Mango vs Apple - Health impact and Nutrition Comparison

Introduction

Sharing the same clade Rosids apple and mango differ in their classification, appearance, and nutritional content. While the origin of mango is considered India, where it is the national fruit, the origin of apple is considered as Central Asia. Apples were domesticated about 4000 to 1000 years ago and then distributed to Europe by the silk road, mango is considered an evolutionary anachronism, which means that the mango is developed as it is in the result of coevolution with another species (in this case an extinct megafauna mammal). All the important aspects of differences between apple and mango are going to be discussed in this article. 

Classification

Apple and mango belong to the same clade Rosids but their evolution was branched off, hence mango belongs to the genus Mangifera, with the scientific name Mangifera indica, while apple belongs to the genus Malus, scientific name of which is Malus domesticus. 

Appearance 

Apples are usually round, from 5 to 10 cm in diameter, and may differ in color and texture depending on the variety, while mangos are usually oval or heart-shaped, also may vary depending on the type of certain fruit, and may weigh up to 2.3 kg. Both apple and mango grow on the trees. 

Taste and Use

The taste of apples is highly dependent on the variety of each fruit and may vary from sweet to mildly acidic, while mangoes are sweet in their majority. Mangos are widely used in cuisine, the use may vary from raw consummation to making a chutney. Being one of the most widely recognized fruits, apple is being used in many cultures, the usage includes raw consummation, confectionery as well as widely used apple vinegar and apple cider. 

Growing conditions

Mangos grow only in tropical regions with dry winters and hot summers, they do not require rich soil. Unlike mangoes, most apples bloom in cold and humid climates. It should be noted that exposure to the sun highly affects the color of the fruit.

Varieties

Having rich culture and being widely used, mangos and apples have numerous varieties. All the variants in general differ by their color and taste. The most common red types of apples are Red Delicious, McIntosh, Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Empire, and Piñata, the most common yellow apples are the Golden Delicious and Opal, while the widely known green apple is Granny Smith. The most common varieties of mango are the Alphonso, Carabao, Honey Mango, Sein Ta Lone, Ataulfo, Haden. 

Nutrition 

In this article, we are going to discuss the nutritional aspects of raw apples with skin and raw mangos. 

Being fruits both mango and apple contain relatively high amounts of water, which is almost the same for one and the other, 85.6 g for apple, and 83.5 for mango. 

Calories 

Both fruits are described as low-calorie foods, for the apple the value is 52 kcal, and for the mango 60 kcal per 100 g. 

Protein and Fats

While both fruits have almost the same amount of calories, they differ in protein content. The lowest amount of protein is found to be in apples about 0.26 g per 100 g, and also apples contain about twice less amount of total lipid than mangoes, about 0.17 g per 100 g, while mangos contain about 0.82 g of protein, and 0.38 g of total lipid per 100 g. 

Carbohydrates

There is a slight difference between carbohydrate content, apple contains 13.8 g and mango 15 g per 100g. Apple also contains fewer sugars, while the total amount of sugars are almost equal per 100 g, 10.4 g for apple, and 13.7 g for mango, apple contains 3 times less sucrose 2.07 g per 100g.

Vitamins

The ultimate winner in the comparison of vitamins is the mango, it contains about 10 times more Vitamin C 36.4 mg per 100 g, which is almost half of the recommended daily value. Mango is also a great source of vitamin A and vitamin E, it contains 18 times more vitamin A than the apple, about 1080 IU, and 5 times more vitamin E with the amount of 0.9 mg per 100 g. 

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" chart below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food

Mango

10

:

0

Apple

Contains more Vitamin C +691.3%

Contains more Vitamin A +1903.7%

Contains more Vitamin E +400%

Contains more Vitamin B1 +64.7%

Contains more Vitamin B2 +46.2%

Contains more Vitamin B3 +635.2%

Contains more Vitamin B5 +223%

Contains more Vitamin B6 +190.2%

Contains more Vitamin K +90.9%

Contains more Folate +1333.3%

Mango

Apple

Contains more Vitamin C +691.3%

Contains more Vitamin A +1903.7%

Contains more Vitamin E +400%

Contains more Vitamin B1 +64.7%

Contains more Vitamin B2 +46.2%

Contains more Vitamin B3 +635.2%

Contains more Vitamin B5 +223%

Contains more Vitamin B6 +190.2%

Contains more Vitamin K +90.9%

Contains more Folate +1333.3%

Minerals

Both fruits are low in sodium, but the mango again outstrips the apple, it is rich in copper, zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium. 

