Mango has been the oldest fruit of India and is cultivated in the country for the last 4,000 years. But very few people know that it first grew in the dense forests on the Indo-Burmese border. Alexander was the first European to find it in India. Even Hieun Tsang, the Chinese traveller, has written in praise of Indian mangoes. Moroccan scholar Ibn Battuta took it to Iran. The Portuguese popularised mangoes in Africa and South America.
Though there are over 500 varieties of mangoes, only about 35 of them are cultivated in India. Most popular are Maldah, Alfonso, Langra, Sipia, Sukul and Bumbaiya. The general belief is that only ripened mangoes are nutritious and palatable and unripe fruits are commonly used for making pickles and sauces. The fact, however, is that unripe
mangoes are the best source of vitamin C.
According to a recent research, green (unripe) mango of Langra variety, weighing 300 gms (approx), yields as much vitamin C as 35 apples or 18 bananas or nine lemons or three oranges or a pineapple weighing one kg.
Sounds amazing, but it’s true. The researchers in the plant physiology and biochemistry laboratory of AN College in Patna arrived at the findings while working on three common mango varieties of Bihar in green state (green) – Maldah, Langra and Bumbaiya.
The research was carried out by Head of the Department (HoD) of Botany Prof AP Verma (now retired) for assessment of their chemical contents. The findings showed that among the three varieties, Langra contained vitamin C and vitamin A most. “The research showed that though vitamin C was present in unripe fruits of all the three varieties, its
content was highest in Langra,” Dr Verma told Deccan Herald.
The research scholar said unripe mangoes were sour due to the presence of oxalic, citric and malic acids varying from 2.2 ml to 12.2 ml per 100 gm pulp.
In India, green mango is used as a medicine for various gastro-intestinal, bilious and blood disorders.
Gastro-intestinal disorders: Eating one or two tender mangoes, in which the seed is not fully formed, along with salt and honey is a very effective medicine for diarrhoea, dysentery, piles, morning sickness, chronic dyspepsia, indigestion, constipation, etc.
Bilious disorders: The acids in the green mango increase the secretion of bile and act as an intestinal antiseptic. Therefore, eating green mango daily with honey and pepper cures biliousness, urticaria, jaundice etc and purifies blood. It tones up the liver too and keeps it healthy. In off season, sun-dried slices of green mango (amchur) can be used as the substitute for fresh mango.
Blood disorders: The curative value is attributed to its vitamin C content. It increases the elasticity of the blood vessels, helps formation of new blood cells, aids absorption of iron, prevents bleeding tendencies and cures scurvy. Eating an unripe mango daily during the summer season prevents one from infections, increases body resistance against tuberculosis, cholera, dysentery, anaemia etc. It tones up the heart, nerves and cures palpitation of the heart, nervous tension, insomnia and weakness of the memory.
Eating a fresh green mango baked in hot ash daily once or twice is a sure preventive remedy for sun-stroke. Eating raw mango with salt quenches thirst and prevents loss of sodium chloride and iron during summer due to excessive sweating. It tones up the body and helps one to tolerate the excessive heat. Peeled fruit is applied on the eye to cure burning hot sensation due to sun glare. Cooked mango with tender leaves of tamarind is prescribed as a medicine to cure jaundice, biliousness, piles and burning sensation in the rectum. However, eating unripe mango in excess causes throat irritation, indigestion, dysentery and abdominal colic.
Therefore, not more than one mango should be consumed daily and cold water should never be consumed immediately after eating the green fruit, because it coagulates the sap and makes it more irritant.