What is mangosteen?

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What is mangosteen?Alternate names: Garcinia mangostana L.,

mangostan, manggis, mangis, mang cut

Brand Names: XanGo, Thai-Go, Mangosteen Plus, Mango-xan

Mangosteen is a tropical fruit that is grown primarily in hot, humid climates of

southeast Asia such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

Mangosteen is a dark purple fruit about 2 to 3 inches in diameter – the size of

a small peach or apple. Mangosteens are unrelated to mangos.

Instead of peeling it like an orange, a mangosteen is typically opened by

pressing firmly or twisting the outside until it breaks apart.

The hard rind can be nearly one inch thick. At the center is the soft opaque

white fruit, which resembles a head of garlic but tastes slightly sweet and

tart.

In North America, fresh mangosteens can be found in Canada and Hawaii but they

cannot legally be imported into continental United States due to concerns that

they transport insects into the country.

Why do people use mangosteen?People eat mangosteen as they would any other

tropical fruit.

In southeast Asia, the rind—or pericarp—has been used for medicinal purposes for

generations. According to folklore, the rind was used to make a tea for

conditions such as diarrhea, bladder infections, and gonorrhea. An ointment made

from the rind was applied to skin rashes.

Today, the rind has been found to contain the compounds alpha-mangostin,

beta-mangostin, garcinone B, and garcinone E, which are collectively called

xanthones.

Laboratory studies suggest xanthones have anti-cancer effects when they are

studied in test tubes. Mangosteen has also been found to have anti-inflammatory,

antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties in test tube studies.

Why has mangosteen become so popular?Mangosteen was virtually unknown in North

America until a Utah-based network marketing start-up introduced a mangosteen

drink called XanGo in late 2002.

Since then, XanGo marketers have produced a craze around the beverage. The

company is considered one of the fastest growing network marketing companies.

XanGo is sold around the world through a network of independent distributors and

many new mangosteen products have entered the market.

The excitement about mangosteen beverages may be premature. There are no

clinical trials showing that oral mangosteen extracts have any benefit in

humans. What happens in a test tube may not occur when mangosteen is taken

orally.

Although the " superfruit " properties are often attributed to the xanthone

content, some of mangosteen's medicinal properties may be attributed to

compounds called tannins in the rind. Tannins have anti-inflammatory,

antiseptic, and astringent properties, and are used for such conditions as

diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and skin conditions.

Tannins are ubiquitous in the plant world and are found in common, less

expensive foods such as black tea, green tea, cranberries.

We also don't know about the side effects of mangosteen and whether mangosteen

extracts will interact with certain medications. This is a concern because of

research on the xanthones in other plants.

For example, xanthones are believed to be one of the active ingredients in the

popular herbal anti-depressant St. 's wort. Xanthones have been found to

inhibit serotonin-receptor binding and inhibit monoamine oxidase (MAO). One

study found that mangosteen xanthones may also have these effects on serotonin.

And finally, mangosteen juice is expensive. A 25-ounce bottle of mangosteen

juice costs anywhere from $25 to $37.

What are the side effects of mangosteen?Research indicates that xanthones may

interfere with normal blood-clotting. It's not known whether mangosteen

xanthones may interact with blood-thinning medication such as warfarin and

possibly lead to bleeding.

Studies suggest that higher doses of xanthones may depress the central nervous

system in animals and cause sedation.

Xanthones may cause excess sedation when combined with other herbs or

medication, and it may be toxic at higher doses. Human studies have not been

conducted.

Sources

Chen IJ et al. " Effects of xanthone glycoside on ephedrine-induced biting

behavior and motor activity. " American Journal of Chinese Medicine. 21.1

(1993):79-84.

Jiang DJ et al. " Pharmacological effects of xanthones as cardiovascular

protective agents. " Cardiovascular Drug Reviews. 22.2 (2004):91-102.

Matsumoto K et al. " Preferential target is mitochondria in

alpha-mangostin-induced apoptosis in human leukemia HL60 cells. " Bioorganic &

Medicinal Chemistry. 12.22 (2004):5799-806.

Nabandith V et al. " Inhibitory effects of crude alpha-mangostin, a xanthone

derivative, on two different categories of colon preneoplastic lesions induced

by 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine in the rat. " Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer

Prevention. 5.4 (2004): 433-8.

Sakagami Y et al. " Antibacterial activity of alpha-mangostin against vancomycin

resistant Enterococci (VRE) and synergism with antibiotics. " Phytomedicine. 12.3

(2005):203-8.

Angie (ontario canada zone 5)

" No one can make you feel inferior without your consent "

quoted Eleanor Roosevelt

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