Mangosteen is a fruit grown in Thailand and Myanmar whose rind (the
mangosteen pericarp) appears to have
some medicinal properties. The hull of the mangosteen fruit has been used for many
years in Southeast Asia as a medicine for skin infection,
wounds, and diarrhea, and recently other interesting properties of mangosteen are slowly being revealed.
However, as of April 2009, human trials are not available regarding mangosteen juice or
supplement, therefore we don't know the benefit of mangosteen in clinical
practice until studies are completed.
If you would like to buy a mangosteen supplement to take on a daily
basis, it may be a good idea to take a week off each month since long term human
studies have not been done with this supplement. Mangosteen contains xanthones
which have very interesting properties. the benefit of chronic ingestion of
these interesting chemicals is not known. As a result we suggest you take a week
off each month if you are taking this fruit supplement on a daily basis.
What's in Mangosteen Fruit?
Mangosteen fruit has a number of compounds, the most prominent being
xanthones, a group of compounds that have antioxidant, anti-tumor, and other potent
physiological properties.
Buy Mangosteen pill 500 mg
(whole fruit) -
Physician Formulas
Made from the highest quality mangosteen fruit material available, direct from
Thailand. The actual active ingredients, xanthones, are mostly in the
mangosteen rind
and seed, and less in the mangosteen fruit flesh. We use the whole
mangosteen fruit - rind, seed and
flesh - in order to provide you with the full spectrum of xanthones. There
are about 20 different xanthones in the whole fruit. Ninety-five percent
of this mangosteen product is rind and seed.
Supplement Facts:
Mangosteen capsule - 500 mg
(Garcinia mangostana whole fruit,
95 percent is pericarp or rind)
Click here to buy this Mangosteen product
Suggested use: As a dietary supplement, take one mangosteen capsule daily
or as recommended by your health care provider.
Health Benefit claims that you will read in online articles, are there
studies to confirm the accuracy of these claims?
Xanthones have excellent antioxidant values. Claims are
made that mangosteen xanthones may help fight degenerative diseases such
as cancer, heart disease, diabetes,
arthritis and
Alzheimers and also
protect the cardiovascular, skeletal and neurological systems. Promoters
claim it has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It prevents
swelling and assists in the body's healing process. It also has
antibacterial properties and helps prevent hardening of the
arteries. Mangosteen is useful for weight loss and promotes healthy
cholesterol levels. It is used to treat fever, diarrhea, thrush, urinary
disorders, and skin conditions like eczema. Mangosteen also promotes good
vision, regulates menstruation and even acts as an anti-depressant!
However, no human studies are available to confirm these claims.
Benefit of Mangosteen fruit extract
At this point almost all studies have been done in
a laboratory and there is little human research to indicate how mangosteen
supplements or juice would influence the prevention or therapy of various cancers,
including breast, lung, and liver, or what other benefit the compounds in mangosteen, such as xanthones, would have when ingested as a supplement.
If you come across claims that it has been proven to have health
benefit in humans, be skeptical. It may be true, but until actual long
term human trials are done, we cannot be certain about mangosteen benefits
or side effects. Additional herbs that have interesting properties include
curcumin pill,
goji berry,
graviola supplement. Other supplements to consider include noni fruit, and
acai berry. There
has been one study looking into its use as an herb for
acne
treatment.
What does the mangosteen research say
about its benefits?
Mangosteen has compounds with antioxidant, anti-bacterial,
anti-fungal, and anti-tumor activity. Laboratory testing thus far indicates that
extracts of mangosteen have activity against several cancer cell lines
including breast, liver, and leukemia. Mangosteen also appears to have
anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory properties.
Benefit of Mangosteen Fruit versus the
rind
Most of the studies with mangosteen have focused on the pericarp, or the
dark, woody rind as opposed to the fruit inside the woody rind. The pericarp
contains the active xanthone compounds. The fruit itself probably has some
beneficial compounds but the compounds within the mangosteen fruit have not been
studied as well as the mangosteen rind.
