Arvind Kejriwal is “creating a ground for bail” by deliberately eating mangoes, aloo puri and sweets as well as having tea with sugar to raise his blood sugar level, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told a Delhi Court on Thursday. In this complicated world of humans, it is the king of fruit that is bearing the brunt.
However, how much of a danger does mango pose to human sugar levels?
“The glycemic load of mango is 51, which is classified as low. Its glycemic index has been found to be similar to that of other tropical and subtropical fruits…. Mangoes may be eaten in moderation by persons with diabetes. While they are purported to have multiple benefits on metabolism, one must be mindful of total caloric intake, portion size, frequency and glycemic load, while consuming this fruit,” said a joint study Mango and diabetes conducted byBharti Kalra, Lovely Gupta from Department of Dietetics, Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, Deepak Khandelwal from Department of Endocrinology, Maharaja Agrasen Hospital and Nishant Choubey from Department of Culinary Science, The Roseate, Gurgaon.
The National Library of Medicine in a study Effects of Fresh Mango Consumption on Blood Glucose, Insulin, and Other Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Adults noted that “Twelve weeks of daily mango consumption significantly decreased blood glucose, CRP, and aspartate transaminase (AST) activity while TAC significantly increased (P < 0.05). There were no significant changes in body weight, body fat percentage, blood pressure, insulin, lipid profile, or other liver function enzymes following mango consumption.”
In the article Amazing Benefits of Mangoes for Diabetes by The Diabetes Council, the benefits of mango for diabetics is given. “One of the non-listed components of mangoes is a substance known as mangiferin—which, in addition to anti-inflammatory and anti-viral activities, also can help lower blood sugar levels,” it said.
“It is unclear how many mangoes Kejriwal is consuming behind bars, but it is certainly true that the fruit alone cannot significantly elevate his sugar levels.
Mangoes and India have a deeply intertwined relationship. India is one of the largest producers of mangoes in the world and the fruit holds a special place in Indian culture, cuisine, and even mythology. The fruit is mentioned in Valmiki’s Ramayana and having a mango garden was a matter of pride in ancient India. It is from India that fruit travelled to the rest of the world right up to the Atlantic shores.
While mango motifs are common in Indian art, textiles and architecture, the variety of the fruits is many – Alphonso (Hapus), Dasheri, Langra, Kesar and Totapuri among others.
Haven’t we heard about ‘mango diplomacy’? However, how successful the king of fruits has been in its diplomatic missions is a matter of debate. In 1955, prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru gifted Dasheri and Langra saplings to Zhou Enlai, but then we had 1962! Whether it is diabetes or diplomacy, the mango always wins in one aspect – its taste.
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