The Mangosteen originated in Southeast Asia where there is thousands of years of folklore about the amazing health benefits. It was later imported into other countries with climate conditions that could grow the mangosteen. Basically wherever coffee can be grown, the mangosteen can be grown. And the folklore stretched to South America, The Caribbean, and beyond.
The Mangosteen was first brought to market commercially in North America in 2002 in the form of a juice and quickly spread to other products including powders, teas, capsules, dehydrated products, and more. Quickly the Mangosteen became known as a Super Fruit due to the high potency of Xanthone molecules and other phytonutrients found abundantly in this fruit.
About Mangosteen
The mangosteen fruit is one of today’s most scientifically studied fruits due to the abundance of xanthone molecules and other nutrients that have a significant impact on health. Mangosteen has been used medicinally for thousands of years in Southeast Asia.
Mangosteen Phytonutrient Benefits:
Mangosteen contains phytonutrients like Xanthones and other groups of compounds noted below which have their own list of studied health benefits:
- Xanthones: Research suggests that mangosteen possesses strong antioxidant and healing properties
- Anthocyanins: Are said to exhibit a significant neuroprotective role
- Proanthocyinadins: Support a healthy cardiovascular system and healthy cells from free radical damage.
- Catechins: Promote metabolism, provide a healthy blood sugar support as well as immune support
- Polysaccharides: Promote healthy digestion and help maintain health skin
- Flavonoids: Support a number of benefits, such as antioxidant, providing a health inflammatory response and cardiovascular health
Xanthones are a unique class of antioxidant compounds found abundantly in the mangosteen. Over 200 exist in nature and most fruits or vegetables have one or two xanthones. The pomegranate contains 8. Over 70 xanthone molecules have been discovered in the mangosteen to date. There is no other botanical that contains an abundance of xanthones.
In 600 AD, Scribes in Southeast Asia recorded the use of the Mangosteen fruit as a general Remedy and Healing agent.
Mangosteen’s use in traditional medicine is recorded in Chinese text dating to the Ming Dynasty (1268 – 1644).
“The mangosteen is the only fruit which sick people are allowed to eat unsparingly; it is given with safety in almost every disorder.” – May 26, 1885 – The Illustrated London News
Queen Victoria offered a knighthood to anyone who could bring her a mangosteen in good condition. Many tried. None succeeded. The nature of the fruit made it impossible to transport over long distances.
The Mangosteen became known as the “Queen of Fruits”.
In 1855 a German scientist studying dysentery, first isolated xanthone molecules. The yellow crystalline compound was named after the greek word for yellow, “xanthos”.
In 1979 “alpha mangostin” was discovered as an anti-inflammatory in Madras, India.
Check it out for yourself. There are now over 4,000 research papers on the mangosteen or on one of the 70+ xanthones found in the pericarp (or outside rind) of the mangosteen.
You can find these studies on the National Library of Medicine’s website at www.PubMed.gov.
Use keywords in your search such as: mangosteen, xanthone, xanthones, and garcinia mangostana (the scientific name for mangosteen).
You will also find many studies on the NIH website (National Institutes of Health) at www.NIH.gov using the same search words.
Disclaimer: The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated these statements. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
