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Make Way
for the Queen
The elusive mangosteen is released to the world.
The mangosteen fruit has been known and used in Southeast Asia for centuries. Only recently, however, has it gained mass attention.
High ORAC Value
What has changed—and increased the demand—is mangosteen's association
with the relatively new category of exotic antioxidant fruit beverages
with high ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) measurements. Prior
to this development, it was difficult for mangosteen to grab a foothold
in the United States.
One drawback was that it requires such a highly tropical environment to survive, that growing attempts failed here. Importation has also been hampered because the Department of Agriculture enforces strict insect controls.
Over the years, a mysterious aura has arisen around the fruit. The mystery, however, is now out. Increasing numbers of natural product manufactures have incorporated mangosteen into their top supplement products.
Xanthones - Powerful
Antioxidants
The main attraction is that mangosteen is said to hold some of nature's
highest concentrations of xanthones. A May article titled "Mangosteen's
Healing Benefits Revealed" in the Manila Times states,
"Xanthones are phytonutrients with powerful antioxidant properties
that protect cells against harmful free radicals." They also explain
that the hard rind and pulp of the mangosteen, its pericarp, holds the
greatest concentration of xanthones.
Other Benefits of
Mangosteen
Dried mangosteens have been shipped throughout Asia and used in folk
medicine to help overcome illness. Julia F. Morton, in her book Fruits
of Warm Climates, says that it was administered in powder form
to overcome dysentery. The fruit could also be made into an ointment,
which was used to help ease eczema and other skin disorders.
In addition, Morton explains, "A portion of the rind is steeped in water overnight and the infusion given as a remedy for chronic diarrhea in adults and children." Other decoctions of the fruit have been used to relieve cystitis, gonorrhea, gleet, urinary disorders, and regulate menstruation.
Fresh Mangosteens
Available Soon
All of this excitement about mangosteen is only recently spreading into
the United States. In fact, a recent article written by David Karp in
The New York Times titled "Forbidden? Not the Mangosteen,"
says that by next summer, fresh mangosteens will be shipped to the mainland
commercially for the first time in decades.
Mangosteen Available
in Juice Form
Those who are anxious to see what all the fuss is about need not wait
until next summer however. As noted above, the supplement juice market,
especially, has made mangosteen available on a mass level. These juices
not only hold a rich and unique mangosteen flavor, but they also capture
the nutritional value of the fruit. Many of these drink supplement products
contain high concentrations of
xanthones from the fruit's pericarp.
Mangosteen Supports
Many Bodily Functions
Containing over 40 different xanthones, says material provided by XanGo,
LLC, the mangosteen can play a role in many bodily functions. Supporting
a healthy immune system, first off, is something that is beneficial
to everyone. By the "bolstering of cell's defense against free
radicals in the body, and the maintenance of cell integrity," a
microbiological balance will also be supported.
Free radicals are molecules that are unstable because they are missing an electron. Electrons in normal molecules are always paired, and if one is unpaired, it will destabilize the molecule whilelooking for a partner. While searching for a partner, it may cause serious cellular damage, because when an electron finds a partner, a new free radical is born. Xanthones stabilize free radicals putting an end to the "domino effect," says information provided by Pure Fruit Technologies.
Assists with Digestion
Research shows that xanthones help with digestion as well. Considering
that folk medicine used mangosteen for diarrhea and other digestive
ailments, the findings are not too much of a surprise. XanGo, LLC says
it promotes intestinal health, and maintains intestinal flora.
Shows Promise for
Other Benefits
"Laboratory studies indicate," Karp adds, that the mangosteen
shows "promise in combating bacteria, fungi, inflammation, free
radicals, and cancer." He also says, however, that only a few tests
have been performed on animals, and there have been no human clinical
trials.
Available in Supplement
Form
Nevertheless, this does not take away the claims of Southeast Asians
who have used the fruit in traditional remedies for ages. At the very
least, the mangosteen fruit, as well as its various supplement forms,
provide the body with loads of powerful antioxidants.
Supplements that include the pericarp of the mangosteen, especially the rind, hold the greatest source of antioxidants. When supplement products include extractions from the pericarp, the result is a concentration of xanthones. ORAC scores, which test the effectiveness and capacity of a product's antioxidants, also tend to be very high with mangosteen products says Pure Fruit Technology.
Research Continues
for Further Benefits
The "queen of the fruits," as it has been nicknamed, was a
mystery in the past, but increasing interest is giving people a better
understanding of its beneficial qualities. Only a few of the xanthones
that are in the mangosteen have been studied in depth, but new discoveries
are being made regularly. WF
References:
"Mangosteen's Healing Benefits Revealed," Manila Times,
May2006
Fruits of Warm Climates by Julia F. Morton, taken from www.hort.purdue.edu
"Forbidden? Not the Mangosteen" by David Karp, New York
Times, August 2006
Material provided by XanGo, LLC,
Material provided by Pure Fruit Technologies.
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