08-08-2025
Mango instead of bread can reduce blood sugar spikes, belly fat, says study: How can this change your breakfast?
What if there was something better than multigrain bread to pair your yogurt or eggs with for breakfast? And what if that happened to be something that for years has been feared to spike blood sugar but is everyone's summer favourite? Yes, mango, in restricted amounts and as a replacement for refined and processed carbs, blunts blood sugar spike compared to breads among those living with Type 2 diabetes, say researchers.
This is a significant departure from conventional dietary advice for diabetes management which steers clear of mangoes as it is a high-sugar fruit. The findings, in two parts, were published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders, with evidence-based reassurance for including mangoes in prescribed diabetic diets.
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, Executive Chairman & Director, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Fortis C-Doc Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences. '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.
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 was a short-term study where subjects were studied for three days with the continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Here too, glucose levels were found to be significantly lower after mango consumption compared to bread in diabetic participants, suggesting greater stability.
But it was after a two-month study that we found that the mango group experienced reductions in fasting blood glucose, HbA1c (average blood sugar count of three months) and improved their insulin function. 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. HDL (high-density lipoprotein or good cholesterol) levels improved significantly.
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. 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.
