The glycemic index of mango is about 51 in published GI tables, which puts ripe mango in the low-GI band of 55 or below. Mango still has roughly 14 g of sugar per 100 g, so portion size decides its effect on blood sugar.
What the glycemic index of mango means
The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrate foods by how fast they raise blood glucose after eating, relative to pure glucose at 100. Foods at 55 or below are called low GI, 56 to 69 medium, and 70 or above high. Published GI tables list ripe mango at around 51, so mango sits in the low band, in the same range as many whole fruits.
We are Powle Home Foods in Mumbai and we sell Alphonso mangoes under the AlphonsoMango.in name. We are fruit sellers, not doctors, so this page sticks to published figures and plain arithmetic. If you manage diabetes or any other condition, the person to ask about mango in your diet is your doctor or dietitian, and the figures below are there to make that conversation easier.
| GI band | Range | Where ripe mango sits |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 55 or below | Mango, about 51 |
| Medium | 56 to 69 | Above mango |
| High | 70 or above | Well above mango |
Three things keep the GI of a whole mango moderate: the fruit's fibre, its organic acids, and the fact that its sugar is held inside intact cells rather than dissolved in a drink. Mango juice with the fibre strained out behaves differently from a sliced mango.
Mango sugar content and glycemic load
GI measures speed, not quantity. Glycemic load (GL) adjusts for how much carbohydrate a serving contains, and that is where portion size enters. Per 100 g, raw mango provides about 60 kcal, 15 g of carbohydrate, of which roughly 14 g is sugar, and about 1.6 g of fibre. A whole Alphonso of the 180 to 225 g grade gives roughly 130 to 150 g of edible flesh, so one fruit carries about 18 to 21 g of sugar.
- One fruit, eaten whole: a moderate glycemic load; the fibre and acids slow absorption.
- Two or three at a sitting: the GI does not change, but the load doubles or triples.
- Aamras with added sugar: the added sugar raises the load well beyond the fruit alone.
- Mango juice, strained: less fibre, faster absorption, higher effective response.
The practical rule most dietitians give is the same for any fruit: eat the whole fruit, keep to one serving, and pair it with protein or fat, for example plain curd, which slows the rise further. Our note on diabetes and mango goes into portion planning in more detail.
Does the glycemic index differ for Alphonso?
Published GI values are for ripe mango in general, not for a named variety, and we do not have a variety-specific GI for Alphonso. Alphonso pulp is rich, creamy and non-fibrous, and the fruit is sweet, so treat it as a mango with the general figure and the general portion advice. We do not state sugar readings or sweetness scores for our fruit.
What we can say is how the fruit is grown and handled. We source Alphonso across 55 villages of the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt on the Konkan coast; Alphonso from this belt is GI-tagged in India (GI No. 139, a Geographical Indication, which has nothing to do with the glycemic index), and we hold GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139). The harvest runs about February to June, with the best supply from March to May, and the 2027 season opens on 1 February 2027. Fresh Alphonso is not sold outside the season; the Alphonso pulp tin is available all year. Check the pulp tin label for its sugar content before using it in a diabetic diet.
Nutrition beyond sugar: 100 g of raw mango provides about 36 mg of vitamin C, roughly 40% of the Daily Value, along with beta-carotene and potassium. Those come with the sugar, not instead of it.
Ripening method and blood sugar
We do not use carbide. Our Alphonso mangoes are ripened naturally on hay beds. Selling fruit ripened with calcium carbide (acetylene) gas is prohibited under Regulation 2.3.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare lists dizziness, irritation, difficulty in swallowing and vomiting among effects linked to carbide residues. That is a food-safety reason to avoid carbide-ripened fruit.
We make no claim that ripening method changes the glycemic index; we have seen no published GI study that compares them, and we will not invent one. Ripeness itself does matter a little: as any fruit ripens, starch converts to sugar, so a fully soft mango tastes sweeter than a firm one. If you prefer a slightly firmer fruit, eat it a day or two before it is fully soft. Our guide to carbide-free mangoes explains what to ask a seller.
How to fit mango into a blood-sugar-aware diet
- Agree a portion with your doctor or dietitian; one small to medium fruit is the usual starting point.
- Eat it whole or sliced, not as strained juice, and skip added sugar in aamras.
- Have it with or after a meal that contains protein and fat, rather than alone on an empty stomach.
- If you test your blood glucose, check your own response once; individual responses vary more than any table suggests.
- Count it as your fruit serving for that meal, not as an extra.
Within those limits, a seasonal fruit eaten for a few months of the year is a reasonable pleasure for most people. Related reading: mango for diabetes, myths and facts and mango nutrition for diabetics. To buy, see the mango collection; a smaller grade suits portion control, since each fruit is finished at one sitting.
People also ask
Is mango very high in sugar?
Raw mango has about 14 g of sugar per 100 g, similar to many sweet fruits. One Alphonso of medium grade gives roughly 18 to 21 g of sugar. Its glycemic index is about 51, in the low band, but the total sugar in a serving still counts, so keep to one fruit at a time.
Can a diabetic eat Indian mango?
Many people with diabetes eat mango in a controlled portion, usually one small to medium fruit with a meal, after agreeing it with their doctor or dietitian. The glycemic index of about 51 is low, but the sugar load of several fruits or sweetened aamras is not. Test your own response if you can.
Does mango spike blood sugar?
A whole ripe mango has a glycemic index of about 51, so it raises blood glucose more slowly than high-GI foods such as white bread. The rise still depends on how much you eat and what you eat it with. Strained juice and sugared aamras act faster than the whole fruit.
What is healthier, banana or mango?
Both are whole fruits with similar sugar per 100 g. Mango is commonly listed with a GI of about 51 and gives about 36 mg of vitamin C per 100 g; a ripe banana sits in the low to medium GI range and gives more potassium. Neither is better for everyone; portion and preference decide.
How many mangoes can a diabetic eat a day?
There is no single number; it depends on your plan with your doctor or dietitian. A common starting point is one small to medium mango a day, eaten whole with a meal and counted as that meal’s fruit serving. Two or three fruits at a sitting multiply the sugar load even though the GI stays the same.
Related searches
- Mango glycemic index and diabetes
- Ripe mango glycemic index explained
- Mango for diabetes type 2
- Mango nutrition facts per 100 g
- Alphonso mango pulp without added sugar: check the label
- Buy Ratnagiri Alphonso mango online
- Identify carbide-free mangoes
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia, Glycemic index.
- Wikipedia, Mango.
- Wikipedia, Alphonso mango.
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, Regulation 2.3.5 (compendium version of 2 April 2025).
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare via PIB, FSSAI Alerts Fruit Traders to Ensure Compliance with Prohibition of Calcium Carbide in Fruit Ripening, 18 May 2024.
Written by Prashant Powle, founder of AlphonsoMango.in. Last reviewed October 2026.