Side Effects of Mangosteen

The mangosteen fruit is a fruit grown in humid, tropical areas such as the Vietnam, Indonesia an Malaysia. This fruit, unrelated to the mango, is dark purple in color and about the size of a small apple. In the year 2002, the mangosteen became popular in North America when the company XanGo came into the limelight with their health drink made from the fruit. While the health drink is widely popular and used by many for its health-benefit claims, there may be some side effects to drinking beverage and/or eating the fruit.

Allergic Relations

• Mangosteen has been known to cause an allergic reaction in some individuals. Individuals may begin to suffer from a skin rash, joint pain and/or headaches. Mangosteen has not been known to cause reactions involving respiratory issues or other life-threatening issues.

Constipation or Loose Bowel Movements

• Individuals that have eaten the fruit for the first time or have just recently started taking products containing the mangosteen fruit may find that their bowel movements are far more loose than usual. On the other hand, for those people that suffer from diabetes that have also been diagnosed with gastroparesis complications or people suffering from IBS, constipation may occur. The constipation is most likely to happen if these individuals are taking in a large amount of mangosteen during the day.

Interactions with Chemotherapy Medications

• Individuals that are undergoing Chemotherapy and taking Chemotherapy medications should check with their physician before eating mangosteen or taking mangosteen products. Mangosteen is full of antioxidants, which help in the fight of free radicals. Many chemotherapy medications depend on free radical production in order to help get rid of the cancerous tumors, which means the mangosteen might interfere with tumor reduction.

Interactions with Drugs

• Many different foods can affect certain medications. While there is not complete evidence concerning the affects of mangosteen on many medications, it is known that this fruit can raise certain levels within the body. Individuals thinking of taking products containing mangosteen should consult their physicians in order to discuss how the medications may react.

Red Cell Mass

• Red cell mass is known to be increased in individuals who are taking products containing mangosteen. Individuals that have been diagnosed with polycythemia rubra vera, a condition where an excessive amount of red blood cells is produced because of a bone marrow abnormality, should not take mangosteen.