The Health Benefits of Mangosteen

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Mangosteen, or Garcina mangostana, is a tropical fruit of the size of an apple. It has a thick rind and hard seeds and is grown in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The fruit is rich in vitamins such as B1 and B2 and contains minerals like potassium and iron. However, the standout feature of this fruit is the presence of a high concentration of antioxidants and xanthones.

Mangosteen has been used for centuries in the traditional Chinese and ayurvedic medicine systems prevalent in South-east Asia as a remedy for skin and gum diseases, parasites, wounds, burns, as an anti-depressant, cure for fatigue and fevers, etc.

The health benefits of this fruit are available in the form of mangosteen juice. The rind, seeds, and the flesh are used to prepare the juice, which is credited with having anti-aging, anti-allergen, and antibiotic properties. The key to the health giving properties of mangosteen juice is xanthones. They serve an important purpose by fighting free radicals. Free radicals seek to attain atomic stability by acquiring an electron from the cells in the human body; thereby, causing irreversible oxidation of the cells. Xanthones have an antioxidant effect and they counter the deleterious effects of free radicals thus protecting biological cells.

The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) test shows that mangosteen juice is 20-30 times more effective than other fruits and vegetables in absorbing free radicals.

Xanthones offer benefits such as
· Supporting microbiological balance
· Promoting cell growth
· Regulating cholesterol
· Boosting the immune system
· Promoting suppleness of joints
· Fighting mental fatigue
· Controlling the actions of histamines
· Anti-carcinogenic agent
· Fungicide and bactericide

The xanthones contained in mangosteen are strongly anti-carcinogenic and according to a recent study, Garcinone E, which is a xanthone, is useful in cases of cancers of the stomach, lungs, and liver. Mangosteen juice, which contains all the goodness of xanthone, is found to be efficacious in the treatment of asthma, arthritis, fibromyalgia, mouth ulcers, problems of the gastro-intestinal tract, etc. Of the more than 200 known xanthones that are found in the plant kingdom, more than 40 are found in mangosteen.

Mangosteen is a fruit of the tropical climes and is not readily available everywhere; mangosteen juice is an equally effective alternative that is readily available and is packed with the goodness of xanthones. The recommended daily dosage is 1-3 ounces.
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Apple Juice and Health

Many nutritionists consider apple juice not much more than sugar water. An eight ounce glass contains about 110 calories, all from sugar; there are low levels of some vitamins and minerals but none at a level to be considered significant in the diet.

A recent news blitz about how apple juice contains antioxidants which might reduce heart disease is a choice example of scientists over-interpreting their experimental results.

The April 16, 1999 issue of the research journal Life Sciences contains an article in which scientists from the University of California, Davis describe experiments in which apple juice and other apple products were added to LDL, the particles that carry the "bad" cholesterol in the blood.

There were reductions in oxidation of 9% to 34% when a chemical was added to speed up the process. How much, or if, this might reduce the risk of heart disease is completely unknown.

Although oxidation of cholesterol and other molecules in the body are associated with health problems, this test tube study only points to additional research that should be done. If you wanted to get the same health benefits as described in this study, you would have to inject your apple juice intravenously rather than drinking it.

There is nothing wrong with apple juice as a food; but if it represents a big proportion of calories (as it does for some children) it is not a healthy choice. You shouldn’t drink apple juice or anything else just for the antioxidants. Whole apples are a good source of fiber and provide fewer calories than a big glass of juice.
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