| The Southeast Asian fruit, the mangosteen | | | | be applied externally as well as taken internally. (One |
| (pronounced "mang-oh-steen") has been prized for its | | | | friend's daughter used it for acne, another for |
| healing properties and delectable flavor for | | | | scrapes and cuts. Another friend applies it to |
| centuries-but is illegal to import as a fresh fruit in the | | | | cancerous growths on his face). There are no |
| United States. | | | | findings to indicate that drinking too much juice has |
| The pericarp, or rind, is where most of the powerful | | | | any negative effects, since it's all natural and there |
| antioxidants and nutrients are found. While the rind is | | | | are no known side-effects. Mangosteen is similar to |
| bitter, the fruit is sweet and tart. Ancient societies | | | | other exotic fruits in that it has been traditionally |
| from China to India would boil the rind and drink it to | | | | used as a health supplement. But the benefits of the |
| treat ailments from arthritis to cancer. Today, to | | | | mangosteen fruit also help control pain, reduce fever, |
| make the fruit easy to use and better tasting, the | | | | increase energy and stave off bacterial and viral |
| rind and the fruit or pulp are mixed together with | | | | infections as well as to help protect against disease. |
| other fruit juices to form a delicious drink, so health | | | | Mangosteen is used to treat skin disorders, eczema, |
| seekers can get the benefit of the rind in an easily | | | | diabetes, diarrhea, urinary disorders, joint pain, obesity |
| absorbable form. | | | | and more. In the United States and Europe, |
| Currently the mangosteen fruit is not USDA | | | | mangosteen is thought to alleviate everything from |
| approved for importation in its fresh form so it's illegal | | | | depression to Parkinson's (it is believed that the actor |
| to sell or buy-yet it's coveted the world over for its | | | | Michael J. Fox has benefited from it), cancer to heart |
| dramatic healing properties. NOTE: As the fruit is not | | | | disease. |
| a drug it does not get assessed or approved by the | | | | Currently, several leading drug companies are |
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It is | | | | experimenting with extracting and isolating certain |
| available-and legal-in dried and in juice form, but your | | | | Xanthones believed to treat cancer so they can turn |
| body can't assimilate the dried form either in capsules | | | | them into patented synthetic drugs. It's not known |
| or in powder, so the juice is the effective way to go. | | | | at this point whether it is possible, as its thought that |
| The nutritional elements in the fruit aren't harmed by | | | | it's the combination of these powerful Xanthones |
| freezing so you can get the full efficacy as it's highly | | | | working together that create such dramatic healing |
| absorbable as liquid. | | | | effects. |
| 138 healing properties have been identified in | | | | While the list of mangosteen benefits is extensive, |
| mangosteen, also known by its Latin name, Garcinia | | | | many people drink it just for its delicious taste. |
| Mangostana L., that have successfully treated an | | | | Descriptions of what the mangosteen fruit tastes like |
| array of diseases for centuries. Xanthones, an | | | | vary. Perhaps the most enticing and racy description |
| antioxidant more powerful than any vitamin-5 times | | | | is by New York Times' food critic R.W. "Johnny" |
| more powerful than vitamins C and E, have won | | | | Apple who says it's "moist, fragrant, snow-white |
| praise from numerous research specialists for their | | | | segments of ambrosial flesh" tasting "so delicate that |
| medical potential. While virtually unheard of in the | | | | it melts in the mouth like ice cream." Gourmet |
| United States and Europe, mangosteen has been | | | | magazine's David Karp, only slightly less prosaic says, |
| used for thousands of years in Chinese, Ayurvedic, | | | | it's "exquisite sweet-tart." As I drink the juice daily, I'd |
| and folk medicine throughout Asia. The mangosteen | | | | call it both full-bodied (like a fine wine) with hints of |
| originated deep in the tropical rain forests of | | | | sweet and tart raspberry flavor. The juice I drink has |
| Southeast Asia in countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, | | | | no added sugars, but is blended with other fruit juices |
| Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand, and | | | | so the nutrients of the rind are preserved without |
| also in areas of South America and Puerto Rico. | | | | sacrificing flavor for health. It's the only juice that |
| Today, the pulp, its dried rind, leaves, and bark are | | | | includes all of the rind, the pulp and the entire fruit so |
| used throughout Asia and India in a variety of | | | | as to harvest the full healing benefits. |
| products ranging from ointments to poultices. It can | | | | |