Mangos
Contents taken from National Mango Board
Mangos originated in Southeast Asia and India, where references to the fruit are documented in Hindu writings dating back to 4000 B.C. Buddhist monks cultivated the fruit and in fact, the mango is considered to be a sacred fruit in the region because it is said that Buddha himself meditated under a mango tree. The mango belongs to the same family as the cashew and the pistachio nut.
Mango seeds traveled with humans from Asia to the Middle East, East Africa and South America beginning around 300 or 400 A.D. Mango trees need a tropical climate to thrive, and today a majority of the mangos sold in the U.S. are grown near the equator in countries like Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala and Haiti.
Mango Production in the United States
Mangos have been grown in the U.S. for a little more than a century, but commercial, large-scale production here is limited.
Because mangos need a tropical climate to flourish only Florida, California, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico grow mangos. The United States Territory of Puerto Rico has been producing mangos commercially for the last 30 years. Currently about 4,000 acres of mangos are being cultivated for export, but the majority of this crop goes to Europe rather than the mainland United States.
In the Coachella Valley of California, around 200 acres of mangos are being produced, with about half of these being certified organic. Slow, gradual growth in mango acreage is expected in California, where the competition for suitable land is fierce. Mangos are susceptible to frost, and farmers who own appropriate land are hesitant to switch from tried and true crops such as grapes and citrus. In Hawaii, the estimated space devoted to mangos is around 300 acres and nearly all of this fruit will be sold locally.
Many mango varieties have been cultivated in South Florida, as part of a seedling program initiated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and spearheaded by David Fairchild, founder of USDA's Section of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction. The program focused on introducing mango varieties to the region, with the goal of producing mangos that could be exported.
Over time, new varieties were developed, and some of these were introduced to growers in other parts of the world. Today, many of the popular varieties of mango grown around the world were derived from this program in Florida, including the Tommy Atkins, Haden, Keitt, and Kent. In fact, the Haden was a seedling of the Mulgoba, a seedling brought to Florida by the USDA from India during the late 1800s.
While the mango industry in Florida thrived for some time after the mango's introduction, its commercial acreage peeked at 7,000 acres in the early 1900s. The mango industry in Florida has since been diminished by freezes, urbanization, hurricanes and competition from other countries. Today, it's estimated that less than 1000 acres of mangos are still in production, and most of these mangos are destined for local farmers' and specialty markets. Meanwhile, backyard trees in Florida continue to thrive and bring joy to residents across the southern part of the state.
In addition to these backyard mangos, Fairchild Tropical Gardens, named after David Fairchild, continues to cultivate mango varieties and work with mango growers all over the world. Fairchild is known for its annual International Mango Festival, which draws thousands of mango lovers each year to its Miami-area location in a celebration of all things mango. For more information on David Fairchild, and the Fairchild Tropical Gardens, visit www.fairchildgarden.org
In addition to sumptuous tropical flavor, mangos deliver a host of nutrients and make healthy eating a delightful sensory experience. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that healthy adults consume 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables every day (based on a daily consumption of 1,200 to 3,200 total calories). Why not make one of those a mango? The versatile mango is available year round and adds delicious flavor to a balanced diet.
Did You Know?
Perkins-Veazie, P.; Collins, J. Literature Search on the Nutritional Benefits of Mangos.
NuVal LLC, Nutritional Scoring System: www.nuval.com
We all know we should be eating more fruits and vegetables every day. Check out http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/ for great tips and recipes to help your family eat more fruits and veggies. Because even a little bit more of the good stuff makes a difference!
Carotenoids (Contents taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotenoid) are organic pigments that are naturally occurring in thechloroplasts and chromoplasts of plants and some other photosynthetic organisms like algae, some types of fungus and some bacteria.
There are over 600 known carotenoids; they are split into two classes, xanthophylls (which contain oxygen) and carotenes (which are purely hydrocarbons, and contain no oxygen). Carotenoids in general absorb blue light. They serve two key roles in plants and algae: they absorb light energy for use in photosynthesis, and they protect chlorophyll from photodamage.[1] In humans, carotenoids such as β-carotene are a precursor to vitamin A, a pigment essential for good vision, and carotenoids can also act as antioxidants.
