The Healthful Benefit of Mangosteen
Introduction -- Mangosteen is a fruit that has gained recognition for the healthful benefits it has on the body. The mangosteen tree grows in Southeast Asia, where it flourishes in the tropical environment. Because it requires this type of setting, fresh mangosteen is unavailable in the western parts of the world. They contain a compound called xanthones, a powerful antioxidant that is said to combat disease and strengthen the immune system and organ function. While there has been no actual scientific proof of this, testimonials from people who eat the fruit have been very positive.
There's a lot of buzz about mangosteens. It's the latest nutritional supplement, and it's supposed to cure everything from hives to cancer, from asthma to zits. What are mangosteens, anyway?
Mangosteen Fruit
Mangosteen is the fruit of a slow-growing ultra-tropical tree. It has been grown and used in Asia for centuries, but isn't easily cultivated in the Western world. When the tree is about ten years old, it begins to produce small purplish fruits. These fruits are what the buzz is about.
The fruit has two parts: a thick, purplish hull and a soft, white inner fruit. The inner fruit is prized for its delicate flavor, and it is called "The queen of fruit." It's the hull that has the most health benefits, though.
Mangosteen hulls don't taste as good as the fruit. In fact, they're said to be bitter, and they have a devilishly permanent purple dye in them. Mangosteen fruits are forbidden in some Eastern hotels because of the dye. However, mangosteen hulls are the richest source of xanthones known to man.
Xanthones
Xanthones are nutrients that are powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants repair cell damage and improve cell function. Xanthones work on all of our body systems. They are good for brain function, heart and lung function, immune system function, muscle and joint function and digestive function. They have powerful health effects because they work at the cellular level, and they work in all of our cells.
Benefits of Mangosteen Xanthones
There is a lot of buzz about the powerful benefits of mangosteens, and a lot of skepticism. Medical research is being conducted to sort out the science from the buzz. The results are preliminary, but early research seems to indicate that there's more science than hype to mangosteen's benefits. Individual anecdotal reports show that this fruit has real and powerful health benefits.
Mangosteen probably does help hives, because it has an anti-allergic effect. It may also prevent or treat cancer, because anecdotal reports suggest that people with cancer do improve when they ingest the fruit in some form. It seems to improve both respiratory health and allergies, and could help asthma. As for zits, the ointment of the fruit is used in the East for all kinds of skin problems.
It's important to understand that these claims haven't been proven yet; the research is still preliminary. This fruit may or may not be the cure for the common cold and cancer. However, because it definitely has the health benefits of high concentrations of antioxidants, it could make you feel better and healthier.
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