Have you ever wondered what would happen if you took a mango and dried it down to make a fruit powder and then performed a clinical trial?
A research group asked this question and recently published their results in the journal Planta Medica and tested dried mango to see if it could improve blood vessel function.
More specifically they tested the effect of dried mango powder in a clinical trial on microcirculation in patients. Microcirculation is often decreased in patients with high blood pressure (hypertension) and patients with diabetes.
Mangoes (Mangifera indica) are known to contain high levels of bioactive compounds including vitamins, carotenoids, and polyphenols such as mangiferin.
High levels of polyphenols in the mango include the xanthonoid mangiferin, flavonoids, and phenolic acids which are all believed to be responsible for the health promoting properties of mango
The purpose of this clinical trial was to determine the best dose for a mango fruit extract on microcirculation.
The results of this study were published in the journal Plant Medica.
Here are the study details:
– Clinical Trial Design: Double blind, randomized
– Patients: 10 women were enrolled in the study
– Average age of the patients was 55.0 years old, with a BMI of 25.0 ± 2.8 kg/m2
– Mango: 100% pure dried fruit powder was used. Mangos were harvested when they reached their full size (>12 cm) but were green and hard without yellow spots.
– Dose: 100 mg of dried mango fruit was used
Click here to read what makes a mango smell good
Here are the main results:
– Saturation of hemoglobin increased from 52 % before the intake of dried mango fruit 63 % at 6 h for the 100 mg dried mango fruit – group.
– The increase in flow in the 100 mg dosage group reached significance (p = 0.0157) over time after 6 h compared to pre-values measured before the intake of the study product.
– The increase of cutaneous blood flow was 54 % over baseline for 100 mg
– No adverse events were reported
Here are what the authors of the article stated:
Taken together, the present pilot findings indicate moderate beneficial effects of Careless™ on microcirculation in healthy women and could successfully determine an active dosage of Careless™. This pilot study demonstrated that Careless™ is a safe and well-tolerated ingredient for herbal supplementation, which might be of interest for subjects with alterations of microcirculation and endothelial function.
Take away message:
Mango as a dried fruit revealed promising results on microcirculation in women in a small clinical trial. What was surprising is that such a small dose of mango (100 mg) was found to show a benefit after just 1 dose. To put this dose into perspective 1 capsule could hold up to 500 mg of dried mango powder.
Two doses were studied, including 100 mg and 300 mg of mango fruit. Due to the small size of the study it is difficult to determine the optimal dose, however, the lower dose of mango fruit showed promising results. More studies are needed to determine if mangos can provide a long term benefit on microcirculation in patients with high blood pressure and diabetes.
Reference:
In Vitro Activation of eNOS by Mangifera indica (Careless™) and Determination of an Effective Dosage in a Randomized, Double-Blind, Human Pilot Study on Microcirculation. Planta Med. 2016 Mar;82(4):298-304.
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Antioxidant, Blood Pressure, Clinical Trials, Diabetes, Plant Medicine