Every year, about 25 million cisgender women round the globe experience menopause, a natural stage of life that occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 when you stop having a menstrual cycle.

Then comes post menopause which is a period when a person exits menopause and has not experienced a menstrual cycle for at least 12 months. This time frame can be dangerous as it increases the risk of certain health conditions in women including obesity, depression, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease as well. Studies and experts also state that as estrogen levels decline in women, they are likely to face significant changes in heart and metabolic strength, like higher cholesterol and blood pressure.

However, a new study published in the Journal of the American Nutrition Association found that eating two servings of mangoes everyday may help support postmenopausal heart health. It does so by lowering blood pressure and “bad” cholesterol levels. This study has also been supported by a research grant from the National Mango Board.

In addition to this, several researchers have also discovered that mangoes are responsible for less blood sugar increase that is lowered even further and quicker a few hours after consumption, as compared to eating plain white bread.

For this particular study, researchers had recruited 24 cisgender women aged between 50 to 70 years who were overweight or obese. Over the next two weeks, the study participants consumed about 1.5 cups of mangoes each day and their blood pressure, cholesterol and other body metrics were recorded a couple times a day.

The associate researcher in the Department of Nutrition at the University of California, Davis, Roberta Holt said that “We chose mango because it’s a nutrient-dense fruit with fiber, antioxidants, and bioactives that support heart health.” The co-author of the study also mentioned “Previous studies have shown a positive effect on blood pressure and lipid management with mango consumption.”

After the completion of the study, it was found that after two hours of eating mangoes, study participants experienced a drop of 6 points in their systolic blood pressure, and a 2.3 mmHG reduction in their mean arterial pressure.