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" chart below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food

Mango

7

:

0

Apple

Contains more Iron +33.3%

Contains more Calcium +83.3%

Contains more Potassium +57%

Contains more Magnesium +100%

Contains more Copper +311.1%

Contains more Zinc +125%

Contains more Phosphorus +27.3%

Equal in Sodium - 1

Mango

Apple

Contains more Iron +33.3%

Contains more Calcium +83.3%

Contains more Potassium +57%

Contains more Magnesium +100%

Contains more Copper +311.1%

Contains more Zinc +125%

Contains more Phosphorus +27.3%

Equal in Sodium - 1

Glycemic Index

Apple and mango are also low in their glycemic index, but in this case, the GI of apple is lower than in mango, for apple the GI is estimated at 36 and for the mango, it is estimated to be 51. 

Acidity

Talking about acidity, the pH value of apples is considered to be 2.9 from 3.3, making it more acidic, while the mangos are more neutral as their pH 6. But if we consider the PRAL values of both foods, the definitions may change, as their values are almost equal, for the apple, the PRAL value is -1.92 and for the mango is -2.9 making it slightly more alkaline than apple. The PRAL shows the potential of food to produce acid inside the organism during metabolism.

Weight Loss

Being fruits and containing more simple sugars such as fructose makes both apple and mango a considerable option if you’re trying to set up a weight loss diet. Also, both fruits contain low amounts of calories, which is not the least to consider in the diet. Being richer in fiber mango positively impacts digestion. Due to their sugar content mangos and apples may not be the best option to consider while you’re on a strict low carb or keto diet.

Health Impact

Being rich in micronutrients, fiber, and antioxidants, apples and mango exhibit crucial positive impacts on human health, which we will discuss further. 

Cardiovascular Health

A study performed in 2017 evaluated the biological impact of mango and apple on the human cardiovascular system. Authors state that due to the bioactive compounds found in mango, such as carotenoids, vitamin C, and some phenolic compounds they exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activity. The authors also discussed the importance of apples in the human diet, they state that being rich in fiber, antioxidants and dietary polyphenols apple consumption may lower the cholesterol level, which is mainly concentrated in the peel. Aside from that, other phytocompounds such as β-carotene, catechin, epicatechin, procyanidin B1 may act as cholesterol-lowering agents(1). 

Cancer

Talking about cancer, a research group performed a preliminary study about the cancer-preventing activities of apples. Authors say that being relatively rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, apples are capable of reducing the risk of developing several forms of cancer and metastasis(2). Another group of scientists studied the anti-cancer applications of mango. In the article, the authors state that polyphenols found in mango exhibit relatively promising anti-inflammatory activity, but it is of course based on the type of proliferation mechanisms(3). 

Diabetes

A compound found in the mango, called mangiferin, is found the most in the fruit peel. Mangiferin belongs to the group of chemicals called xanthones, which exhibits high antioxidant and antidiabetic activities, affecting positively on the blood glucose. It is also shown that mango supplementation reduces blood glucose levels among individuals with obesity, who are considered at the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Even though mango may not highly affect weight loss, it is found to regulate blood glucose levels(4). It is also experimentally proven that apples also affects positively on preventing the development risk of type 2 diabetes, as they also contain antioxidants and biologically active compounds which regulate the blood glucose level, as well as lowers the total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, and significantly, induces the HDL-cholesterol(5). 

Summary

Both foods affect positively on human health in general, especially on reducing the risk of diabetes, but more in-depth evaluation shows that mango is richer in mineral composition, it contains 125 % times more Zinc, 311 % more copper, and about 100 % more magnesium, as well as it’s a great source vitamin such as vitamin A, which is about 2000 % more than in apple, and vitamin C which is about 700 % more. 

Sources 

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5490577/
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1021949816301788?via%3Dihub
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5804368/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4155986/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28186516/