As its Mango season again, the most common myth in every household is    “should our diabetic family members eat mangoes?”. The answer is YES , people with diabetes can eat mangoes , but in moderate quantity. 

Mango is definitely a high calorie fruit, but it also contains good amount of fiber and several micronutrients.  A ripe mango contains approx. 60 calorie per 100 gram. Along with this it also contains lot of dietary fiber and Vitamin C.

Mangoes should best be consumed as a mid-meal snack, instead of having it as a sweet dish post a major meal. People with diabetes can have half a mango, which may provide 15 gmcarbohydrate , as a snack between breakfast and lunch, or between lunch and dinner. It becomes all the more beneficial if combined with milk or curd, as it provides added protein. But one most avoid adding sugars to these as it dissolves the purpose.  Similar rule must be applied for other high calorie fruits as well, eg Banana, Chikkoo, Grapes etc.

Mangoes are considered as a Low Glycaemic index fruit, as they contain lot of fiber. Glycaemic index is a scoring from 1-100 for any food product, based on how quickly it is digested and sugars can be detected in the blood stream. The presence of fiber in the fruit lowers its glycaemic index and it is further lowered if combined with a protein ( milk/ curd).

Therefore, everyone suffering from diabetes can enjoy Mangoes, in moderation, without affecting their sugar control.