Mango
Serving sizes
Mango changes rating with portion size. These are the amounts tested in the literature behind our ratings.
- About 7g
- Larger portions
- Much larger portions
Mango is High FODMAP at a usual serving, though about 7g is low.
- Only a taste of 7g is low.
- Mango carries more fructose than glucose, so Excess Fructose builds fast: larger portions reach moderate and much larger portions reach high.
- Dried mango concentrates the sugars, so those chewy pieces add up quickly.
Use a few small cubes as a garnish, and fill the bowl with other low FODMAP fruit.
Why mango is rated high
Mango is rated high, and the reason is excess fructose. Mango holds more fructose than glucose, and fructose without enough glucose alongside it is absorbed slowly and incompletely by many people with IBS. The low serve is a tiny taste: about 7g is low, a larger portion is moderate, and a much larger portion, such as a cup of chopped mango, is high.
What changes your risk
- Excess fructose is the mechanism, not the sugar total What matters here is the balance between fructose and glucose in the fruit, which is why mango behaves differently from fruits that are just as sweet.
- The low serve is a single small cube About 7g is low. Larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high, so a bowl of mango or a cheek eaten from the skin is well past the low serve.
- Drying concentrates it further Dried mango has the water taken out and the sugars left behind, so the chewy strips are a more concentrated version of a fruit that is already high. Drying moves it in the wrong direction, never the right one.
- Smoothies and juice make it worse A mango smoothie or a glass of mango juice puts the sugar of several pieces of fruit into one drink and leaves the fibre behind, so the load arrives faster and larger than it would from eating the fruit.
- Fructose stacking at the same meal Honey, agave syrup, high fructose corn syrup, apple and watermelon all draw on the same group. A mango smoothie sweetened with honey is two fructose sources in one glass.
Swaps
Plenty of tropical sweetness is available without the excess fructose. Pineapple and cantaloupe are the closest in flavour and texture for fruit salads, salsas and smoothie bases, and kiwi, oranges, mandarins, strawberries or a firm just-yellow banana round out the same role. For a mango salsa over fish or chicken, diced pineapple with cucumber, lime and the green tops of spring onions gives you the sweet and sharp contrast the mango was providing. When a dressing or marinade calls for mango chutney, maple syrup or rice malt syrup with a splash of vinegar does the sweetening. Skip honey and agave syrup here, because they sit in the same group as the mango you are replacing.
How to lower the load
Mango is more common in prepared food than most people expect. Check smoothie blends and juice bars, mango lassi, salsas and chutneys, sticky rice desserts, kombucha and iced tea flavours, fruit yoghurt tubs, fruit cups and dried mango strips. At a smoothie counter it is worth asking what is actually in the house tropical blend, since mango is usually the base rather than a listed extra. If you are cooking for a table, serving the mango on the side rather than mixing it through a shared salad or salsa keeps it out of everything else on the plate.
Common questions
how much mango can i eat on a low fodmap diet
About 7g, a single small cube, is low. Larger portions are moderate and much larger portions, such as a cup of chopped mango, are high in excess fructose.
is mango high in fructose
Yes. Mango carries more fructose than glucose, and that imbalance, called excess fructose, is the group behind its rating.
is dried mango any better than fresh mango
No. Drying removes the water and concentrates the sugars, so dried mango runs in the same direction as fresh mango rather than a gentler one.
what fruit can i use instead of mango in a smoothie
Pineapple and cantaloupe give the closest tropical sweetness, with kiwi, strawberries or a firm just-yellow banana to fill it out. Sweeten with maple syrup rather than honey or agave syrup.
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Where this rating comes from
Mango is rated from published lab measurements of its FODMAP content, using the low, moderate and high cutoffs of Varney et al. (2017).
Feedback sent through the FODMAP Foods app has led to changes in this list.
Sources
- Fructan and free fructose content of common Australian vegetables and fruit. Muir et al. (2007), J. Agricultural and Food Chemistry 55(16):6619-6627.
- Measurement of short-chain carbohydrates in common Australian vegetables and fruits by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Muir et al. (2009), J. Agricultural and Food Chemistry 57(2):554-565.
- Quantification of fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides and other short-chain carbohydrates in processed grains and cereals. Biesiekierski et al. (2011), J. Human Nutrition and Dietetics 24(2):154-176.
- Dietary sorbitol and mannitol: food content and distinct absorption patterns between healthy individuals and patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Yao et al. (2014), J. Human Nutrition and Dietetics 27(Suppl 2):263-275.
- FODMAPs: food composition, defining cutoff values and international application. Varney et al. (2017), J. Gastroenterology and Hepatology 32(Suppl 1):53-61. Supplies the low, moderate and high cutoffs used on this page.
Informational only, not medical advice. Individual tolerance varies. Talk to a healthcare professional or a dietitian for personal guidance.