Can mango and avocado improve heart health without weight loss? What a new study found

What if improving your heart health did not have to begin with losing weight? A new study suggests that the quality of what you eat could matter, too. Researchers found that adults with prediabetes who ate mango and avocado every day for eight weeks showed improvements in blood-vessel function, even though their weight and overall calorie intake remained largely unchanged.

Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in February 2026, the study was conducted by researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology. It examined whether adding two nutrient-rich fruits to the daily diet could improve cardiovascular and metabolic health.

How mango and avocado affected blood-vessel health

The researchers studied 82 adults with prediabetes, who were randomly divided into two groups. One group ate one medium Hass avocado and one cup of fresh mango every day for eight weeks. The comparison group followed a calorie-matched diet in which these fruits were replaced with low-fat, low-fibre carbohydrate foods.

The most notable difference emerged in a measure called flow-mediated dilation (FMD), which assesses how well blood vessels widen in response to increased blood flow. This ability is important for healthy circulation and is used as an indicator of endothelial function: the health of the thin layer of cells lining blood vessels.

After eight weeks, FMD increased to 6.7% among participants following the avocado-and-mango diet. In the control group, it fell to 4.6%. The difference between the diets was statistically significant, suggesting that the fruit combination improved this measure of vascular function.

Why the findings matter even without weight loss

The results are notable because participants did not need to lose weight or reduce their calorie intake to show this improvement. Their body weight and total energy intake remained broadly stable, suggesting that the nutritional composition of a diet may influence certain aspects of cardiovascular health independently of weight change.

Blood-pressure measurements also showed differences, particularly among men. Brachial diastolic blood pressure, the lower number in a conventional blood-pressure reading, changed more favourably in men consuming the fruits than in those following the control diet. However, the result for central diastolic pressure did not meet the conventional threshold for statistical significance, so the gender-specific finding needs further investigation.

What makes mango and avocado a useful combination?

The two fruits offer different nutrients. Mango contributes dietary fibre and vitamin C, while avocado provides fibre, potassium and monounsaturated fats. The study found that participants on the fruit-based diet increased their intake of fibre, vitamin C and monounsaturated fat.

These nutrients are associated with cardiovascular health. Fibre can support cholesterol and blood-sugar management, while replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats can help improve LDL cholesterol levels. Potassium also plays a role in regulating blood pressure.

The researchers suggested that this combination of nutrients may have contributed to the improvement in vascular function. However, the study did not establish whether eating mango and avocado together is more beneficial than consuming either fruit separately.

Can the findings be applied to people in India?

The research may be relevant to India, where prediabetes is a significant public-health concern. The ICMR-INDIAB national study, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology in 2023, estimated that 15.3% of Indian adults, around 136 million people, had prediabetes.

But the findings should not be treated as a prescription for everyone. The trial involved a relatively small group of adults with prediabetes, and its results cannot automatically be extended to people without the condition. Nor does it show that eating these fruits prevents diabetes or heart disease.

Why longer studies are still needed

The intervention lasted only eight weeks and measured risk indicators rather than outcomes such as heart attacks or strokes. Researchers also found no significant differences between the diets in several other measures, including blood glucose, cholesterol and inflammation.

The study received unrestricted grants from the National Mango Board and the Hass Avocado Board, which the researchers said had no role in its design or findings.

The takeaway is promising but measured: adding nutrient-rich foods may support aspects of heart health without necessarily changing body weight. Whether the improvements last, and translate into fewer cardiovascular problems over time, will require larger, longer studies.

(With inputs from ANI)