Is Dried Mango Bad For You?

Dried Mango has multiple health benefits and nutritional value.  Making dried mango consists of cutting strips of fresh mango, placing them in a dehydrator (or dry naturally) to remove most of the moisture.  These strips can be covered in layers of rice bran oil.  Dehydrating the fruit can result in lowering the nutritional value compared to the fresh fruit itself. In the case of dried fruits, the water-soluble vitamin content is lowered considerably but the fat-soluble vitamin content remains strong.  Fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E and K.

Dried mango is a good source of the antioxidant vitamin A which is important for healthy eyesight and a strong immune system. Vitamin A is a natural antimicrobial and promotes healthy skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin A boosts bone growth, assists in a healthy neurologic system, can lower cholesterol and has cancer-fighting properties.  

Dried mango contains polyphenols (a large class of natural chemical compounds found in plants). Dried mango is also a good source of vitamins B, D and E.  It has minimal vitamin C.  All of these nutrients contribute to the excellent antioxidant properties of dried mango.  Several times a day, foods high in antioxidant power should be ingested.

Antioxidants help to combat toxic free radicals that enter our bodies daily. We live in a very toxic society and when toxins enter our body they can enter via our skin, our digestive tract and our pulmonary tract.  These impurities have an adverse impact on the body and cause the formation of free radicals.  These free radicals cause oxidation of the internal body that can lead to cellular damage and DNA damage.  This can predispose to degenerative disease, inflammatory disease, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, vital organ damage, skin disease and malignancy.

Another important health benefit from dried mango is that it is high in fiber.  This supports a healthy digestive system and can help with the prevention of colon cancer.

Dietary fiber includes all parts of plant foods that your body can't digest or absorb. Unlike other food components, such as fats, proteins or carbohydrates - which your body breaks down and absorbs - fiber isn't digested. It passes relatively intact through your stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon) and out of your body. Fiber helps to remove toxins from your body and is helpful with weight loss and glucose control. 

Dried mango contains both types of fiber, soluble and insoluble.  Soluble fiber absorbs water and will swell and become a gel-like substance. Soluble fiber has multiple benefits, most importantly helping to lower blood sugar levels (by lowering the absorption of sugar) and assisting in lowering bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Studies also demonstrate that soluble fiber is very heart healthy, can help with inflammation and even lower blood pressure.

Insoluble fiber does not absorb or dissolve in water. Insoluble fiber offers many benefits to our intestinal health, including a reduction in the risk and occurrence of hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation.

Dried mango has little to no fat but its calories come mainly from carbohydrates.  If you are looking to lose weight and control glucose levels then smaller amounts of dried mango are recommended.  You want to avoid brands that have additional added sugar.

Some dried fruits contain sulfur dioxide to enhance shelf life and brighten the color of the fruit.  Sulfites can induce an allergic response in some individuals that may include rash, shortness of breath with wheezing or even anaphylaxis.  Choosing organic dried fruits is the best way to avoid sulfur dioxide or any preservatives.  Organic dried fruits do not last as long but freezing them will extend the shelf life.