Mango Immunity and Cognition Study

Investigators are looking for: 

1. College-going young adults aged 18-30 years 
2. Being able to commute to Loma Linda University
3. Not taking medication or supplements that affect immunity or cognition. 

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Intolerance or allergy to Mangos 
2. Regular intake of Mangos and other similar fruit 
3. Using immune or cognition-boosting supplements 
4. Recent exposure to antibiotics and corticoids immediately prior to study 
5. Uncontrolled chronic diseases and mental illness, clinical depression, and immunocompromised state

The study consists of 2 groups. You will be randomly assigned to one of the groups using a random number table (just like flip of a coin). You will consume the assigned dietary treatment for 12 weeks. 

• Group 1: 1.5 servings of Mango per day 
• Group 2: Refrain from eating Mango 

You will be expected to attend 4 clinic visits over the course of 12 weeks and all clinic visits will be held in the Parkland Building, Nutrition Research Center, LLU. The clinic visits will be held during the baseline visit (week 0), and follow-up clinic visits (week 4, week 8 and week 12). In addition, you will be asked to provide 3 tablespoons fasting blood (this means that you must have nothing to eat and drink except water after 8 p.m. the evening before) at the baseline (week 0), and week 12. The purpose of the blood test is to measure the number of different types of white blood cells as well as the level of antibodies present in your blood. In case the laboratory finds any abnormalities in your blood cell numbers, we will provide you with the results that you can share with your primary care provider. Then you will come for a final blood draw visit (week 12). Body composition measurements, which means measuring your weight, body fat mass and muscle mass using an InBody machine will be done, once at the baseline clinic visit, week 4, week 8 and week 12 visit by a trained clinician. During each monthly visit you will receive Mangos based on your assigned group. You will be administered a set of paper-and-pencil tests (week 0 and week 12). These tests are designed to assess various aspects of cognitive function, including measures of attention, memory, and processing speed. The tests will take approximately 1 hour to complete. You will be provided with a diary to track any changes in your medication, food, exercise, supplements or if you experience any flu like symptoms.

You can let us know if you are interested in the study by any of the following 2 ways:

1. Send us an email to mangostudy@llu.edu. 
2. Call us at 909-558-8382 from 9 am to 5pm Please let us know the days and the time you will be available to take calls.

The study will last for 12 weeks (3 months) from start to finish.

There is NO cost to the participants for any of the study-associated intervention or tests.

Some of the foreseeable risks or discomforts of your participation include discomfort, bruising or bleeding from blood draw, and potential allergic reaction to mangos. There is a risk of breach of confidentiality of data. These risks will be minimized by getting a certified phlebotomist for the blood drawings. We will discuss any known allergies during the screening process, and if any known allergies to mango, you will be excluded from the study. We will also alert you to signs and symptoms to watch for if during the study you develop allergies to mangos. To protect confidentiality, we will de-identify your research record by assigning a unique ID, keep research records secure in a locked office or on a password protected computer. We will only allow authorized personnel to access the study data.

You may or may not benefit personally from the intervention. However, it is expected that this study will increase knowledge about the effect of mangos on immunity and cognition. Therefore, by participating you will be helping us gain a deeper understanding of the biological functions of mangos and contributing towards a lasting benefit for humanity.

Your results from a variety of tests will be provided to you at the completion of the study. These test results will give you valuable information about different aspects of your health and will be worthwhile to you. Test results of the blood work related to immune cells will be shared with you if there are abnormalities detected so you can follow it up with your primary care provider.

Since completion of all clinic sessions is important to the success of the study, participants will receive an honorarium of $50 at the end of each visit (baseline, week 4, week 8 and week 12).

Participation in this study is voluntary. Your decision on whether to participate in or withdraw at any time from the study will not affect your ongoing medical care or relationship with your doctors and will not involve any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.

Dates will be provided soon.