Why is Mangosteen so Healthy?

By Paul Saberhagen

In the Sundra Islands and the Moluccas of Indonesia, an 80-foot tropical evergreen tree has grown for thousands of years... At least that is where researchers say the Mangosteen tree most likely originated. This tree produces a an edible fruit that is sometimes very sweet and other times a bit tangy, but it's always full of healthy nutrients. It has an outer skin that is usually pretty tough, but softens up as the fruit ripens. It is purple in color and about the size of a tangerine, and more recently, the mangosteen has been categorized as an official 'super Fruit.'

'Superfruits' are becoming more and more common each day. New fruits are being found in many countries and are now being cultivated in some of our states. Mangosteen's unique nutrients allow it to fall under the category of being a 'superfruit.' Although the nutritional value seems to below the FDA daily allowance, and it seems to be made up more of water than anything else, it does have some hidden attributes that make it a great choice for your health.

So if nothing else, it is very low in calories and would be perfect for those on a diet or trying to just control their weight. However research does show that it might have some of the world's best antioxidant properties for any fruit. It is supposed to contain at least 40 different Xanthones, which are a powerful form of antioxidants. There are currently 200 Xanthones identified, all beneficial to humans.

Xanthones go through our body destroying free radicals that can make us very unhealthy. Alpha-mangostin, gama-mangostin, garcinone, beta-mangostin, garcinone, Gardiner-d and a, garcinone-c, mangostanol and gartanin are just a sampling of the Xanthones that mangosteen contains. All of these Xanthones have properties that prevent inflammation, tumors, allergies, convulsions and platelet balancing problems. The other antioxidants not listed can contain the same properties as these, among other beneficial properties.

Oddly, some health officials are concerned about consuming too much of this fruit juice. There have been reported cases in Thailand of severe acidosis in relation to consuming large quantities of mangosteen juice. More studies are ongoing.

Mangosteen comes in liquid, frozen, and canned products here in the US. It is mostly available in these forms in the western world, especially as a juice. The fruit itself is sometimes available in season at some grocers in North America, but not directly from Asia... It is now being grown as a high-priced crop for export from Puerto Rico since the US does not allow fruits to be imported from Southeast Asia. - 17273

About the Author:

Interested in learning more about the super healthy mangosteen fruit? Visit us today at the Mangosteen Juice website today for an in-depth tour of the mangosteen's enticing world, including pictures, instructions on how to eat them, a listing of it's healthful properties, and even where to find some mangosteen.