Mangosteen Fruit (Garcinia Mangostana)  

A recent buzz word making its way around the health and nutrition scene is “Superfoods”.  Supefoods can be grains, seeds, fruits, or vegetables.  They contain a high amount of antioxidants and phytonutrients.  Science is now catching up with what common knowledge has known for ages…think of that small voice in the back of your head that is saying, “eat your fruits and vegetables” (thanks, mom!).    One particular superfood that has health benefits above the norm is the mangosteen fruit.   

Mangosteen is a small and very slow-growing tropical evergreen tree.   Mangosteen is native to South East Asia and requires a year round, warm, very humid, equatorial climate. The tree only can grow well in tropical areas and requires abundant regular rainfall and moisture in the soil. 

Pericarp (rind or peel): the half-centimeter pericarp is green unripe and dark purple when ripe. It contains the highest concentrations of xanthones in the entire fruit. 

Pulp (fruit) – the fleshy interior that is responsible for its reputation as the best tasting fruit in the world. 

Seeds – usually one to two in number within the pulp. The mangosteen fruit has been used for centuries as a folk-lore medicine. 

 An enormous amount of modern study and research has been focused toward unlocking the secrets of this remarkable fruit. Scientists have actually identified the major compounds found in the mangosteen that are responsible for its healthful characteristics. 

Mangosteen Health Benefits 

These days, just about everybody knows about free radicals and the damage they cause in the body and most would know, to counteract the effects of free radicals, we need a diet high in antioxidants. Free radicals attack the cells in our bodies every second of every day, while antioxidants work actively with the immune system to repair the damage before cellular break down occurs. If the balance between free radical attack and the body’s ability to overcome free radical activity is weighted on the side of the free radicals… well you are destined for early onset of metabolic disease or worse. 

 Much has been made of the extensive antioxidant properties of vitamins, especially Vitamin C and Vitamin E.  However, superfoods provide benefit way beyond these vitamins. 

This powerful, life-enhancing substance is called Xanthone. 

In fact, there’s a whole family of Xanthones, and the most dynamic of these are found in the amazing whole fruit mangosteen which includes the pericarp. While most people know about the antioxidant benefits of Vitamins C and E, far fewer are aware of the incredibly potent antioxidant power of Xanthones and many other phyto-chemicals. Xanthones are natural plant chemical substances that have recently won high praise from numerous scientists and researchers. Xanthones have been studied for their medicinal potential, since they demonstrate a number of pharmaceutical properties and are proving to be essential for good health. 

The Research on Xanthones: 

Xanthones have been the subject of intense research for several decades. They’re found in a select number of rain forest plants and dark red fruits, but nowhere are they found in more abundance than in the pericarp or rind, of the mangosteen fruit. This smooth, purple/dark red covering that was traditionally ground with ancient mortars and used to heal infection turns out to be the mother lode of beneficial Xanthones and potent antioxidants. 

The two most beneficial Xanthones found in the mangosteen have been named Alpha Mangostin and Gamma Mangostin. When isolated and thoroughly tested by researchers, these two Xanthones have been found to carry a host of benefits. According to professional journals such as Free Radical Research, Journal of Pharmacology, and the Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, these Xanthones have a remarkable effect on cardiovascular health; are naturally antibiotic, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory; and are amongst the most powerful antioxidants found in nature. 

Research laboratories around the world have now been helping us understand how the mangosteen fruit imparts such wonderful benefits. Modern science is just catching up with what herbal doctors have already known for centuries. 

For more information go to www.pubmed.com and search for “Xanthones” or “Garcinia Mangostana” in the database and read the scientific research. 

The Benefits Research is finding: 

1.) Anti-fatigue
2.) Anti-obesity
3.) Anti-depression
4.) Anti-anxiety
5.) Anti-Alzheimer’s
6.) Anti-arthritis
7.) Anti–periodontic (gum disease)
8.) Anti-allergenic
9.) Anti-seborrheic (skin disease)
10.) Anti-pyretic (anti-fever)
11.) Anti-Parkinsonism
12.) Anti-diarrhea
13.) Anti-neuralgia (nerve pain)
14.) Anti-vertigo (dizziness)
15.) Anti-glaucoma
16.) Anti-pain (for example, dental pain)
17.) Anti-inflammatory (cox-2 inhibitor; like Vioxx & Celebrex but without side effects)
18.) Anti-ulcer (for example, ulcers of stomach, mouth, small bowel, large bowel)

I found XanGo to be the best source of mangosteen.  XanGo juice is the original mangosteen supplement that uses a proprietary, whole fruit formula (follow this link to a mangosteen juice source).

To your long life!

Richard

For Further Reading Pleasure: 

 Tapiero, H., et. al. “Polyphenols: do they play a role in the prevention of human pathologies?”Biomedicine & Pharmacotheraphy; 2002, 56 (4):200-207 

Huang, D., et. al. “High-throughout assay of oxygen radical absorbency capacity using multichannel liquid handling system coupled with a microplate florescence reader in 96 we format.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: 2002 50 (16): 4437-4444 

Mangosteen in the Columbia Encyclopedia – 6th edition, Columbia University Press 2003 

Parkinson. R. “Mangoes, Lychees and Mangosteen”: Chinese Cuisine 2004 

 Nakatani, K. , et. al. “gamma-Mangostin inhibits IkappaB Kinase Activity with and decreases Lipopolysaccaride-induced cyclooxgenanase-2 Gene Expression in C6 Rat glioma Cells.” Molecular Pharmacology; June 24, 2004 

 Jiang, D.J. e. al. “ Pharmacological effects of xanthones as cardiovascular protective agents.”Cardiovascular Drug Reviews , 2004, 22(2):91-102 

 Biochem Pharmacol – 2002 Jan 1;63(1):73-9 

Evaluation of the antifungal activity of natural xanthones from Garcinia mangostana and their synthetic derivatives – J. Nat Prod 1997 May; 60 (5):519-24 

Active constituents against HIV-1 protease from Mangosteen- Planta Med 1996 Aug;62(4):381-2 

 Mangostin inhibits the oxidative modification of human low density lipoprotein- Free radical Res. 1995 Aug.:23(2):175-84 

 Antiproliferation, antioxidation and induction of apoptosis by Garcinia mangostana on SKBR3 human breast cancer cell line J.Ethnopharmacol, 2004 Jan:90(1):161-6 

Induction of apoptosis by xanthones from mangosteen in human leukemia cell lines J.Nat Prod. 2003 Aug;55(8):1124-7