Health Benefits of Mangosteen,
“Queen of the Fruits”

Modern Science Discovers the Benefits of Mangosteen. For centuries, the mangosteen fruit, as well as the leaves, bark and roots of the tree have been used in traditional medicine in southeast Asia. Traditional healers have used the fruit to stop infection, treat inflammation, and increase energy, among many other health problems.

Modern scientists and a growing number of health practitioners now agree on the medical benefits of mangosteen. Mangosteen extract has been shown to equal or outperform many prescription and over-the-counter drugs that are used to address a wide variety of ailments.

What are Mangosteens? Mangosteens are an exotic fruit grown throughout Southeast Asia and Central America, as well as India and Australia.

A mangosteen is roughly the size of a tangerine, with a leathery purple shell and a green leafy stem. The triangular segments of soft flesh inside are snow-white and juicy. Mangosteens are often referred to as “Queen of the fruits.” (According to rumor, it was Queen Victoria’s favorite).

More recently, the amazing benefits of mangosteen have become known worldwide because of the popularity of antioxdants. The mangosteen is near the top of the list of foods with high antioxidant capacity, as measured on the ORAC scale.

Mangosteens Score High on the ORAC Scale. A laboratory test known as ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is one standard for measuring antioxidant capacity. In general, the ORAC table is an acceptable measure for comparing water-soluble antioxidants like anthocyanins.

This test shows that an ounce of mangosteen juice provides many times more capacity to absorb free radicals than an ounce of most other antioxidant fruits and vegetables. It scores about equally well with acai berries, noni and goji berries, three other superfruits highlighted elsewhere in this website. For more information about the ORAC table, go to ORAC Values.

Mangosteen’s Unique Natural Compounds

Xanthones. Mangosteen contains more than 40 powerful antioxidants and immune system boosters called xanthones. Xanthones are natural phytochemicals which have been shown to possess a variety of potent medicinal properties. While all these xanthones have similar molecular structures, each one has its own unique chemical composition that allows it to perform a different function.

Mangosteens are the only commercially-available fruits that contain xanthones. Of the 200 known xanthones, 40 are found in mangosteen. In addition to xanthones, mangosteen is a good source of important vitamins (B1, B2, B6 and C) and minerals (calcium, iron and potassium).

Other Phytonutrients in Mangosteen. Many of the benefits of mangosteen come from other potent natural compounds found in mangosteens: catechins, polysaccharides, quinones, stilbenes and polyphenols.

Catechins were discovered to be five times more potent as antioxidants than vitamin C. They are also found in green tea and dark chocolate.

Polysaccharides are unique carbohydrate compounds that are highly potent anti-cancer and anti-bacterial phytochemicals (plant chemicals).

Quinones are known for their anti-bacterial properties and also are strong antioxidants. Coenzyme Q-10 is one of these compounds.

Stilbenes are compounds that defend plants against fungi. Stilbenes maintain their anti-fungal properties when you eat them. They are also very strong antioxidants. Resveratrol is an example of another stilbene.

Polyphenols, like those contained in red wine, have been shown to be far more more potent as antioxidants than vitamin E, considered one of the most powerful known antioxidants.

Health Benefits of Mangosteen

Mangosteen Supports Total Wellness. Mangosteen’s high nutritional value makes it an excellent choice for achieving and maintaining total body wellness, as well as for treating an incredible variety of health conditions. In fact, you may be shocked by the variety of health-enhancing properties this exotic fruit provides.

Here's a partial list of the 200-plus medicinal benefits of mangosteen that have been documented:

• maintains healthy skin
• strengthens the immune system
• helps relieve fatigue
• helps prevent allergic reactions
• helps prevent arthritis

• helps prevent cancer
• strengthens cardiovascular health
• helps stabilize blood sugar
• helps lower blood pressure
• helps prevent atherosclerosis

• helps prevent kidney stones
• helps prevent cataracts
• helps with depression
• helps with diarrhea
• relieves fungal infections

• helps prevent glaucoma
• helps with inflammation
• helps in nerve pain
• helps in weight loss
• helps prevent osteoporosis

• relieves anxiety
• helps prevent gum disease
• helps lower fever
• supports restful sleep

Tips for Choosing a Mangosteen Product

Mangosteen is commonly only available as a juice or juice blend. Here are some questions to help you get all the benefits of mangosteen, and to decide which mangosteen product is best for you:

Does the company provide you complete information about their product? Reputable manufacturers usually disclose manufacturing details and ingredient information on the supplement's packaging or the company's website.

Does the product contain the whole fruit puree of mangosteen, or just the pulp? Make sure that the product includes the rind (pericarp) and seeds, where much of the xanthone content is concentrated.

Is mangosteen the primary ingredient? What percentage of the product is mangosteen content? You want to look closely at the label on the bottle to see what other ingredients are mixed in. To obtain the greatest benefit, mangosteen should be the primary ingredient. Other antioxidant juices are alright, in lesser amounts. Sometimes, companies will create a blend to make a product taste better; in this case, it should also be lower in price.

Here are two companies that I can wholeheartedly recommend for mangosteen juice products:

Earth's Bounty Mangosteen Juice uses only ripe, wild-crafted mangosteens, and blends in grape juice and extracts of blueberry, raspberry, goji, grape seed, grape skin and green tea extract to make a powerful antioxidant tonic. Mangosteens are still the primary ingredient, but since it's not 100% mangosteen (the most expensive ingredient), the price is much lower.

Genesis Today's Mangosteen 100 is a 100% pure mangosteen juice, for you purists!

With either of these products, a suggested serving of only one ounce gives you the benefits of 3 or 4 servings of ordinary fruit and more. You can drink as much as you like, of course! I find that these juices are a great way to wash down my other supplements after a meal.

Looking for a good source of other antioxidant superfruit products made with mangosteen? For price, selection and service, it's hard to beat iHerb.com. Why? Take a look at what they have to offer:

• Great Prices — 30% to 60% off most name-brand products
• Selection — choose from over a dozen mangosteen products
• Same-Day Shipping — $4 Flat Rate, FREE on orders over $40
• International Shipping — as low as $4 on orders up to $80
• Live Customer-Care Service — on the phone or live chat
• Additional Discounts — extra 5% off for orders over $60
• Rewards Program — earn store credit for referring your friends!

More Information on Antioxidant Fruits

Back to Antioxidant Fruits

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Have You Improved Your Health
by Using Mangosteen Juice?

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