Sugar Free Mangoes

The mango is India’s most popular fruit, but due to its high sugar content, diabetics are unable to eat it and unfortunately, India has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. But scientists are now trying to create a new form of sugar-less mango which will be safe for everyone.

The mango variety chosen for the experiment is the Vanraj variety. Researchers at the Maharana Pratap University for Agriculture and Technology (MPUAT) are making an effort to develop a mango with less glucose content. ”We have a collection of germplasms of many mango varieties and are trying to develop new kinds that would be beneficial even for diabetes patients. One such kind is Vanraj mango, which has lesser content of total soluble sugar (TSS) and more acidic content compared to other popular mango varieties such as Langda, Kesar etc,” Prof G S Ameta, Research Director of MPUAT said while talking to Times Of India.

Vanraj mangoes are usually found in Madhya Pradesh and are also popularly cultivated in Gujarat. The mangoes are longish in size and have red accents at the top of the fruit. The mangoes that are modified have 9 percent TSS which is considered to be safe for consumption even by sugar patients. Normally, mangoes have a sugar content as high as 24 percent. However, as opposed to the sugar, the acidity content in these mangoes is also higher at 31 percent whereas in normal ones it is 15 to 16 percent. Does this mean that the mangoes will be more sour than sweet? The entire lure of the mango is the sweet taste and if that is gone then the appeal might go too.

Source: india.com