A daily dose of mango may do more than satisfy a sweet tooth — it could help protect heart health after menopause. New research from UC Davis found that eating about 1.5 cups of fresh mango per day lowered both blood pressure and cholesterol in postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Nutrition Association, tracked 24 women ages 50 to 70 over a two-week period. Participants who ate mangos daily saw a 6-point drop in systolic blood pressure just two hours after eating, along with a nearly 13-point drop in both total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by the end of the study.
“These findings help to identify targeted dietary strategies, like eating fresh mangos daily, to aid this at-risk population,” said Roberta Holt, associate researcher at UC Davis.
In a small follow-up, six of the women also saw more stable blood sugar and insulin responses after eating mango compared to white bread, suggesting possible benefits for glucose control as well.
“This study shows that even short-term changes — like eating fresh mangos daily — can make a measurable impact on chronic disease risk in certain populations,” Holt said.
While more research is needed, the findings add to growing evidence that nutrient-dense fruits like mangos can play a meaningful role in supporting cardiovascular and metabolic health, especially during and after menopause.
This study was supported by an unrestricted grant from the National Mango Board, which had no role in the study’s design, data collection, analysis or interpretation.