People consuming diets rich in carotenoids from natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are healthier and have lower mortality from a number of chronic illnesses.[2] However, a recent meta-analysis of 68 reliable antioxidant supplementation experiments involving a total of 232,606 individuals concluded that consuming additional β-carotene from supplements is unlikely to be beneficial and may actually be harmful,[3] although this conclusion may be due to the inclusion of studies involving smokers.[4] With the notable exception of Vietnam Gac and crude palm oil, most carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables are low in lipids. Since dietary lipids have been hypothesized to be an important factor for carotenoid bioavailability, a 2005 study investigated whether addition of avocado fruit or oil, as lipid sources, would enhance carotenoid absorption in humans. The study found that the addition of both avocado fruit and oil significantly enhanced the subjects' absorption of all carotenoids tested (α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene, and lutein).[5]
In photosynthetic organisms, specifically flora, carotenoids play a vital role in the photosynthetic reaction centre. They either participate in the energy-transfer process, or protect the reaction center from auto-oxidation. In non-photosynthesizing organisms, specifically humans, carotenoids have been linked to oxidation-preventing mechanisms.
Carotenoids disposition in proteins. Left: in cyanobacterium photosystem I carotenoids are outside (orange) PDB 1jb0. Right: in rhodopsin retinal is deep inside (pink) PDB 1f88.
Carotenoids have many physiological functions. Given their structure (above), carotenoids are efficient free-radical scavengers, and they enhance the vertebrate immune system. There are several dozen carotenoids in foods people consume, and most carotenoids have antioxidant activity. Epidemiological studies have shown that people with high β-carotene intake and high plasma levels of β-carotene have a significantly reduced risk of lung cancer. However, studies of supplementation with large doses of β-carotene in smokers have shown an increase in cancer risk (possibly because excessive β-carotene results in breakdown products that reduce plasma vitamin A and worsen the lung cell proliferation induced by smoke). Similar results have been found in other animals. Not all carotenoids are helpful, e.g. etretinate is a teratogen.
Humans and Animals are incapable of synthesizing carotenoids, and must obtain them through their diet, yet they are common and often in ornamental features. For example, the pink colour of flamingos and salmon, and the red colouring of lobsters are due to carotenoids. It has been proposed that carotenoids are used in ornamental traits because, given their physiological and chemical properties, they can be used as honest indicators of individual health, and hence they can be used by animals when selecting potential mates.
Simplified carotenoid synthesis pathway.
The most common carotenoids include lycopene and the vitamin A precursor β-carotene. In plants, the xanthophyll lutein is the most abundant carotenoid and its role in preventing age-related eye disease is currently under investigation. Lutein and the other carotenoid pigments found in mature leaves are often not obvious because of the presence of chlorophyll. However, when chlorophyll is not present, as in young foliage and also dying deciduous foliage (such as autumn leaves), the yellows, reds, and oranges of the carotenoids are predominant. For the same reason, carotenoid colours often predominate in ripe fruit (e.g., oranges, tomatoes, bananas), after being unmasked by the disappearance of chlorophyll.
1. Armstrong GA, Hearst JE (1996). "Carotenoids 2: Genetics and molecular biology of carotenoid pigment biosynthesis". Faseb J.10 (2): 228–37. PMID 8641556. http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=8641556. 2. A. T. Diplock1, J.-L. Charleux, G. Crozier-Willi, F. J. Kok, C. Rice-Evans, M. Roberfroid, W. Stahl, J. Vina-Ribes. Functional food science and defence against reactive oxidative species, British Journal of Nutrition 1998, 80, Suppl. 1, S77–S112 3. Bjelakovic G, et al. (2007). "Mortality in randomized trials of antioxidant supplements for primary and secondary prevention: systematic review and meta-analysis". JAMA 297 (8): 842–57. doi:10.1001/jama.297.8.842. PMID 17327526. 4. It is known that taking β-carotene supplements is harmful for smokers, and the meta-analysis of Bjelakovic et al. was influenced by inclusion of these studies. See the letter to JAMA by Philip Taylor and Sanford Dawsey and the reply by the authors of the original paper. 5. Unlu N, et al. (01 Mar 2005). "Carotenoid Absorption from Salad and Salsa by Humans Is Enhanced by the Addition of Avocado or Avocado Oil". Human Nutrition and Metabolism 135 (3): 431–6. PMID 15735074. http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=15735074.Any contents taken from Wikipedia encyclopedia conform to Share—to copy, distribute and transmit the work, and to Remix—toadapt the work
Contents taken from National Mango Board
Mangos originated in Southeast Asia and India, where references to the fruit are documented in Hindu writings dating back to 4000 B.C. Buddhist monks cultivated the fruit and in fact, the mango is considered to be a sacred fruit in the region because it is said that Buddha himself meditated under a mango tree. The mango belongs to the same family as the cashew and the pistachio nut.
