Mangoes serve up metabolic health benefits for adults with prediabetes

Eating mangoes daily may help with glycaemic control, insulin sensitivity, and body composition in adults with prediabetes, as shown in a study.

Over the 24-week intervention period, the mean fasting blood glucose decreased from 113.3 mg/dL at baseline to 107 mg/dL while the mean HbA1c remained stable at 5.7 percent for participants who consumed 300 g of fresh mango daily (treatment group). For those who received a calorie-matched granola bar each day (control group), on the other hand, the mean fasting blood glucose increased from 116.5 to 125.3 mg/dL, and the mean HbA1c increased from 5.5 percent to 5.9 percent. [Foods 2025;14:2971]

The glycaemic improvements seen in the treatment vs the control group were accompanied by lower insulin resistance and greater insulin sensitivity, as measured using the HOMA-IR (p=0.05) and the Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (p<0.02), respectively. 

In terms of body composition, the participants in the treatment group maintained their BMI over 24 weeks, while those in the control group saw a numerical increase. The mean BMI in the treatment group decreased from 24.5 to 24.1 kg/m² by week 12 but returned to 24.5 kg/m² by week 24. In contrast, the control group had their BMI consistently increase from 28.6 to 29.0 kg/m² through week 24.

The mean body fat percentage decreased from 30.5 percent to 29.1 percent at week 24, while the mean fat-free mass increased from 71.4 percent to 72.5 percent for the treatment group. For the control group, the mean body fat percentage decreased from 31.5 percent to 30.6 percent at week 24, while the mean fat-free mass did not significantly change.

“The observed changes in body composition are clinically important, given the strong links between body composition parameters and type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk demonstrated in prior studies,” according to the authors.

Specifically, associations were reported between a lower skeletal muscle mass and increased T2D prevalence among adults under 50 years of age, between decreases in muscle mass over time and the incidence of new-onset diabetes in overweight and obese adults, and between greater relative muscle mass and reductions in insulin resistance and prediabetes risk in a large US population sample. [Nutr Diabetes 2022;12:29; Diabetes Metab J 2024;48:1093-1104; J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2011;96:2898-2903]

The takeaway is that “incorporating fresh mango into the diet may offer a practical, food-based strategy to support glycaemic control and improve the body composition in individuals at high risk for T2D,” they said.

Commenting on the study, first study author Dr Raedeh Basiri from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, US, said, “The goal is to encourage people to include whole fruits, like mango, as part of healthy eating behaviours and practical dietary strategies for diabetes prevention. Individuals at high risk of diabetes should not only focus on the sugar content of foods, but on how sugars are delivered.”

The study included 23 independent-living adult men and postmenopausal women ages 50–70 years who had a BMI of 18.5–34.9 kg/m² and fasting blood glucose levels of 100–125 mg/dL or HbA1c between 5.7 percent and 6.4 percent.

Of the participants, 11 were randomly allocated to the treatment group (mean age 66.18 years, seven female, mean BMI 24.46 kg/m², mean fasting blood glucose 113.27 mg/dL) and 12 to the control group (mean age 65.17 years, 10 female, mean BMI 28.46 kg/m², mean fasting blood glucose 116.5 mg/dL).

Anthropometric measurements, body composition data, and blood samples were collected at baseline and at weeks 6, 12, and 24.