Guide to the Types and Benefits of Mangoes

Mango also referred to as the “King of fruits”, is a drupe fruit, which means that it has a large seed inside of it. It has been produced in Southeast Asia for over 4,000 years. There are over hundreds of different varieties of mangoes around the world, and every mango has a distinctive taste, size, shape, and color. The fruit is not just tasty, but it also has several nutritional benefits.

Types of Mangoes

Some of the top mangoes of all time have been discussed below

1. Alphonso

While mango is known as the “King of fruits”, Alphonso is called the “King of mangoes”. It is found in India and Pakistan and is rich in vitamins A and C. The availability period of Alphonso is from February to the end of May. Also, the dates of availability depending on the climate, weather, as well as geographical area.

2. Anderson

This one is a seedling of the tree that was planted at the house of Mrs. L.F Anderson in Miami, Florida.  It is a large mango, about 26 to 34cm in size. Its taste is mediocre, but it’s worth mentioning. Anderson belongs to the Genus Mangifera and has an average weight of one pound.

3. Angie

Named after Angela, a trustee of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Angie is a delicious mango cultivar that originated in South Florida. It has a sweet taste like Carrie mango and is considered to be a disease-resistant mango if eaten in a high humidity climate.

4. Anwar Ratol

Anwar Ratol is small in size, which makes it easy to eat. Its flesh is without fiber, and it is considered one of the most demanded mangos in Pakistan and India. Its peak season is from mid-July to August. It is said that this mango was cultivated by Anwar-ul-Haq in a garden in the Ratol area in India. This is how it got its name as well.

Mango slice and mango shake
Jar of mango lassi or mango yogurt smoothie. Healthy tropical fruit smoothie

5. Banganapalli

Banganapalli is the most cultivated mango in the world. This medium-large mango is gold-yellow colored and is very sweet in taste as well as juicy. It has little or no fiber and has a somewhat creamy texture. If you’re looking for a juicy and sweet mango, then this is the right type to go for.

6. Carrie

Carrie mango is only cultivated in the United States. It is a seedling of a Sophie fry from the home of Mr.Lawrence H. Zill of Boynton Beach, and Florida. It was named in honor of Mr. Zill’s mother, Carrie. This mango, although lacking in color, surely covers up when it comes to taste.

7. Chaunsa

This mango is also called “Chausa” sometimes. It is pale yellow and slightly green. The skin of this mango is soft to touch, and its appearance is wrinkly. It is mostly available in the months of June-September in India and Pakistan.

8. Dot

Dot mango is exquisite in taste, and it is a seedling of “Carrie” mango. This type of mango should not be planted in places that have high humidity as it’s highly susceptible to anthracnose.

9. GirKesar

Found in Gujarat, India, GirKesar mango is famous because of its color and scent. This mango is arguably the sweetest and has the best scent, which makes it special. Therefore, we can also call it the “Gujarati Mango”.

10. Haden

Haden is the father of many varieties of mangoes and is found in several countries such as India, Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States. It became the most widely cultivated type of mango in the world when it was introduced in the early 20th century through South Florida. Interestingly, the original tree of Haden mangoes still stands strong in Coconut Grove in Florida.

11. Ivory

Also called“Jingu Ivory Mango”, this long, thin mango is named due to resembling a juvenile elephant’s tusk. Its skin is thin and smooth, and it contains very few fibers, which constitutes 82 percent of the fruit. It was first introduced in Yunnan, China from Thailand in 1914. There are almost 500kg of Ivory mangoes produced every year.

12. Neelam

This fruit is light and weighs about 9-12 oz., and it has a shape of a fat cashew nut. Neelam mangoes are smooth-skinned and bright yellow – they have no blush. The flesh inside of it is deep yellow or orange. It contains no amount of fiber but a rich aromatic flavor. They can be stored for an extended period while other mangoes can’t be stored for this long, which makes Neelam special in its way.

When matured, its color turns green and should be ripened at room temperature from the tree. This mango is found in India and Pakistan.

Chunks of mango
Mango diced on the skin closeup square composition

13. Sammar Bahisht

This mango’s name tells all about the fruit and gives you all the reasons to eat it. Sammar means fruit and Bahisht mean paradise – a fruit from paradise. This is cultivated in Pakistan and India.

