The Mangosteeen most certainly qualifies as a superfruit, just simply
because it contains a huge number of healing constituents called xanthones. Mangosteens
contain 43 free radical xanthones which is quite a lot nutritionally considering
that there are only about 200 of these compounds found in nature. These
healing constituents are antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral and
anti-inflammatory and it is remarkable to find so many of them in just one
fruit.
The mangosteen or more formal Purple
Mangosteen as it is sometimes called is the fruit of a tropical evergreen tree
that grows mainly in Southeast Asia and also in South American countries such
as Columbia. One of the nicknames of
Mangosteen is “The Queen of Fruit because it was a favourite of Queen Victoria.
The fruit is small shiny and round and comes in hues from deep-red to
purple to black. The green stem end is capped with four green leaves. Inside
the fruit are snowy white segments of flesh that secrete a purple or red juice.
The taste is tangy, sweet and sour all at once with hints of lychee, banana,
pineapple, strawberry and pear.
A Nourishing Superfruit
Mangosteen is very high in Vitamin C providing about 12% of RDA per 100
grams. The fresh fruit is a moderate source of B-complex vitamins such as
thiamine, niacin and folates. These vitamins are acting as cofactors that help
the body to metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats.
Mangosteen also keeps the body running in good order because it contains
high amounts of copper, manganese and magnesium. However, they can also be very
high in sugar so beware. They also should not be eaten every day as they are
considered to be a moderately acidic fruit rather than a completely alkaline
one.
What Are the Health Benefits
of Mangosteen?
The xanothones in Mangosteen facilitate and help treat arthritis, acid dyspepsia,
fibromyalgia, moderate asthma, eczema and earaches. In Asian medicine the
mangosteen is also used to treat digestive complaints such as dysentery and
also urinary tract infections.
This superfruit also helps prevent degenerative disease and mental
deterioration in general. It also has been described as an anti-microbial,
which means that it has components in it that kill and impedes the development
of harmful microorganisms. The fruit is also good for weight loss as it is very
low in calories at only 63 calories per average sized fruit. The high fibre in
the fruit is also very cleansing and detoxifying.
The potassium and other minerals in Mangosteen help to regulate body fluids and
help control heart rate, and blood pressure; thus, it offers protection against
stroke and coronary heart diseases.
Where to find Mangosteen…
Mangosteen is mostly available in Asian, Eastern and exotic markets
although the fruit is making more of an appearance in grocery stores.
You can buy mangosteens canned but they are not as tasty as fresh fruit.
How to prepare Mangosteen
…
Make sure that you wash the fruit in water to remove any dust on the
surface of the flesh.
It is easy to extract the flesh from purple rind. Hold the fruit with
the stem-end downward, take a sharp knife and cut around the middle completely
through the rind, and lift off the top half of the peel. This leaves the fleshy
segments exposed in the bottom half of the rind. The segments are then easily
lifted out with a fork.
The purple juice of the fruit will stain anything it touches so just be
aware of this while you are cutting it open.
For more information or to book a consultation about anti-aging, nutrition
and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the
Pinewood Natural Health Centre website that has a list of full services and
products at www.pinewood.ca or call our
Toronto Office at (416)-656- 8100. We also have an office
in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be
happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services.
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