Mango seeds traveled with humans from Asia to the Middle East, East Africa and South America beginning around 300 or 400 A.D. Mango trees need a tropical climate to thrive, and today a majority of the mangos sold in the U.S. are grown near the equator in countries like Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala and Haiti.
Mango Production in the United States
Mangos have been grown in the U.S. for a little more than a century, but commercial, large-scale production here is limited.
Because mangos need a tropical climate to flourish only Florida, California, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico grow mangos. The United States Territory of Puerto Rico has been producing mangos commercially for the last 30 years. Currently about 4,000 acres of mangos are being cultivated for export, but the majority of this crop goes to Europe rather than the mainland United States.
In the Coachella Valley of California, around 200 acres of mangos are being produced, with about half of these being certified organic. Slow, gradual growth in mango acreage is expected in California, where the competition for suitable land is fierce. Mangos are susceptible to frost, and farmers who own appropriate land are hesitant to switch from tried and true crops such as grapes and citrus. In Hawaii, the estimated space devoted to mangos is around 300 acres and nearly all of this fruit will be sold locally.
Many mango varieties have been cultivated in South Florida, as part of a seedling program initiated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and spearheaded by David Fairchild, founder of USDA's Section of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction. The program focused on introducing mango varieties to the region, with the goal of producing mangos that could be exported.
Over time, new varieties were developed, and some of these were introduced to growers in other parts of the world. Today, many of the popular varieties of mango grown around the world were derived from this program in Florida, including the Tommy Atkins, Haden, Keitt, and Kent. In fact, the Haden was a seedling of the Mulgoba, a seedling brought to Florida by the USDA from India during the late 1800s.
While the mango industry in Florida thrived for some time after the mango's introduction, its commercial acreage peeked at 7,000 acres in the early 1900s. The mango industry in Florida has since been diminished by freezes, urbanization, hurricanes and competition from other countries. Today, it's estimated that less than 1000 acres of mangos are still in production, and most of these mangos are destined for local farmers' and specialty markets. Meanwhile, backyard trees in Florida continue to thrive and bring joy to residents across the southern part of the state.
In addition to these backyard mangos, Fairchild Tropical Gardens, named after David Fairchild, continues to cultivate mango varieties and work with mango growers all over the world. Fairchild is known for its annual International Mango Festival, which draws thousands of mango lovers each year to its Miami-area location in a celebration of all things mango. For more information on David Fairchild, and the Fairchild Tropical Gardens, visit www.fairchildgarden.org
In addition to sumptuous tropical flavor, mangos deliver a host of nutrients and make healthy eating a delightful sensory experience. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that healthy adults consume 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables every day (based on a daily consumption of 1,200 to 3,200 total calories). Why not make one of those a mango? The versatile mango is available year round and adds delicious flavor to a balanced diet.
Did You Know?
- Mangos are an excellent source of vitamins C and A, both important antioxidant nutrients. Vitamin C promotes healthy immune function and collagen formation. Vitamin A is important for vision and bone growth.
- Mangos are a good source of dietary fiber. Diets low in fat and high in fiber-containing grain products, fruits, and vegetables are associated with a reduced risk of some types of cancer.
- Mangos contain over 20 different vitamins and minerals.
- Mangos scored 93 out of 100 on the recently introduced NuVal scoring system for overall nutritional quality. Click here for more information about the NuVal system.
