The mango variety chosen for the experiment is the Vanraj variety. Ask any Indian their favourite fruit and pat will com e the response. Mango. The season fruit, with multiple variations, mangoes are totally loved by all Indians. Be it the king of mangoes – the Alphonso or one of the hundreds of other varieties like Kesar and Langda, Indians love having the fruit.
In the sliced form, cut into small cubes, in juiced form, in dry form – you name it and Indians can have it. Mangoes are a must in every Indian household in the summers and lunches are incomplete without a serving of mango in some form or the other. It’s the king of fruits and even the official fruit of the country!
But then, there are many for whom the delicious mango is but a dream. They make do with the delicious smell and the warm feel of am mango in their hands. If they so much as do anything more than take a deep breath – bam! Their dreams will crash as they are diabetic! Indian has one of the most number of diabetic people in the world and unfortunately, mango being high in sugar is not allowed for diabetics. Diabetics have to refrain from eating the fruit in every form. But scientists are now trying to figure out a way to let even the diabetics eat mangoes. They are trying to create a new form of sugar-less mango which will be safe for everyone.
The mango variety chosen for the experiment is the Vanraj variety. Researchers at the Maharana Pratap University for Agriculture and Technology (MPUAT) are making an effort to develop am mango with less glucose content. “We have collection of germplasms of many mango varieties and are trying to develop new kinds that would be beneficial even for diabetes patients. One such kind is Vanraj which has lesser content of total soluble sugar (TSS) and more acidic content compared to other popular varieties such as Langda, Kesar etc,” Prof G S Ameta, Research Director of MPUAT said while talking to KhabarLive.
Vanraj mangoes are usually found in Madhya Pradesh and are also popularly cultivated in Gujarat. The mangoes are longish in size and have red accents at the top of the fruit. The mangoes that are modified have 9 percent TSS which is considered to be safe for consumption even by sugar patients. Normally, mangoes have a sugar content as high as 24 percent. However, as opposed to the sugar, the acidity content in these mangoes is also higher at 31 percent whereas in normal ones it is 15 to 16 percent. Does this mean that the mangoes will be more sour than sweet? The entire lure of the mango is the sweet taste and if that is gone then the fun might go too!
So, what do you think? Sugarfree mango – yay or nay? Let us know in comments! #KhabarLive
