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Does Mango Cause Acne? (Hint: They Aren’t Great For Skin)

We all appreciate summer and look forward to it because it brings with it a bounty of delicious fruits to help us beat the heat. Mango, the King of Fruits, is one of those delectable fruits. 

This delicious fruit is high in vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and fiber and has numerous health benefits. All of these minerals and vitamins are beneficial to the skin’s health. 

However, not everyone is fortunate enough to satisfy their sweet tooth by eating this tasty fruit. 

Some of us develop pimples on our faces after eating two to three mangoes per day or only one mango for a few days. 

While some enjoy the fruit, others are looking for a cure for their frequent breakouts. Mango has been scientifically proven to contain certain products that can aggravate your sensitive skin. 

5 Reasons Why Mango Makes Acne Worse 

1: Glycemic Index 

Remember how we talked about satisfying our sweet tooth with mangoes at the start? This sweetness doesn’t always come cheap. 

You pay the price with skin breakouts and acne on your face. Mangoes contain a lot of carbohydrates. In fact, they rank between 51 and 56 on the glycemic index scale. 

Mangoes have a high glycemic index, which means they raise blood sugar levels. 

As an end result, insulin level rises. When there is an abundance of insulin in the blood, the sebaceous glands produce oil on the skin. 

More oil is one of the risk factors for acne production on the face because oil skin easily traps dust on your face, clogging the pores. 

Acne-causing bacteria can be found in the grime and oil on your face. As a result, facial acne is unavoidable.

2: Mast Cell Flare

If we take a look at Mast Cell Activation Disorder, we can come closer to understanding why this happens.

Mast cells are cells that hold certain inflammatory hormones that are released when we are sick or injured to promote inflammation.

However, in some people, even if you do not have Mast Cell Activation Disorder, you may still have sensitive mast cells or other issues like histamine intolerance.

These disorders make people very sensitive to citric acid, which is found in mangos. 

When these sensitivities are set off by citric acid, inflammation can occur in the body and skin, promoting acne.

3: Phytic Acid 

Phytic acid is becoming increasingly popular in skincare regimens. Some people use it to brighten their skin. But don’t forget that it’s still acidic. 

Excess of any acid, whether taken orally or applied topically to the skin, is harmful. 

If you’re a huge mango fan and have gone overboard to satisfy your cravings, you have most likely increased the level of phytic acid in your blood. 

The disadvantage of increased phytic acid in our blood is that it can impair mineral absorption. This means that your skin will be deprived of vital nutrients. 

I know it’s a long shot, but mangoes contribute to dull, acne-prone skin.

4: Toxins On The Peel 

Have you ever gone to a farmers market to buy fresh fruit? If you answered yes, you most likely saw them spraying something on the fruits. 

All we could safely assume was that the person was spraying water to keep the fruit clean. However, in the majority of cases, that spray bottle contains non-organic pesticides. 

These sprays are used to exterminate insects. Sometimes we don’t properly wash the mangoes before eating them, and in the worst cases, we don’t wash them. 

These toxins are consumed along with the delectable fruit. When toxins enter our stomach, some of them are absorbed into our bloodstream. 

This toxin is delivered to our skin as food, resulting in severe skin breakouts and unusual pimples on your face.

5: Artificial Fertilizers 

It’s difficult to believe that the king of all fruits can be your skin’s enemy. Along with the other four reasons, nothing is natural these days. 

The mangoes you’ve been craving for a year are no longer naturally grown. Many artificial fertilizers and sprays are now used to grow the fruits. 

We can remove pesticide sprays by thoroughly washing the mangoes, but there’s no way to remove toxins from the inside. 

These mangoes are grown in hazardous substances that become a part of it. The unhealthy mango fruit is no longer good for our health. It also harms the skin. 

It could result in your skin becoming more sensitive and acne-prone. Instead of glowing skin, you will develop pimples.


3 Ways To Enjoy Mangos without Getting Acne

1: Cut Down on How Much You Consume

I’m writing this specifically for all of you mango fiends who can’t get enough of them. If you want to eat this tasty fruit, eat it in moderation. 

As previously stated, all of the factors that may cause acne are indirectly linked to mangoes. This means that there is a specific element in mangoes that can harm your skin. 

As a result, eating your favorite food in moderation can save you a lot of trouble. Instead of going bananas over the fruit, limit yourself to no more than two per day. 

If you already have acne, reduce it to just one. Furthermore, you can eat it on alternate days, skipping entire days. 

2: Try Mango Juice 

If you only eat mangoes whole, you’re consuming all of the phytic acids in full concentration.

Mango juice is a better and more skin-friendly substitute for mango. You don’t have to buy the premade stuff from the store; instead, you can make it yourself. 

You only need to peel the fruit, cut it into cubes, then everything in a blender, and add half a cup of water. Fresh juice is ready after thirty seconds of blending. 

You are diluting all of the acne-causing ingredients by adding water. You don’t need to add sugar as the fruit is already sweet.

3: Store Mangoes in Water Before Consumption 

Here’s a third option. While it may sound strange, it’s an old technique—many people worldwide chill mangoes by immersing them in cold water. 

Mangoes contain phytic acid. So, dipping the fruit in cold water for a few minutes before eating is a fantastic idea, helping to remove some of it. 

This is a simple solution for a pimple-free face even after eating mangoes because the water removes the heat and phytic acid.


Commonly Asked Questions 

Can I Have a Mango Shake if I Have Acne? 

