A recent clinical study found that regular consumption of mango improved insulin sensitivity in individuals with overweight or obesity and chronic low-grade inflammation.
Published in Nutrients, the randomized controlled trial reported that fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance markers improved after four weeks of daily mango intake, while inflammation markers remained unchanged.
The study, conducted at the Illinois Institute of Technology between June 2020 and December 2023, enrolled 48 adults (mean age 37.6 years, BMI 30.5 kg/m²) with chronic low-grade inflammation. Participants were randomized to consume either mango (1 cup twice daily) or an energy-matched control product based on Italian ice with mango flavoring. Researchers measured fasting glucose, insulin, inflammatory markers, and insulin sensitivity indices, including the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and disposition index (DI), before and after the intervention.
"Fasting insulin concentrations were significantly lowered with the mango intervention compared to the control intervention, and insulin resistance status was improved, evidenced by changes in HOMA-IR and disposition index," said Katherine D. Pett from the Center for Nutrition Research, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Institute for Food Safety and Health, Illinois Institute of Technology.
Insulin levels decreased from 15.3 ± 1.2 µIU/mL in the control group to 8.2 ± 1.2 µIU/mL in the mango group (p = 0.05). HOMA-IR improved significantly in the mango group (2.28 ± 1.19 vs. 4.67 ± 1.21, p = 0.03), as did the DI (2.76 ± 1.02 vs. 5.37 ± 1.03, p = 0.04), suggesting enhanced pancreatic beta-cell compensation for insulin resistance.
Additionally, postprandial insulin concentrations were significantly lower at week 4 compared to week 0 in the mango group after the oral glucose tolerance test (p = 0.04). However, fasting glucose levels remained similar between groups (p = 0.51), and no significant changes were observed in lipid profiles or body weight.
Despite initial hypotheses that mango's bioactive compounds might reduce inflammation, inflammatory markers, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), did not change significantly between groups (p > 0.05). The authors noted that the study's timing during the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced inflammatory marker results.
Gene expression analysis indicated a twofold increase in nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) in the mango group, though the change was not statistically significant. Nrf-2 is a key regulator of antioxidant defense, and its increased expression suggests that the benefits might be related to changes in cellular redox activity rather than through an inflammatory pathway.
While the study was limited by its short duration and small sample size, the findings contribute to growing evidence that mango consumption may influence glucose metabolism. Further research is needed to explore the long-term metabolic effects of mango intake and its potential role in dietary strategies for insulin resistance.
The study was funded by the National Mango Board, and the authors reported no competing interests.
