Long COVID and Mango Fruit Powder

Functional Medicine Research with Dr. Nikolas Hedberg, DC

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can severely damage the body’s circulatory vessels, which inhibits oxygen, hormones, and nutrients from getting to vital body tissues.

Patients with Long COVID have been shown to have impaired microcirculation up to 18 months after infection, and possibly even longer if those vessels aren’t repaired.

Damaged microcirculation can lead to many of the symptoms of Long COVID including fatigue, difficulty recovering from exercise, brain fog, sluggish brain function, muscle weakness, depressed mood, loss of smell and taste, to name a few of the most common symptoms.

Mango fruit powder has been shown to improve microcirculation in a couple of excellent studies I will cover below.

Mango (Mangifera indica) has the following properties:

· Rich in polyphenols

· Activates Sirt-1 – antioxidant, improves endothelial function, anti-inflammatory, enhances metabolism

· Activates AMPK – improves muscle glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation, hepatic fatty acid oxidation, lipid homeostasis, balances blood sugar, improves endothelial function

· Improves eNOS – improves endothelial function, increases energy, antioxidant

· Supports mitochondrial neogenesis

The first study entitled “Effects of Mangifera indica (Careless) on Microcirculation and Glucose Metabolism in Healthy Volunteers” was a double-blind, randomized study. The name “Careless” was changed to “Careflow” for good reason because it is more descriptive of the benefits of mango fruit powder.

204 subjects were divided into three groups. One group took 100 mg a day of mango fruit powder. The second group took 300 mg of mango fruit powder. And the third group was the placebo group. Mango fruit powder was taken every day for 4 weeks.

Microcirculation and endothelial function were assessed.

Microcirculatory reactive hyperemia flow increased, especially in the 100 mg group.

300 mg of the mango fruit preparation reduced postprandial glucose levels compared to placebo, accompanied by significantly lower HbA1c values compared to baseline.

300 mg intake significantly improved postprandial endothelial function in individuals with decreased endothelial function after high-dose glucose intake.

Both doses were well tolerated without side effects.

The second study entitled “In Vitro Activation of eNOS by Mangifera indica (Careless™) and Determination of an Effective Dosage in a Randomized, Double-Blind, Human Pilot Study on Microcirculation” showed similar results on microcirculation.

In this study, a dose of 100 mg or 300 mg of mango fruit powder was given to see the effects on microcirculation in a randomized, double-blind, crossover pilot study in ten healthy women.

Both doses improved cutaneous blood flow, indicating improved microcirculation.

Both doses were well tolerated without side effects.

Both of the above studies clearly show the benefits of mango fruit powder on microcirculation which can help patients with Long COVID.

Why not just eat mangos?

Careflow, the mango fruit powder used in these studies, is standardized to 0.03% mangiferin which is vital for maximum effectiveness.

Additionally, the mango subspecies used in Careflow is called “Kili-mooku” as opposed to the “Alfonso” mangos found in supermarkets. Mangos are cultivated in the South of India in the Tamil Nadu region as opposed to Brazil and Peru where commercial mangos come from.

Kili-mooku mangos are harvested just at the right time when the beneficial plant ingredients are at their highest levels and manufactured in Germany to the highest standards.

I designed VascuSelect by Moss Nutrition to contain 100 mg of Careflow standardized mango whole fruit powder along with grape seed extract and ginkgo biloba to repair and restore microcirculation.

This makes VascuSelect a perfect formula for those suffering with Long COVID. I use one capsule twice a day with my patients suffering from Long COVID.

If you’d like to read about the beneficial effects of ginkgo biloba on Long COVID, read my article here. And to read my article on grapeseed extract and Long COVID, click here.

Hedberg Institute Members can log into your account and download my latest Long COVID protocol.

Click here to learn more about the Hedberg Institute Membership.