Mangosteen Rich In Xanthones Can Fight Free Radical Damage
The mangosteen grows on small evergreen trees in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and southern India. Some farmers are trying their luck in Hawaii and the Caribbean, but the fruit is known for being difficult to grow. It is said that Queen Victoria offered a sizable prize to anyone who could bring an edible mangosteen back to England, but no one was able. Mangosteens are currently not available in the United States because the rind can carry pests that would threaten other crops.
The Purple Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), colloquially known simply as “the mangosteen”, is a tropical evergreen tree, believed to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas of Indonesia. The tree grows from 7 to 25 m (20-80 ft) tall. The rind of the edible fruit is deep reddish purple when ripe. Botanically an aril, the fragrant edible flesh can be described as sweet and tangy, citrusy with peach flavor and texture.
The Purple Mangosteen belongs to the same genus as the other, less widely known, mangosteens, such as the Button Mangosteen or the Lemon drop Mangosteen (G. madruno). Botanically, they are not related in any way to the mango (Mangifera spp.), which belongs to the Anacardiaceae plant family. Mangosteen that has been commercialized is rich in xanthones.
Unlike your mother, you likely have heard of antioxidants, but you may never have heard of a brand new class of phytonutrients called xanthones. Xanthones are biologically active plant phenols found only in a few select tropical plants. Researchers believe that mangosteen contain potent antioxidants. Scientists have discovered over 200 xanthones in nature. Select foods such as blueberry, acai fruit, elderberry, goji berry and pomegranate contain xanthones.
One of the richest sources of xanthones yet discovered is found in an exotic fruit called the mangosteen. Garcinia Mangostana contains over 40 different xanthones. The delicious mangosteen is known as the “Queen of Fruits” in South East Asia, where it has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. Local healers have been known to grind up the mangosteen rind to treat maladies such as fever, dysentery, catarrh (inflammation of the nose and throat), cystitis (inflammation of the urinary tract and bladder), dental and gingival infections and skin infections including eczema.
As you can see, Mangosteen and other fruits with similar polyphenols with xanthone rich mangosteen are very important to help one health them selves. When purchasing in supplement form, look at the label to make sure that you are getting right variety. Mangosteen and the other above mentioned fruits are available at your local or internet health food store.
*Statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Exotic fruits like xanthones are not intended to diagnose, treat and cure or prevent disease. Always consult with your professional health care provider before changing any medication or adding Vitamins to medications.
This entry was posted on Sunday, February 21st, 2010 at 6:03 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.