The Secret of "Mangosteen"

WHAT IS MANGOSTEEN

The MANGOSTEEN (in Latin it is known as Garcinia mangostana) plant is a tropical evergreen tree. It is believed to have originated from the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas. The tree grows from 7 - 25 meters tall. In Asia, it is well known as the "Queen of the Fruits".

The outer shell or rind of the Mangosteen fruit (is known as pericarp), it is rather hard. The Mangosteen pericarp is about a half centimeter thick and is green when unripe, it will turn into the colour of reddish purple when ripe. The diameter is approximately at 4 - 6 centimeters. It's resembling a spherical, reddish-black, cartoon-style bomb. When you cut through the shell, a very pale and fleshy fruit range from 3 - 5 centimeters in diameter will be found. There may or may not be pits in the segments of the fruit depends on its ripeness. The number of pods is directly related to the number of petals on the bottom of the shell. Normally, the average will have 5 fruit pods, 6 pods and 7 pods.

THE SECRET OF MAGOSTEEN

TraditionaL Medicinal usage:

Four more than a century, the people of Southeast Asia have used the MANGOSTEEN, especially the shell/rind (known as pericarp) to treat infections, reduce pain and treat various other ailments. http://www.mangosteenfruitinfo.com/

Modern Medical Usage:

There are scientific research carried out shown that the Mangosteen contains a class of naturally occuring polyphenolic compounds known as Xanthones. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthone

Xanthones have been studied thorughout the world for their medical potential, since the research demonstrates that they support just about every single system in the human body. Xanthones provide beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension and thrombosis. Xanthones demonstrate particularly powerful antioxidant properties. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3x_Mangosteen_Juice.asp?sitearea=ETO

Xanthones are found in a limited number of rain forest plants, but nowhere are they found in greater abundance than in the rind of the Mangosteen fruit.

The medical properties of the Mangosteen fruit are derived mainly from its outer rind/shell (known as pericarp) and not from the fleshy inner part of the fruit.