Mango: The latest, tastiest wrinkle ghter

Sesame Street’s Telly Monster loves to eat a mango, and his friend Rosita loves to tango. So they sing and dance a daffy duet called “Mango Tango.” Turns out lots of folks like to tango with a mango. More than 40 million metric tons are grown annually — delivering health benefits with every bite. Each 3/4 cup delivers 8% of your daily vitamins A and B6, half your daily vitamin C, 7% of your daily fiber, 15% of your daily folate and 15% of your daily copper requirements. Mangoes also contain other bioactive compounds that may have anti-diabetes and anticancer benefits.

Until now, however, no one knew what fancy footwork mangoes employ in the fight against wrinkles. Now a pilot study published in Nutrients reveals that when postmenopausal women with skin that sunburns rather than tans eat half a cup of Ataulfo (aka Champagne) mangoes four times a week, they decrease their deep wrinkles by 23% after two months. The severity, length and width of fine and emerging wrinkles improve too.

But listen up! More is less when it comes to mangoes. Women who ate a cup and a half of mangoes four times a week for two months saw a measurable increase in wrinkles. The researchers from University of California, Davis, suggest the skin damage from eating more mangoes may be a result of an inflammatory overload of sugar delivered with the higher intake.

So, for a tasty way to improve your health and appearance, make mango salsa and dance the tango!

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer Emeritus at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit sharecare. com.