14. Raspuri

Raspuri mango is vastly popular in South India. If this fruit is harvested properly at the right time and ripened naturally, it can beat all the mangoes in taste, including Alphonso. Not just in taste but also in the amount of juice per mango. Its taste will leave you speechless and asking for more. It can be found in Karnataka, India.

15. Rosigold

Raasi Gold is one of the earliest season mangoes in South Florida. The quality of this mango is just mediocre, but at that time of the year when there aren’t many fresh mangoes, this mango has its quality unique to itself only.

16. Tommy Atkins

Tommy Atkins is famous as it is sold all around the world and several countries cultivate it, including Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, United States, and Venezuela. This mango has an extremely long life.

17. Zill

Zill has a long history. It is a seedling of Haden, which was planted in 1922 by Carl King of Lake Worth, Florida (US). It is a delicious, high-quality mango that is worth trying. According to a 2005 pedigree analysis, it is said that Zill may have been crossed between Bombay mango and Haden.

Mango harvest fresh
Fresh mangoes fruit in wooden basket harvest from organic farm

Benefits of Mangoes

Mangoes have a very high nutritional value. It contains essential minerals and vitamins that are required by our bodies. Along with being delicious, mangoes are very beneficial for our body and skin as well.

1. Helps Fighting Cancer

Mangoes hold antioxidants like quercetin, fisetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, gallic acid, and methyl gallate. All of them help in defending our bodies against breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and leukemia.

2. Helps in Maintaining Cholesterol Level

There is a vast amount of vitamin C, fiber, and pectin in mangoes, which helps in controlling our cholesterol levels.

For more information, check out this study.

3. Refreshes Skin

There are a lot of benefits of eating mangoes and adding one more to the list is that it cleanses and refreshes your skin from the inside of your body. It heals pores and makes your skin glow. Thus we can say eating mangoes can give you flawless skin.

4. Mango Leaves Help in Curing Diabetes

Mango leaves are good if you want to regulate diabetes. People who are troubled by diabetes should boil some mango leaves in a vessel, then afterward rinse it overnight, and then drink the decoction early in the morning; this will help in regulating diabetes. Also, eating a few mangos won’t increase your blood sugar level. It may lower blood sugar in obese adults.

Mango health benefits
Mango nutrition facts and health benefits infographic. Health benefits of mango

5. Helps in Losing Weight

Mangoes are full of fibrous content; they can increase digestive function and burn unwanted calories from the body. Therefore, it aids you with losing extra weight.

Also, Read – Health Benefits of Passion Fruit.

6. Makes Digestion Better

There are specific enzymes in mangoes that break down protein in the body and help with good digestion. The fiber which is present in a vast amount in mangoes prevents many gastrointestinal-related diseases and promotes your overall gut health.

7. Prevents Heat Stroke

Mango is a summer fruit and consuming it in summer helps you prevent heat stroke, as eating it helps cool you down and refreshes you. It is known as the King of fruits, so don’t forget to consider this delicious and helpful fruit this summer to keep yourself refreshed and prevent the heat from giving you a heat stroke.

Dried mangoes
Dried dehydrated Mangoes on plate on gray concrete background

8. Can Be Used As a Body Scrub

Not just eating the mango provides you with a lot of health benefits, but if you apply mango scrub on your body, it also gives you smoother and tender skin. To make a mango scrub paste, mash the mangoes, add honey and milk to it then massage and leave it on your skin for about 10 to 15 minutes. After that, wash it off to get glowing, smooth, and refreshed skin.

9. Improves Focus and Memory

Some people have difficulty with concentration; they can’t seem to concentrate on something. All these problems can be solved to some extent by eating mangoes. Consuming them will not only improve your concentration level but also will improve your memory.

10. Contains High Iron

Mango contains high iron which is another benefit of this “Superfruit”. While people look for medicines and other solutions, mango with its high iron is a natural remedy for anemic people.

If you are interested, you can learn about other fruits as well over here – Guide to the Different Types of Fruits.

Final Words

There is no doubt why mangoes are referred to as “King of fruits”. They have nutritional benefits and are the sweetest fruit around. There are hundreds of types of mangoes around the world, and all of them are tasty and special in their own way. One can simply not have enough of them as they are both delicious and excellent for health.