentage points with Dasheri as compared to bread.

Insulin resistance in the groups consuming mangoes went down by 1.7 and 1.2 respectively. Participants on Safeda and Dasheri weighed 2.4 kg and 2.1 kg less than those who consumed bread. Importantly, both the mango groups showed significant reductions in waist circumference and an increase in good cholesterol levels.

“The study was done in three phases. In the oral tolerance test, which is done after two hours of a meal, mangoes produced a similar or lower blood sugar response than bread in both diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. Phase 2, where subjects were studied for three days with the continuous glucose monitor (CGM), showed how glucose levels were significantly lower after mango consumption compared to bread in diabetic participants. But it was after a two-month study that we found mango consumption led to decreased body weight, waist circumference (indicative of unhealthy abdominal fat), and skinfold thickness (indicative of unhealthy fat under the skin) compared to the bread group,” says Dr Kehar.

When and how much mangoes can be had to keep sugar in safe limits?

First of all, mango will raise blood sugar after major meals if had as a dessert. “So here we used it as a meal component replacement, using it instead of bread, thereby sticking to the limits of daily calorie allowance. For best results, the mango must be portion-controlled and paired with protein,” Dr Kehar advises. Her suggestion? Never exceed 250 gm or a small sized mango in your breakfast. If not breakfast, then you can have mango as a mid-meal snack between breakfast and lunch or between lunch and dinner. “In our study we combined mango with toned milk and home-made curd, also from toned milk. So there was no calorie overload. Avoid mango after heavy meals.”