This $1 Fruit Delivers 67% of Your
Daily Vitamin C
I grew up on an island where mangoes weren’t exotic— they were everywhere. Francique trees heavy with fruit in every yard, vendors with baskets piled high on every street corner. We ate them for breakfast, lunch, and snacks without thinking twice.
Then I moved to the US and watched people pay $4 for a single mango at Whole Foods. And then, everything changed in graduate school when I learned about the relationship between food and health.
It’s peak mango season right now, where they’re in their nutritional prime and their most affordable —usually under $1 each instead of that $4 winter price tag. And it felt only fitting that mangoes get their own post.
As a Haitian woman, this is the season I thrive. This is a time when my kitchen becomes an oasis of fruits and veggies that not only remind me of back home, but nourish and support me to live my very best summer.
What you need to know about mango
From Haitian rituals to Ayurvedic traditions to Korean beauty secrets, indigenous cultures have used mango for skin health for over 4,000 years.
Mango isn’t just fruit—it’s loaded with compounds according to scientific studies:
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- Beta-carotene (which your body converts to vitamin A) that research shows may help protect against skin cancer
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- Vitamin C that’s essential for collagen production. Think healthy hair, skin, and nails, joints and glowing skin!
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- Mangiferin—a polyphenol that acts like nature’s anti-aging compound. Research suggests it protects against several types of cancer, including lung, colon, breast, and neural cancers.
It’s astonishing that one cup of mango delivers as much as 67% of your daily vitamin C, which fights oxidative stress, improves the absorption of iron, and boosts your immunity to help protect your body against diseases. Mango also has great benefits for your skin. A UC Davis study found that consuming ½ cup of mango regularly was linked to a 23% reduction in facial wrinkles in postmenopausal women.
How I’m eating my mangoes (and why you should too!)
Look, I’m not going to pretend there’s a proper way to eat a mango. Some people obsess over perfect cubes, or how to cut a mango, but the best method? Dive in with your hands and embrace the mess!
If you want to get a little fancy (or avoid the sticky fingers), here’s my go-to summer snack that brings me right back to Port-au-Prince street vendors:
Mango Chili Lime recipe:
- Slice fresh mango into strips or cubes
- Squeeze fresh lime juice (enough to be as zesty as you’d like it)
- Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and chili powder
This simple combination delivers antioxidants, fiber, and those skin-supporting vitamins in the most delicious way. Plus, the lime adds extra vitamin C, and the chili provides capsaicin—both compounds that support circulation and skin health.
The Takeaway
Mango can provide a variety of vitamins and minerals that help meet daily nutrient needs. One thing I know for sure, I’ll be eating my mangoes all summer long—nourishing my skin and body from within.
Join me!