What's in Mangosteen fruit and rind?
Several compounds in mangosteen appear to be active, particularly
xanthones. Some of these xanthones include mangostin, mangostenol, mangostenone
A, mangostenone B, trapezifolixanthone, tovophyllin B, alpha- and beta-mangostins,
garcinone B, mangostinone, mangostanol, and the flavonoid epicatechin.
Mangosteen Research study
Antioxidant xanthones from the pericarp of Garcinia mangostana.
J Agric Food Chem. 2006. Jung HA, Su BN, Keller WJ,
Mehta RG, Kinghorn AD.
Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio
State University, Columbus, Ohio
Garcinia mangostana L. ( commonly known as mangosteen ) was selected for detailed
study. Repeated chromatography of a CH2Cl2-soluble extract of the pericarp led
to the isolation of two new highly oxygenated prenylated xanthones,
8-hydroxycudraxanthone G and mangostingone
[7-methoxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-8-(3-methyl-2-oxo-3-butenyl)-1,3,6-trihydroxyxanthone,
together with 12 known xanthones, cudraxanthone G, 8-deoxygartanin,
garcimangosone B, garcinone D, garcinone E, gartanin (8), 1-isomangostin, alpha-mangostin,
gamma-mangostin, mangostinone, smeathxanthone A, and tovophyllin A.
Antiproliferative activity of Thai medicinal plant extracts on human
breast adenocarcinoma cell line.
Fitoterapia. 2004.
Ethanolic extracts of selected nine Thai medicinal plants were tested for
antiproliferative activity against SKBR3 human breast adenocarcinoma cell line
using MTT assay. Mangosteen showed the most potent activity.
Inhibitions of histamine release and
prostaglandin E2 synthesis by mangosteen, a Thai medicinal plant.
Biol Pharm Bull. 2002.
The fruit hull of mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana L. has been used as a
Thai indigenous medicine for many years. However, the mechanism of action
of mangosteen as a medicine has not been elucidated. The present study was undertaken to
examine the effects of mangosteen extracts (100% ethanol, 70% ethanol, 40%
ethanol and water) on histamine release and prostaglandin E2 synthesis. We
found that the 40% ethanol extract of mangosteen inhibited IgE-mediated
histamine release from RBL-2H3 cells with greater potency than the water
extract of Rubus suavissimus that has been used as an anti-allergy crude
drug in Japan. All extracts of mangosteen potently inhibited
A23187-induced prostaglandin E2 synthesis in C6 rat glioma cells, while
the water extract of Rubus suavissimus had no effect. The 40% ethanol
extract of mangosteen inhibited the prostaglandin E2 synthesis in a
concentration-dependent manner with relatively lower concentrations than
the histamine release. In addition, passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA)
reactions in rats were significantly inhibited by this ethanol extract as
well as by the water extract of Rubus suavissimus. These results suggest
that the 40% ethanol extract of mangosteen has potent inhibitory
activities of both histamine release and prostaglandin E2 synthesis.
More Mangosteen information - The various forms sold
The
active xanthones are in the pericarp (husk), and not the mangosteen fruit.
Mangosteen powder is sometimes added in juices to provide more xanthones to the juice mix. This "thickens" the mixture and
adds more body. All mangosteen juice sellers refer to "shake" the bottle
before drinking to mix the powder with the juice.
Extracts:
Mangosteen Extract - There are two common extracts; alcohol
and water based. The extracts add more xanthones to the
drink mixes which is the active ingredient in mangosteen.
Fruit Puree:
Whole mangosteen fruit is crushed and some water is added for pouring, and
then put into plastic containers, frozen and then shipped from Thailand.
Companies then add other fruit juices to improve taste.
Juice Concentrate:
This is "just add water" concentrate mix with only tropical fruit
contents, No preservatives, No artificial colors, etc.