If you experience acne or have had acne in the past, avoid mango shakes for a while. Consuming mango shakes is the equivalent of inviting acne to your face. 

Because blending the mango with milk adds another product to your stomach that can cause acne. Dairy products, such as milk, contain fat. 

Consuming fat increases oil production on the face. Mangoes will do the rest of the work. 

More oil, clogged pores, and a lack of skin nutrients contribute to a favorable environment for acne-causing bacteria to thrive on the skin. 

As a consequence, if you have sensitive skin, stay away from milkshakes. Natural, homemade mango juice is a better choice.

Should I Completely Cut out Mangos From My Diet? 

If you believe that mangoes are causing your acne, you should avoid eating them until it clears up. In most cases, there are additional factors that contribute to acne formation. 

However, if you notice that you only get acne when you eat mango, stop eating it for a few days. Allow the pimple to heal before eating mangoes in moderation. 

Simply limit your intake to a level that your body can easily handle. Stopping mangoes entirely would be unjust to mango lovers. 

That’s why it should be limited until the condition stabilizes. You can have two mangoes per week at first. 

Are Mangos Good For Your Health? 

After we’ve gone over the many disadvantages of these delicious fruits, let me tell you about their advantages. I hope I’ve persuaded you to cut back on your mango consumption so far. 

Now we can discuss why it’s essential to continue eating mangos, albeit in moderation. First and foremost, they contain fiber. Fiber is well known for its digestive system benefits. 

It aids in the proper digestion of food; constipation is avoided by consuming fiber. Furthermore, mangoes are high in vitamins, which will help you glow. 

This will make your skin healthier and less prone to blemishes. Vitamins like B6 keep the surface of your skin clean by preventing oil production. 

Mango’s antioxidant properties are also beneficial to your skin. Overall, if you eat mangoes in a way that your body can handle, you will reap more benefits than drawbacks.


Takeaway 

I can’t express how much we all enjoy eating mangoes. In the past, mango parties had become a summertime tradition in some parts of the world. 

But we must consider our sisters and brothers who develop stubborn acne after eating mangoes. This acne is difficult to remove, and once removed, it often leaves acne scars. 

I previously discussed how mangoes cause acne to form on your skin. As a result, it’s best to eat them in moderation to avoid going overboard with your mango consumption. 

You can easily make a glass of sugar-free mango juice at home. If you have good self-control, you can still eat mangoes without getting acne by using alternative mango eating strategies. 

What’s more, once you learn how many mangoes you can eat, you will be able to reap all of its health and skin benefits.

Originally Published: July 21, 2021

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I’ve helped over 2,500 people clear their acne naturally. If you cannot easily find an answer to your question on the website, please reach out to me by email ([email protected]) or send me a message on Instagram or Twitter. I will reply within 24 hours.

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sam wood is GoodGlow's Chief Editor
Analyzed by Sam Wood
Hi I’m Sam Wood. I’m the chief editor, lead acne expert, and health coach behind GoodGlow. I’m also an author of one of the top selling acne books on Amazon, a husband, father of two, and a pretty good cook!

I’m so glad you found GoodGlow and hope the information I have spent the last 10 years cultivating will help you clear your skin and improve your overall health.

I began experiencing acne breakotus as a sophomore in high school, but unlike most of my friends, my acne actually got worse as I got into my 20s. I exercised regularly, ate healthy (or so I thought) and spent hundreds of dollars a month on high end skincare products and supplements to help clear my skin. Despite these measures my acne breakouts and scarring only got worse as the years wore on.

This greatly wore on my self confidence and mental health. Simple things like taking pictures or going out with a large group made me feel self conscious. So I avoided these situations whenever I could help it.

As a last ditch effort I decided to try an extremely restrictive diet recommended by a close friend with an autoimmune disease. After following this diet for about two months my skin started to clear for the first time in over 8 years. The good news is that this restrictive diet is not actually necessary for 99% of people to permanently clear their skin, and over the course of a few months I was able to add back about 90% of my “normal diet”.

After clearing my skin I spent the next 4 years self experimenting on myself with different diets, supplements, skincare products to try and find a pattern for what was triggering my acne breakouts. I even tried different meditation, ice baths, and accupuncture to try and isolate the root cause of the breakouts.

In the end I realized that an extremely restrictive diet was not necessary for clear skin. The most important thing to do is to avoid inflammatory foods in your diet. Some common examples of this are fried foods, alcohol, sugar, and dairy.

Most impoirtantly I stopped reading trendy websites for skincare advice and began reading medical journals authored by dermatologists and nutritionists. Although the information in the articles was great the information was not easily understandable to most readers (including me). I spent hours dissecting individual posts and looking up terms I did not understand. Over the next 6 months I gradually began to understand these journals and started self experiemting some of the research on myself.

After experiencing quite a bit of success personally, I started sharing my research on forums and with close friends struggling with acne. When I shared the research it was in easy to understand, plain English. Everyone I talked to loved what I had to say and kept asking more and more questions. So I decided to start a blog so I could just send someone a link when they asked a question instead of rewriting something I had sent 100 times before 😅

While the same directional principles apply to everyone, acne is very personal and should be treated on an individual basis. That’s ultimately why I created GoodGlow. To help everyone reverse engineer the root cause of their acne and clear their skin permanently.

To date I’ve helped over 2,500 people clear their skin using a natural, holistic approach. If you are unable to find an answer to your question in any of the articles my team has written please reach out and I will do my best to guide you to the proper information and resources so you can make a thoughtful, informed decision. Read more of Sam's articles.

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