Can Eating Mangoes Reduce Women’s Facial Wrinkles?

Mangoes, like other orange fruits and vegetables, are high in beta-carotene and provide antioxidants that can delay cell damage. A new study by researchers at the University of California at Davis finds that consuming Ataulfo ​​mangoes, also known as honey or champagne mangoes, may have another benefit – reducing facial wrinkles in older women with dark skin. clearer. The study was published in the journal Nutrients.

Postmenopausal women who ate half a cup of Ataulfo ​​mangoes four times a week saw a 23% decrease in deep wrinkles after two months and a 20% decrease after four months.

“It’s a significant improvement in wrinkles,” said lead author Vivien Fam, a doctoral student in the nutrition department at UC Davis. But the results are very specific and come with a caveat.

“Women who ate a cup and a half of mangoes during the same time periods saw an increase in wrinkles. This shows that while some mangoes may be good for skin health, too many mangoes may not be. “Fam said.

The researchers said it was not clear why consuming more mango would increase the severity of wrinkles, but speculated that it could be linked to a high amount of sugar in most of mangoes.

Quantifiable results

The randomized clinical pilot study involved 28 postmenopausal women with Fitzpatrick II or III type skin (skin that burns more easily than tanning). The women were divided into two groups: one group consumed half a cup of mangoes four times a week for four months, and another consumed a cup and a half during the same period of time. The facial wrinkles were assessed using a high resolution camera system.

“The system we used to analyze wrinkles allowed us not only to visualize wrinkles, but to quantify and measure wrinkles,” said Robert Hackman, professor in the Department of Nutrition and corresponding author of the study. “This is extremely precise and allowed us to capture more than the appearance of wrinkles or what the eye could see.”

The study looked at the severity, length and width of fine, deep, and emerging wrinkles. Fam said the group who consumed half a cup of mangoes saw improvements in all categories.

Fam said more research is needed to learn the mechanisms behind wrinkle reduction. She said it could be due to the beneficial effects of carotenoids (orange or red plant pigments) and other phytonutrients that could help build collagen.