by Recently Nutrients The study analyzed the beneficial effects of mango consumption in two age subgroups: women of childbearing age (WCA) and older adults.
Study: Mango Consumption Associated with Higher Nutrient Intake and Diet Quality for Playing-Age Women Children and Older Adults. Image Credit: Parkin Srihawong/Shutterstock.com
Background
Recently, nutritional research has focused primarily on nutritional equity, meaning that everyone, regardless of ethnicity, gender, life stage and economic status, should have access to healthy, nutritious food.
Taking into account unique nutritional needs at different stages of life, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) has designed tailored food guidance for children, pregnant women and older adults.
The DGA particularly targeted pregnant women as they are at increased risk of developing gestational diabetes, gestational weight gain (GWG), preeclampsia and hypertension.
However, these risks can be significantly reduced by following a high-quality diet. Pregnant women are encouraged to increase their intake of folate, protein, calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, iron, potassium and fibre.
Increasing fruit consumption can significantly improve diet quality, increasing the intake of essential nutrients.
In addition to pregnant women, the DGA focused on people over 60 years of age as this group is at greater risk of developing chronic health conditions, such as bone/muscle diseases, cardiovascular events, and cancers.
Previous studies have shown that older adults have lower energy but have the same or higher nutritional needs compared to younger people.
A recent survey has documented that levels of numerous nutrients, such as zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium, folate, and vitamins A, C, D, and E, were below the estimated average requirement (EAR) in many older adults. old and pregnant. women.
To reduce the nutritional deficit, the DGA encourages pregnant and lactating women and elderly women to eat between 1.5 and 2 cups of fruit daily. Several studies have shown that mangoes contain various nutritional components.
For example, a cup of mango contains 277 mg of potassium, 18.2 mg of calcium, 2.6 g of fiber, 71 µg of folate, 16.5 mg of magnesium, and 60.1 mg of vitamin C, with less than 100 calories.
About the study
The current study hypothesized that daily mango consumers, ie WCA and older adults, would have a higher intake of beneficial nutrients and better diet quality than non-consumers.
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), generated between 1999 and 2018, were used to develop a large study cohort, which helped to test the aforementioned hypothesis.
NHANES is a government survey designed to routinely measure the nutritional and health status of US citizens. The dietary component of NHANES was used in this study.
Results of the study
The mean intake of mango by the WCA and the older adults group was estimated to be 90.1g and 91.3g, respectively. Compared to female consumers, males consumed approximately 3.8g more manganese.
Interestingly, mango consumers in both study groups showed higher intakes of several nutrients than non-consumers. In addition, mango consumers belonging to both groups had improved diet quality scores, ie. WCA and older adults.
Based on the results, incorporating mangoes into the diet would help alleviate nutritional deficiencies of important nutrients recommended by the DGA for WCA and older adults.
Regardless of mango consumption status, WCA was found to be more than 25% below the maximum component score for fruit. Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase fruit intake in this group of individuals.
Previous studies have identified many barriers, such as finances, physical pregnancy symptoms, and time constraints, that prevent appropriate fruit intake in WCA. These factors must be addressed to ensure healthy eating during pregnancy.
This study noted that WCA who ate mangoes had higher levels of magnesium and fiber, which could help reduce adverse pregnancy conditions such as gestational diabetes and hypertension. Interestingly, lower added sugar intake was found among mango consumers in WCA.
Not surprisingly, increasing mango consumption among older adults may help delay or prevent the onset of chronic diseases.
Consistent with the results of previous studies, the current study showed that daily intake of fruit would improve the quality of the diet of the elderly, which, in turn, could boost their immune system.
Conclusions
Since WCA and older adults were found to benefit from mangoes, this study strongly recommends the inclusion of mangoes in the diet.
Inclusion of mango in the diet improves nutrient intake and improves diet quality in specific life stages of American adults.
More research is needed on individual outcomes to understand their impact on meeting the nutritional needs of different age groups.
