True Mangosteen Benefits

The potential health benefits of the mangosteen are a subject of current scientific inquiry. But long before laboratory investigation even existed, the fruit has been enjoyed in the Asian tropics for its supposed medicinal properties---as well as for its taste. Can the mangosteen cure your ills?

Exocarp and Endocarp

• The mangosteen has a deep purple rind (technically referred to as the exocarp) and a white, fleshy interior (the endocarp). The tender, mild endocarp is the edible portion of the fruit. The rind can be reserved for medicinal use. Most of the health benefits associated with the mangosteen are derived from nutrients and compounds found in the exocarp.

Xanthones

• Have you ever heard that mangosteens can cure cancer? Such claims are based on the presence of xanthones, a class of organic compounds that has been found to exist in high concentrations in the mangosteen exocarp. While scientific evidence is not conclusive on the health effects of xanthones on the human body, much research has focused on the high antioxidant powers of this substance on cancer cells. While there is strong support for the antioxidant effects of isolated xanthone compounds, there has not yet been a comprehensive, long-term clinical trial on the effects of mangosteen-derived xanthones on human beings.

Traditional Uses and Modern Conjecture

• The mangosteen has a long history in Eastern medicine, used to treat skin disorders, dysentery, fevers, inflammation, burns, infections and diarrhea. Recent scientific investigations into xanthones as well as lycopene, tannins and other compounds have led to a greater list of possible health benefits from mangosteen. These include:anticancerous effects, appetite suppression, anti-osteoporosis, anti-arthritis and anti-Alzheimer's.

Cautions

• Due to the high popularity of mangosteen juices and supplements, some people have gone to dangerous extremes. One study found "severe lactic acidosis associated with juice of the mangosteen fruit."