Californian scientists find that regular consumption of moderate amounts of Ataulfo mangoes may reduce facial wrinkles in fair-skinned postmenopausal women. At the same time, the beneficial effects on skin health may be adverse if the consumption of mangoes is too high.
Mangoes may provide compounds that benefit the skin, particularly Ataulfo mangoes. Ataulfo mangoes are rich in beta-carotene and other carotenoids, along with phenolic and ascorbic acids, including gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, and vanillic acid.
While previous experiments on mice showed inhibited wrinkle formation via increasing collagen bundles and inhibition of epidermal thickening when the rodents were fed mango extract, the effects of mango intake on human skin are unknown. A group from the Department of Nutrition at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) conducted a randomized clinical pilot study to clarify that mystery.
Professor Robert Hackman, a senior author of the study, said:
We, therefore, assessed the effects of Ataulfo mango intake at 85 g (0.5 cups) or 250 g (1.5 cups) for 16 weeks on the development of wrinkles and erythema, and changes in skin carotenoids, in postmenopausal women.
The UC Davis team recruited twenty-eight postmenopausal women with Fitzpatrick skin types II or III (skin that burns easily) for the clinical study. The participants were divided into 2 groups: one group consumed a cup and a half of mangoes four times a week for sixteen weeks, and another consumed a half cup for the same period.
The participants were checked up throughout that period, with facial photographs captured at weeks 0, 8, and 16, and erythema at the cheeks, and wrinkles at the outer eye corners were measured. Skin carotenoid values were also quantified with reflection spectroscopy.
Professor Hackman explained:
The system we used to analyze wrinkles allowed us to not just visualize wrinkles, but to quantify and measure wrinkles. This is extremely accurate and allowed us to capture more than just the appearance of wrinkles or what the eye might see.
The 85g group showed a significant decrease in profound wrinkle severity after 8 and 16 weeks compared to starting point measures. However, those in the 250g group displayed an increase after 16 weeks in emerging wrinkle severity, average wrinkle severity, average wrinkle length, and fine wrinkle severity.
Vivien Fam, the study’s first author, said:
This shows that while some mango may be good for skin health, too much of it may not be. It’s unclear why consuming more mango would increase the severity of wrinkles. It may be related to a robust amount of sugar in the larger portion of mangoes.
Further research is needed to learn the mechanisms behind the reduction in wrinkles. It may be due to the beneficial effects of carotenoids and other phytonutrients that could help build collagen.
The UC Davis team published the study on November 4, 2020, in the journal Nutrients.
