Marvelous Mangosteen

Throughout the 20 years I’ve practised naturopathy, I’ve come across thousands of nutritional supplements that have claimed to be cure-alls.

Few delivered the miracles they offered, and most lacked any real scientific substantiation. Recently, I was asked about mangosteen juice, which deserves to have its record set straight.

Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a tropical fruit grown in Southeast Asia. Enjoyed there as a table fruit, its therapeutic properties have long been understood by the indigenous people of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and China. It has been nicknamed “the queen of fruits” and has been used for thousands of years in folk and traditional medicine to treat inflammatory conditions, dysentery or diarrhea, and to control pain and disinfect wounds.

Inflammation Fighter

Mangosteen’s reputation as a healing food may be due to its abundance of antioxidants, in particular, the phytonutrients called xanthones. These natural anti-inflammatory agents are found in mangosteen and are one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants. Researchers have discovered that mangosteen is a rich source of xanthones, which are found primarily in its pericarp, or rind. Of the 200 known xanthones, over 40 of them are found in the mangosteen. This abundance of xanthones may account for mangosteen’s therapeutic properties.

Inflammation is thought to be the root cause for many degenerative diseases, ranging from cardiovascular disease, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus to Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. Reducing inflammation in the body is therefore critical to maintaining health. Xanthones have been clinically shown to reduce the enzymes involved with increasing the body’s natural inflammatory processes.

A Mangosteen a Day?

While there is no cure-all herb or plant, certain plants can offer health benefits. If you’re interested in trying a mangosteen product, look for one that has 100 percent pure mangosteen juice, undiluted and without added sweeteners, fruit juices, preservatives, water, flavouring, or colouring.

The best mangosteen juice uses the entire fruit from the snow white, fleshy interior to the tough and bitter pericarp; this will ensure that you are receiving all the critical xanthones. So, drink up and enjoy your good health!