Perkins-Veazie, P.; Collins, J. Literature Search on the Nutritional Benefits of Mangos.
NuVal LLC, Nutritional Scoring System: www.nuval.com
We all know we should be eating more fruits and vegetables every day. Check out http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/ for great tips and recipes to help your family eat more fruits and veggies. Because even a little bit more of the good stuff makes a difference!
Carotenoids (Contents taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotenoid) are organic pigments that are naturally occurring in thechloroplasts and chromoplasts of plants and some other photosynthetic organisms like algae, some types of fungus and some bacteria.
There are over 600 known carotenoids; they are split into two classes, xanthophylls (which contain oxygen) and carotenes (which are purely hydrocarbons, and contain no oxygen). Carotenoids in general absorb blue light. They serve two key roles in plants and algae: they absorb light energy for use in photosynthesis, and they protect chlorophyll from photodamage.[1] In humans, carotenoids such as β-carotene are a precursor to vitamin A, a pigment essential for good vision, and carotenoids can also act as antioxidants.
People consuming diets rich in carotenoids from natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are healthier and have lower mortality from a number of chronic illnesses.[2] However, a recent meta-analysis of 68 reliable antioxidant supplementation experiments involving a total of 232,606 individuals concluded that consuming additional β-carotene from supplements is unlikely to be beneficial and may actually be harmful,[3] although this conclusion may be due to the inclusion of studies involving smokers.[4] With the notable exception of Vietnam Gac and crude palm oil, most carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables are low in lipids. Since dietary lipids have been hypothesized to be an important factor for carotenoid bioavailability, a 2005 study investigated whether addition of avocado fruit or oil, as lipid sources, would enhance carotenoid absorption in humans. The study found that the addition of both avocado fruit and oil significantly enhanced the subjects' absorption of all carotenoids tested (α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene, and lutein).[5]
In photosynthetic organisms, specifically flora, carotenoids play a vital role in the photosynthetic reaction centre. They either participate in the energy-transfer process, or protect the reaction center from auto-oxidation. In non-photosynthesizing organisms, specifically humans, carotenoids have been linked to oxidation-preventing mechanisms.
Carotenoids disposition in proteins. Left: in cyanobacterium photosystem I carotenoids are outside (orange) PDB 1jb0. Right: in rhodopsin retinal is deep inside (pink) PDB 1f88.
Carotenoids have many physiological functions. Given their structure (above), carotenoids are efficient free-radical scavengers, and they enhance the vertebrate immune system. There are several dozen carotenoids in foods people consume, and most carotenoids have antioxidant activity. Epidemiological studies have shown that people with high β-carotene intake and high plasma levels of β-carotene have a significantly reduced risk of lung cancer. However, studies of supplementation with large doses of β-carotene in smokers have shown an increase in cancer risk (possibly because excessive β-carotene results in breakdown products that reduce plasma vitamin A and worsen the lung cell proliferation induced by smoke). Similar results have been found in other animals. Not all carotenoids are helpful, e.g. etretinate is a teratogen.
Humans and Animals are incapable of synthesizing carotenoids, and must obtain them through their diet, yet they are common and often in ornamental features. For example, the pink colour of flamingos and salmon, and the red colouring of lobsters are due to carotenoids. It has been proposed that carotenoids are used in ornamental traits because, given their physiological and chemical properties, they can be used as honest indicators of individual health, and hence they can be used by animals when selecting potential mates.
Simplified carotenoid synthesis pathway.
The most common carotenoids include lycopene and the vitamin A precursor β-carotene. In plants, the xanthophyll lutein is the most abundant carotenoid and its role in preventing age-related eye disease is currently under investigation. Lutein and the other carotenoid pigments found in mature leaves are often not obvious because of the presence of chlorophyll. However, when chlorophyll is not present, as in young foliage and also dying deciduous foliage (such as autumn leaves), the yellows, reds, and oranges of the carotenoids are predominant. For the same reason, carotenoid colours often predominate in ripe fruit (e.g., oranges, tomatoes, bananas), after being unmasked by the disappearance of chlorophyll.