Long Live the Mangosteen, Long Live You
In case you didn’t know, Thailand does have a queen, and her name is Mangosteen.
Famously banned in the United States until 2007 out of fear of fruit flies, allegedly sought after by Queen Victoria, who is said to have offered a reward to anyone who could bring her a fresh Mangosteen in England, and considered by some to be the most delicious thing in the world, Mangosteen is quite the popular lady. But what many people don’t realize, is that having been used as medicine in Thailand for years, she’s as powerful as she is tasty.
TOP 5 BENEFITS OF MANGOSTEENS
1. The Queen Controls the Resources
Xanthones are a group of powerful antioxidants found in a limited amount in nature. In fact, there is only a single documented food source of xanthones – mangosteens. That’s right, like the coal of Russia or the oil of Saudi Arabia, the Mangosteen rules over her xanthone supply with a phytonutrient fist.
These antioxidants have been gaining a lot of headway in the health industry for their many possible benefits. The majority of health benefits of the Mangosteen are due to it’s high Xanthone supply. Mangosteens contain at least twenty different types of Xanthones, the majority of which are held within the Mangosteen’s uncharacteristically foul and pungent peel. (A phytonutrient fist, remember?) Let’s talk about why they’re so good for you.
2. She Commands a Cancer-Fighting Army
These specialized antioxidant soilders native to the mangosteen have been thoroughly trained in the art of cancer warfare. Numerous recent studies point to xanthones potential as an additional or alternative form of cancer treatment.
Three separate studies in 2012 – published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the Univeristy of a Illinois at the Chicago College of Pharmacy, and in Food and Chemical Toxicology – found evidence of xanthones being effective in fighting or slowing down the progress of colon, prostate, and even skin cancer, which is notorious for resisting chemotherapy treatment.
A popular health website, Dr.Axe.com, goes on to say:
“The ability of xanthones to both prevent and treat cancer have been demonstrated in different stages of cancer formation, including initiation, promotion and progression. The xanthones have also shown their ability to control cancer cell division and growth, programmed cell death, inflammation, and cancer metastasis.”
3. She Knows How to Keep Up Appearances
It’s on what’s on the inside that counts. That’s true, but as anyone in the royal family knows, it’s what’s on the outside that keeps people from eating each other.
How appropriate then, that the antioxidant-rich skin of Her Majesty, the Mangosteen, can be used as a powerful natural anti-acne treatment for clear skin. One study showed it’s potential in scavenging free radicals and suppressing the production of acne-forming cytokines.
Annie Tevelin, founder of the beauty company SkinOwl, had suffered from cystic acne for a number of years before she saw some impressive results when experimenting with eating mangosteen and even mashing it all over her face. “It was a game changer,” she says. “My skin looked smoother overnight. It was like someone put an Instagram filter on my face.”
Annie Tevelin, the Woman Obsessed with Mangosteens and Founder of SkinOwl
4. The Kingdom’s Inflation Rate Never Rises
In November of last year, the UK’s inflation rate climbed to 3.1%, which is reported to be the highest in nearly six years. While it’s inflation that forces you to pay more for your vegetable oils, it’s inflammation that makes you pay for your vegetable oils.
That’s right, we’re talking about inflammation here, because that was the closest queen analogy I could think of to discuss mangosteens’ anti-inflammatory prowess.
More to the point, a Japanese study back in 2002 showed the mangosteen’s effectiveness in inhibiting the release of inflammation and allergy causing histamine and prostaglandin. Great news for anyone suffering from auto-immune diseases or allergic rhinitis, and a great reminder to cross out inflammation causing vegetable oil from your shopping list and replace it with it’s higher-achieving, more attractive cousin, coconut oil.
5. Her Kingdom Doesn’t Need an Enema
Unlike infamously dark and impoverished cities, where the Queen of Fruit rules, there need be no enemas. That’s because in addition to the truly medicinal properties of the xanthones found primarily in the rind of the fruit, mangosteens are also high in fiber, a hefty 5.1 grams to every 100 grams of mangosteen, putting it on par with blackberries and guavas.
Consuming fiber-rich foods on a daily basis can be the WD-40 your digestive system needs to keep functioning smoothly.
