Mango Is A Heart Healer

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

It seems that Hashem was in a great mood when he created the tropical Mango tree. He generously endowed its fruits with an attractive appearance, pleasant delicate aroma and excellent taste. In addition, the chemical constituents of the fruits of the tropical Mango tree have healing powers

The tropical Mango tree can be found in Thailand not only on specially created plantations, where they are located in friendly, even rows, but also walking along the streets of resort cities. True, if you meet such a tree during a period when there are no inflorescences or fruits on the branches, then it is difficult for the human eye, unaccustomed to tropical plants, to conclude that before it is the most important fruit plant of the tropics - Mango. Indeed, many tropical trees are very similar to each other in their growth, lush crowns and hard leaves, the shape of which at first glance seems to be the same. Tourists who come on vacation for ten to twelve days, as a rule, do not have enough time to meticulously examine the shape, size and texture of the leaves of tropical trees, and therefore all of them seem to be the same visitor.

For me personally, the standard of a tropical leaf is the rubbery Ficus leaf, familiar from childhood, because in those distant years it was fashionable and prestigious to have this plant in your home. Mango leaves are much softer than Ficus leaves, but they are very similar to the leaves of tropical plants such as Pistachio or Western Anacardium (Cashew), which is not at all coincidental. All these trees are relatives, representing on the planet a family of plants called by botanists "Anacardia" or "Sumach". Upon closer acquaintance with the listed tropical trees, you begin to see the difference in their leaves. Pistachio and Cashew leaves are quite wide and with rounded edges, while Mango leaves are narrower, longer and with a sharp tip, which can be clearly seen in the following photo:

As for the inflorescences of the listed plants, they are also very similar. These are dense panicles of small nondescript flowers. The paniculate inflorescence of the Mango tree can be seen in this photo. By the way, the inflorescences of many Palms also resemble panicles of small flowers. The flowers are usually unisexual, pollinated by insects. From such small and unattractive flowers, the most useful fruits are born, beautiful, large and tasty, causing delight and surprise at the same time.

The fruits of the tropical Mango tree are a real natural wonder. Under a thin, but very strong, protective shell, there is an oblong-elongated seed of the fruit, which is the guarantor of the continuation of Mango's life on the planet. The seed is surrounded by a slightly fibrous juicy pulp that simply melts in your mouth, giving a true heavenly pleasure. This effect is created, of course, by ripe fruits. Although unripe fruits are used by the cuisines of the countries of Southeast Asia. I didn't like green fruits, but ripe mango was eaten in one sitting.

The chemical composition of its pulp depends on the degree of maturity of the fruit. Green mango contains more starch, acids, vitamin "C" and pectin, the amount of which decreases as it ripens. Natural "cuisine" manages to turn them into sugars and vitamins, and therefore ripe fruit has a sweet taste and pleasant sourness. Mango goes well with papaya, avocado, banana and others, as well as with oatmeal or cottage cheese.

Since ancient times, Indian medicine has used mango fruits to treat human ailments. I especially liked the mango's ability to "strengthen the heart muscle" and "improve brain function." Personal experience has confirmed that this is not an obsessive advertisement of mango traders, but a real help to the body. During the five months I spent in “Thai paradise”, I forgot that I have a heart, what “high blood pressure” is, and a number of other ailments seemed to evaporate without any medication.

It was somehow scary to return to my hometown, smoky, where there are no mangoes. But, another miracle happened! Upon arrival home, I went to the grocery store and saw very cute fruits on the fruit counter - "mango from Thailand". Moreover, the price was quite acceptable: 150 rubles for such a pretty fruit:

Walking around the city, I came across a variety of prices for mangoes. Apparently, enterprising guys brought in a large batch of mango fruits from Thailand, and therefore the counters were simply flooded with them. In one place the price was 400 rubles per kilogram. This price is, of course, high. But, the next day it was reduced to 199 rubles, which is about 95 Thai baht. Quite a reasonable price. For example, in Phuket, the price of a mango varies from 40 to 90 baht per kilogram. So, almost like in Thailand! Below is a photo taken in Phuket in January 2019:

But such an assortment of exotic fruits can be easily purchased in Russian stores today, which I did: