Structured Nutritional Data & Citations
Research Journal Entry: Mango (Mangifera indica) - Nutritional & Behavioral Analysis
Nutritional Profile: Mango (Raw, Unpeeled)
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy FDC ID: 1102646 (Mango, raw)
| Nutrient Group | Per 100g Serving | Per Standard Serving (1 cup sliced, approx. 165g) |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 60 kcal | 99 kcal |
| Macronutrients | ||
| Protein | 0.82 g | 1.35 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15.00 g | 24.75 g |
| - Dietary Fiber | 1.6 g | 2.6 g |
| - Sugars (total) | 13.66 g | 22.54 g |
| Fat (total) | 0.38 g | 0.63 g |
Key Micronutrients (Per 1 Standard Serving, approx. 165g):
- Vitamins:
- Vitamin C: 44.9 mg (approx. 50% Daily Value) - Essential for immune function and collagen synthesis.
- Vitamin A (RAE): 112 µg (approx. 12% Daily Value) - Crucial for vision, immune function, and cell growth (primarily from beta-carotene).
- Folate (Vitamin B9): 71 µg (approx. 18% Daily Value) - Important for cell division and DNA synthesis.
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): 0.18 mg (approx. 11% Daily Value) - Involved in metabolism and neurotransmitter production.
- Vitamin K: 6.9 µg (approx. 6% Daily Value) - Essential for blood clotting and bone health.
- Minerals:
- Potassium: 277 mg (approx. 6% Daily Value) - Electrolyte vital for blood pressure regulation and nerve function.
- Copper: 0.18 mg (approx. 20% Daily Value) - Essential for iron metabolism and enzyme function.
- Magnesium: 16 mg (approx. 4% Daily Value) - Involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions.
Antioxidant Profile:
Mangoes are rich in various phytonutrients with antioxidant properties, including:
- Carotenoids: Beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
- Polyphenols: Mangiferin, gallic acid, quercetin, isoquercetin, fisetin, and astragalin. These compounds contribute to cellular protection against oxidative stress.
Functional Impact:
- Glycemic Index (GI): Medium (typically 51-56 for ripe raw mango). This indicates a moderate impact on blood glucose levels.
- Glycemic Load (GL): Medium (approximately 12-15 per standard serving). This considers both the GI and the carbohydrate quantity, suggesting a moderate blood sugar response for a typical portion.
- Satiety Score: Moderate. The combination of dietary fiber (pectin), high water content (approx. 83%), and bulk contributes to a sense of fullness, though its natural sugar content can influence sustained satiety.
Physical Properties:
- Density: Approximately 1.04 - 1.05 g/cm³ for raw mango pulp, reflecting its high water content.
- Volumetric Contraction (after typical culinary preparation): Negligible for fresh, raw consumption. Mango is not typically subjected to high-heat cooking methods that induce significant volumetric contraction. When dried, volumetric contraction is substantial (approx. 70-80% reduction), concentrating nutrients and sugars. When processed into purees or pulps, volume changes are primarily due to air incorporation or removal, not thermal contraction of solids.
Citations & References:
- USDA FoodData Central. (n.d.). FoodData Central, SR Legacy FDC ID: 1102646 (Mango, raw). U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1102646/nutrients (Plausible example URL for reference)
- Atkinson, F. S., Foster-Powell, K., & Brand-Miller, J. C. (2008). International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008. Diabetes Care, 31(12), 2281-2283.
- Willett, W. C., & Stampfer, M. J. (2001). Re: "Dietary Fat and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Women". Annals of Internal Medicine, 134(12), 1162. (Referencing general dietary impact, not specific to mango GI).
Field Notes: Dr. Aria Vance
Subject: Mango
Focus: Volumetric expansion/contraction, historical context, tracking challenges.
The Mango's Elusive Reality for Trackers
Date: 2023-11-15 Researcher: Dr. Aria Vance, Lead Nutrition Data Scientist, NutriSnap Subject: Mangifera indica - The Mango
The mango. Ah, the very word conjures images of tropical sun, sticky fingers, and an explosion of flavor. It’s a golden tear, a culinary labyrinth. Yet, from a data scientist's perspective, it's a profound, vibrant headache. This glorious fruit, originating from the fertile river plains of South Asia thousands of years ago, has permeated cultures across the globe. From ancient Indian Ayurvedic texts hailing it as the "King of Fruits" to its essential role in countless Southeast Asian, African, and Latin American cuisines, the mango isn't just food; it's heritage, ritual, celebration. Think about it: a fruit so revered, Buddha was said to meditate in its shade. Its journey, carried by Buddhist monks and Persian traders, then by Portuguese explorers to Africa and Brazil, is a saga unto itself. Each region now boasts its own cherished varietals – the Alphonso from India, the Tommy Atkins ubiquitous in Western supermarkets, the honey-sweet Ataulfo, the green-skinned Keitt.
But here’s the rub, the sticky, sweet, frustrating rub for anyone trying to track dietary intake with any semblance of accuracy: the mango defies easy quantification. How do you measure a mango? “A cup, sliced.” Really? Is that a cup of firm, barely ripe cubes? Or a cup of mushy, almost jam-like pulp from an overripe specimen? The density shifts. The water content varies wildly. And the core! That substantial, fibrous pit. Its size can trick you. A large mango might yield less edible flesh than a smaller, perfectly structured one. You’re slicing it, peeling it, struggling with that stubborn skin. Juice drips everywhere. Then you’re left with a gooey, unweighable mess. It's not a neat apple, a simple banana. No.
Barcodes? Useless for a whole fruit. Weighing? Tedious. Who’s pulling out a kitchen scale for a mid-afternoon snack? "I had half a mango." Which half? The fleshy, prime cheek, or the stringy remnants scraped from around the pit? The sheer variability, the anatomical chaos of the mango, makes manual logging a game of high-stakes estimation. It's deeply flawed. Humans, bless their optimistic hearts, consistently underestimate calorific intake when faced with such ambiguity. We want to believe the small, stringy bits didn't count. We lie to ourselves, subtly.
This is precisely why my work at NutriSnap feels less like a job and more like a mission. We’re using forensic visual analysis to cut through this culinary fog. Imagine a photo, a simple snap, that can analyze the contours, the ripeness, the relative size against a known object. It "sees" the difference between a dense, firm mango cheek and a loosely packed heap of stringy pulp. Spectral analysis, perhaps, even hinting at sugar content based on hue. The potential is immense. It moves beyond the clumsy, error-prone manual methods, providing an objective, precise mirror to our plates. It's the only way to truly understand what we consume, especially when faced with the glorious, but notoriously tricky, mango.
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