Mango and insulin sensitivity in overweight adults
What it found
In adults with overweight or obesity and chronic low-grade inflammation, eating mango daily for 4 weeks lowered fasting insulin and improved a measure of insulin resistance compared with a control product.
Inflammation markers did not change.
What they found
Studies in people
Inflammation markers
After 4 weeks, levels of IL-6, TNFα and hs-CRP were not different between the mango and control groups.
Fasting insulin and glucose
Fasting insulin was lower in the mango group than the control group (8.2 vs. 15.3 µIU/mL). Fasting glucose was not significantly different between groups.
Insulin resistance measure
HOMA-IR, a measure of insulin resistance, was lower in the mango group than the control group (2.28 vs. 4.67). The disposition index, which reflects how well beta cells compensate for insulin resistance, was also better in the mango group.
Insulin after glucose drink
After the glucose tolerance test, insulin levels were lower at week 4 compared with week 0 in the mango group, but not in the control group.
Body weight
Body weight did not change significantly in the mango group, but increased modestly in the control group (about 0.87 kg). The difference in weight change between groups was statistically significant.
Gene expression
The activity of the Nrf-2 gene, which helps regulate antioxidant defences, roughly doubled in the mango group compared with baseline, but this change was not statistically significant. TLR2 and TLR4 gene activity did not differ between groups.
What the authors conclude
“Collectively, the data suggest that mango intake increased insulin sensitivity in individuals with chronic low-grade inflammation, possibly through activating Nrf-2 genes and increasing cellular antioxidant status.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that mango intake increased insulin sensitivity in individuals with chronic low-grade inflammation, possibly through activating Nrf-2 genes and increasing cellular antioxidant status.
- They say the data support consuming mango fruit as part of a dietary pattern to address insulin resistance.
- They call for further research to understand the mechanisms behind mango's effects.
How it was done
Chronic low-grade inflammation is linked to insulin resistance and poor blood sugar control, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. The authors wanted to test whether regular mango intake would improve inflammation and insulin sensitivity in people with overweight or obesity and chronic low-grade inflammation.
They ran a 4-week randomised, controlled, single-blinded trial in 48 adults with overweight or obesity and chronic low-grade inflammation. Participants ate either mango or a control product (1 cup twice a day) and had an oral glucose tolerance test before and after the 4 weeks.
What it can’t tell you
- The study lasted only 4 weeks, so it cannot show what happens with longer-term mango intake.
- The study cannot prove that mango itself caused the improvements, only that they were linked to the mango group in this trial.
- The study did not find changes in inflammation markers, so it cannot explain how mango might affect insulin sensitivity.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by National Mango board (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- A.S., I.E., and B.B.F. received funds to review literature for the National Mango Board. AS, IE, and BBF have also received research grants from the National Mango Board. K.P., P.G.A., and C.W. declare no conflicts of interest. All authors have no potential commercial interests to declare.
- Authors work at
- Institute for Food Safety and Health, USA
The paper
- Title
- Mango Consumption Is Associated with Increased Insulin Sensitivity in Participants with Overweight/Obesity and Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Pett KD, Alex PG, Weisfuss C, Sandhu A, Burton-Freeman B, Edirisinghe I (2025). Mango Consumption Is Associated with Increased Insulin Sensitivity in Participants with Overweight/Obesity and Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu17030490Free full textPubMed 39940348DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error