Melbourne: Researchers have come up with some good news for mango lovers, as they insist that eating them with the skin on could aid the battle of the bulge.

But the news is accompanied with a warning: eating the wrong variety could have the opposite effect.

University of Queensland scientists have found that the skins of the common Irwin and Nam Doc Mai varieties contain compounds that inhibit the formation of human fat cells.

By contrast, the skin of the Kensington Pride mango has compounds that promote fat cell growth.

Professor Mike Gidley said that lab tests involved exposing human fat cells to extracts from the skin and flesh of three varieties.

He said there was a long way to go, but the findings opened up the possibility of a supplement that could help fight obesity.

“The next stage is to identify the useful molecules in the peel that inhibited fat cell formation,” News. com. au quoted Prof Gidley as saying.