Is Mangosteen Appropriately Named "The Queen of Fruits?"
Named for the French explorer Jacques Garcin (1673-1751), the mangosteen fruit has been pretty well hidden away from North America and Europe until recently.
Its scientific name is "Garcinia Mangostana" and because of it's excellent flavor.
In Asia it is called the "Queen of Fruits".
Is this not-so-well-known fruit deserving of such an auspicious title? In this article I want to explain the health benefits of mangosteen, explain the term xanthone and describe Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) scores.
Many health advocates are a strong proponent of mangosteen.
It is a dark purple fruit about 2 to 3 inches round.
Mangosteen, incidentally, is not related to the mango.
Instead of peeling the fruit like a grapefruit or orange, a Mangosteen is typically opened by pressing firmly or twisting the outside until it breaks apart.
The rind is fairly hard and nearly an inch thick.
On the inside is the soft white fruit, which somewhat resembles a head of garlic but tastes quite different.
One fruit also contains 2-3 well developed seeds.
In fact, the taste is slightly sweet and tart at the same time.
Quite an exquisite taste.
The health benefits of mangosteen have widely applied for many years.
In India, Thailand and Chin, preparations from the rind are used as antimicrobial and antiparasitic treatments for dysentery and other form of infectious diarrhea.
The plant is useful in preventing dehydration and loss of essential nutrients.
The Chinese and Thai's take advantage of mangosteen's antimicrobial and antiseptic properties to treat infected wounds, turbuculosis, malaria and urinary tract infections.
It has also been recognized in Asia that mangosteen has powerful anti-inflammatory powers.
Mangosteen offers several classes of powerful phytonutrient antioxidants.
One of the most beneficial aspects of the mangosteen is the xanthones it contains.
Xanthones are biologically active plant phenols structurally similar to flavonoids that possess antioxidant properties.
These antioxidants help to seek out and destroy roaming free radicals that can wear down our health.
Xanthones are still being investigated, and to date, 200 different xanthones have been identified.
Mangosteen contains a stunning 43 of them! The rind of the mangosteen has been found to contain the comounds alpha-mangostin, beta-mangostin, garcinone B and garcinone E, which are collectively called xanthones.
Lab studies have suggested that xanthones have anti-cancer effects when studied in test tubes.
Xanthones are found in the largest quantities in the Mangosteen hull.
According to journals such as 'Free Radical Research', 'Journal of Pharmacoogy' and the 'Indian Journal of Experimental Biology' these xanthones are some of the most powerful antioxidants to be found in nature.
The ORAC scores are starting to pop up periodically on foods and supplements.
The ORAC score is a measure of the antioxidant levels.
So a high ORAC score is better than a low score.
Experts suggest than an ORAC score of approximately 5,000 units per day is needed to have a significant effect.
Some mangosteen products that you will come across today have an ORAC of 5,000 or higher.
The health benefits of mangosteen appear to be many.
Fighting free radicals and boosting your immune system is a definite boost to maintaining good health and feeling great.
When you couple that with its exotic taste we can realize it is known as the "Queen of Fruits".
Its scientific name is "Garcinia Mangostana" and because of it's excellent flavor.
In Asia it is called the "Queen of Fruits".
Is this not-so-well-known fruit deserving of such an auspicious title? In this article I want to explain the health benefits of mangosteen, explain the term xanthone and describe Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) scores.
Many health advocates are a strong proponent of mangosteen.
It is a dark purple fruit about 2 to 3 inches round.
Mangosteen, incidentally, is not related to the mango.
Instead of peeling the fruit like a grapefruit or orange, a Mangosteen is typically opened by pressing firmly or twisting the outside until it breaks apart.
The rind is fairly hard and nearly an inch thick.
On the inside is the soft white fruit, which somewhat resembles a head of garlic but tastes quite different.
One fruit also contains 2-3 well developed seeds.
In fact, the taste is slightly sweet and tart at the same time.
Quite an exquisite taste.
The health benefits of mangosteen have widely applied for many years.
In India, Thailand and Chin, preparations from the rind are used as antimicrobial and antiparasitic treatments for dysentery and other form of infectious diarrhea.
The plant is useful in preventing dehydration and loss of essential nutrients.
The Chinese and Thai's take advantage of mangosteen's antimicrobial and antiseptic properties to treat infected wounds, turbuculosis, malaria and urinary tract infections.
It has also been recognized in Asia that mangosteen has powerful anti-inflammatory powers.
Mangosteen offers several classes of powerful phytonutrient antioxidants.
One of the most beneficial aspects of the mangosteen is the xanthones it contains.
Xanthones are biologically active plant phenols structurally similar to flavonoids that possess antioxidant properties.
These antioxidants help to seek out and destroy roaming free radicals that can wear down our health.
Xanthones are still being investigated, and to date, 200 different xanthones have been identified.
Mangosteen contains a stunning 43 of them! The rind of the mangosteen has been found to contain the comounds alpha-mangostin, beta-mangostin, garcinone B and garcinone E, which are collectively called xanthones.
Lab studies have suggested that xanthones have anti-cancer effects when studied in test tubes.
Xanthones are found in the largest quantities in the Mangosteen hull.
According to journals such as 'Free Radical Research', 'Journal of Pharmacoogy' and the 'Indian Journal of Experimental Biology' these xanthones are some of the most powerful antioxidants to be found in nature.
The ORAC scores are starting to pop up periodically on foods and supplements.
The ORAC score is a measure of the antioxidant levels.
So a high ORAC score is better than a low score.
Experts suggest than an ORAC score of approximately 5,000 units per day is needed to have a significant effect.
Some mangosteen products that you will come across today have an ORAC of 5,000 or higher.
The health benefits of mangosteen appear to be many.
Fighting free radicals and boosting your immune system is a definite boost to maintaining good health and feeling great.
When you couple that with its exotic taste we can realize it is known as the "Queen of Fruits".
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