About the plant
Known as the "Food of the gods" due to its exquisite flavor, the
Mangosteen fruit has been described as tasting in between a
strawberry-peach and vanilla ice-cream. So delicious is the Mangosteen
fruit that legend speaks of Queen Victoria who offered a knighthood and
handsome reward to anyone who could bring an edible Mangosteen back to
England! But it’s the xanthone -packed rind and the many health benefits
of the Mangosteen that is grabbing the attention of the health and
functional food industry in the 21st century. Garcinia mangostana is
closely related to but shouldn’t be confused with the button mangosteen
and lemon drop mangosteen. Believed to have originated in the Moluccas and
Sunda Islands, the Mangosteen trees are small evergreens found only in
tropical areas such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and India. Its use
for a variety of health conditions dates back to 600 AD. The trees reach
heights of 7 to 25 metres, but are well know for being hard to grow and
temperamental. In fact, the tree does not start producing fruit until
around 15 years old. Thereafter, it will fruit until 100 years and beyond.
The purple fruit rind is about the size of a tennis ball that when opened
reveals an edible white, sweet and creamy flesh. Mature trees produce
anywhere from 100-3000 fruits.
Nutrients
Mangosteen has been found to contain over 40 different xanthones, which
are mostly concentrated in the pericarp. No other known plant offers the
same quantity and variety of xanthones as Mangosteen. Each of these
chemically beneficial molecules has their own specific qualities. Just to
name a few, alpha-mangostin serves as an anti-oxidant, Garcinone E acts as
an anti-tumor agent, and gamma-mangostin is an anti-inflammatory. Many of
the beneficial xanthones found in mangosteen have been shown to possess
antioxidative properties several times more powerful and potent than
vitamin E and C. Mangosteen is also rich in vitamins and minerals such as
vitamin C, B1, B2, B6, iron, fiber, protein, calcium, phosphorous,
potassium, cathechins, tannins and niacin.
Mangosteen products offered by NP Nutra company
NP Nutra Mangosteen products are grown using organic compliant practices.
A wide range of top quality products include:
Mangosteen Super ORAC powder extract.
Pericarp powder.
10:1 water soluble powder extract.
Juice Concentrate 4:1.
And a variety of standardized extracts.
Emails
Q. I would like to know how the mangosteen capsule
compares to the juice.
A. The capsules are pure
including the rind which has most of the active xanthones while the
juice has mostly the fruit and other fruit juices. Mangosteen
capsules and juice are different but there are no studies that
compare the two in humans so it is difficult to say which is the healthier
to take in the long.
Q. Are there any adverse affects such as cardiac arrhythmias or drug
interactions with other meds with mangosteen?
A. There have not been any human studies with mangosteen as of 2010, and thus
far, we have not had feedback from consumers regarding such mangosteen side
effects. This is all the information we have at this time. It is
possible mangosteen side effects could come to light over time, but at this
time, October 2006, no such mangosteen side effects have been reported in the
medical literature or to us.
I want to buy mangosteen, but before I do I wanted to know if this
product is going to help me with urticaria hives that I've had been bothered by
for 5 month now. I am using regular antihistamines and need a strong natural
replacement. What do you recommend that would really help me and for once get
rid of the cause of this skin problem? Also what dose needs to be taken to treat
my pruritus.
There are countless causes for urticaria or hives and buying
mangosteen is not likely to be a solution.
Does a mangosteen supplement use lead to weight loss?
We have not noticed it to have much of an effect on
appetite. Hoodia is helpful
in this regard.
My husband has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer-early stage.
During our research (before determining the treatment to chose) we heard mangosteen and it's effects. I am aware that most items are more easily and
completely absorbed in liquid form, however it seems the benefits we would
benefit come from the rind of the fruit.
Would you please discuss whether we should buy mangosteen pills or should we buy
the juice liquid. Also any information you can give on prostate
cancer & treatments would be greatly appreciated.
Since human studies have not been done comparing mangosteen
capsules to juice, one cannot say for certain which form
is better to buy. Mangosteen capsules have one advantage over the juice - the
avoidance of extra calories and fructose found in the juice.
Does the use of
passion rx interact with mangosteen fruit supplement extract?
We don't think there is any conflict.