Medicinal properties of mangosteen (Garcinia

mangostana).
Abstract
Many tropical plants have interesting biological activities with potential therapeutic applications.
Garcinia mangostana Linn. (GML) belongs to the family of Guttiferae and is named "the queen
of fruits". It is cultivated in the tropical rainforest of some Southeast Asian nations like
Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, and Thailand. People in these countries have used
the pericarp (peel, rind, hull or ripe) of GML as a traditional medicine for the treatment of
abdominal pain, diarrhea, dysentery, infected wound, suppuration, and chronic ulcer.
Experimental studies have demonstrated that extracts of GML have antioxidant, antitumoral,
antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral activities. The pericarp of GML is a
source of xanthones and other bioactive substances. Prenylated xanthones isolated from GML
have been extensively studied; some members of these compounds possess antioxidant,
antitumoral, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties.
Xanthones have been isolated from pericarp, whole fruit, heartwood, and leaves. The most
studied xanthones are alpha-, beta-, and gamma-mangostins, garcinone E, 8-deoxygartanin, and
gartanin. The aim of this review is to summarize findings of beneficial properties of GML's
extracts and xanthones isolated from this plant so far.

Mangosteen Health Benefits

When you first hear about how Mangosteen benefits people on a variety of health conditions, you may be shocked
by the number of health-enhancing properties this exotic fruit provides.
Doing your own research on this amazing fruit for the health benefits it may provide your family and friends is time
truly well spent. As you take a closer look at Mangosteen, you'll find solid scientific evidence behind the fruit's
many healing properties.

Medical Practitioners Tout the Benefits of Mangosteen

Experienced health professionals - who understand why it helps their patients and how it heals their bodies - have
written extensively about the health benefits of the Mangosteen fruit.
Some of these health practitioners, who have experienced the benefits of this fruit in their own lives and in their
patients', have these to say:
"Mangosteen provides powerful support for every organ system in the human body. This fact is being confirmed on
a daily basis by clinical experience... I am convinced that Mangosteen will, without a doubt, be the most successful
food supplement ever."
- J. Frederic Templeman, M.D., a primary care physician for more than 20 years and board certified in both the United States and
Canada.(1)

"Mangosteen... is able to reverse most of the ailments of modern man."

- Kenneth J. Finsand, M.D., a practicing chiropractic physician for nearly 30 years who specialized in functional medicine throughout
his medical career.(2)
"Mangosteen provides huge health benefits for every organ in our bodies." - Sam Walters, N.M.D., a family practitioner
trained as a specialist in both traditional and natural medicine, with more than 30 years of comprehensive practical experience in
the medical profession, and formulated nutritional products for companies and institutions including the NASA Space Center for the
austronauts.(3)

Why does Your Health Benefit from Mangosteen?

What makes Garcinia Mangostana L. so versatile in addressing so many health issues and in promoting health in so
many ways?
Mangosteen contains more than 40 biologically-active, natural chemical compounds called Xanthones. While all
these Xanthones have similar molecular structures, each one has its own unique chemical composition that permits
it to perform a specific function.
Alpha-mangostin, for example, is a very potent antioxidant. Gamma-mangostin is a powerful anti-inflammatory.
Garcinone E is a strong anti-tumor agent.
These and the other Xanthones found in the Mangosteen provide a virtual medicine chest of natural healing
compounds that address a wide variety of health issues.

Mangosteen's Many Uses

Medical professionals have become very good at treating diseases, but we know they don't have all the answers.
There also are times when they have used a drug or treatment that later was found to have done more harm than
good, or that have done enough damage which far outweighed the benefits the drug or treatment provided. Drugs
like Vioxx, Celebrex and Phen-fen are a few that come to mind.
Here's a simple question: Why use drugs --- with their harmful and sometimes fatal side-effects --- when fruits can
do the job?
Natural remedies provide health benefits without the harmful side-effects of drugs.
But some who hear or read about the many health benefits of Mangosteen for the first time may be inclined to say
that it's just too many and too good to be true for one exotic fruit to be able to provide them all.

Modern Science Agrees With Traditional Asian Healing

Centuries of Mangosteen use has helped Southeast Asians maintain or regain their health and cure their diseases.
Traditional Asian healers use the fruit to stop infection, treat inflammation, and increase one's energy, among
others.
Modern scientists and a growing number of health practitioners now agree on the medical benefits of Mangosteen.
They have found that the fruit is helpful in preventing and possibly even stopping a wide range of diseases such as
diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancer and other chronic diseases.
Those who have taken the time to do their own research on the validity of each health benefit of Mangosteen will
find that there is real and solid science behind the "Queen of Fruits", so-called because of Queen Victoria's reported
preferrence for this exotic fruit centuries ago.

Xanthones in Mangosteen
Our immune system tries to keep trillions of cells in our bodies protected from disease-causing toxins, free radicals,
viruses, bacteria, fungi and other harmful agents.
At times, though, our immune system gets overwhelmed. Our bodies get sick, often because of free radical
damage.
A free radical is an unstable atom with an unpaired electron. When a free radical comes in contact with a stable
atom, it steals the electron it needs from the stable atom. This leaves the once stable atom irreparably damaged
and prone to succumb to disease.
Antioxidants counteract free radicals. They have an extra electron that they can share with free radicals. Because
of this ability, they are able to prevent free radicals from attacking healthy atoms or cells.
Mangosteen contains powerful antioxidants and immune system boosters called Xanthones, natural chemical
compounds which were proven to possess a variety of potent medicinal properties.
Xanthones occupy a special place in the Mangosteen's arsenal of healing compounds. They have been shown to
have more potent antioxidant activity than vitamin E, one of nature's most powerful known antioxidants.

A laboratory test known as ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), for example, showed that an ounce of
Mangosteen juice provides 20 to 30 times more capacity to absorb free radicals than an ounce of most fruits and
vegetables.

Mangosteens Other Natural Compounds

Mangosteen also contains other potent natural compounds like catechins, polysaccharides, quinones, stilbenes and
polyphenols.
Catechins were discovered to be five times more potent as antioxidants than vitamin C.
Polysaccharides are highly potent anti-cancer and anti-bacterial plant compounds. They help block a mutated cell's
ability to stick to healthy cells to help stop the spread of cancer, and are specially effective against intracellular
bacteria.
Quinones are known for their anti-bacterial properties and also are strong oxidants.
Stilbenes in plants defend these plants against fungi. Interestingly, stilbenes also maintain their anti-fungal
properties even when ingested. They also are strong antioxidants.
Polyphenols were found to be far more more potent as antioxidants than vitamin E, considered one of the most
powerful known antioxidants.

Long List of Mangosteen Healing Properties

To sum it all up, here's a partial list of the 200-plus, mind-boggling Mangosteen medicinal benefits and properties
from the catalog of prominent ethnobotanist, Dr. James Duke.

Anti-aging - helps prevent aging

Anti-allergenic - helps prevent allergic reactions
Anti-arthritic helps prevent arthritis
Anti-atherosclerotic - helps prevent the hardening of the arteries
Antibiotic - prevents or modulates bacterial infections
Anti-calculitic - helps prevent kidney stones
Anti-cataract - helps prevent cataracts
Antidepressant helps with depression
Anti-diarrheal helps with diarrhea
Anti-fatigue - helps relieve fatigue
Antifungal - prevents or modulates fungal infections
Anti-glaucomic - helps prevent glaucoma
Anti-Inflammatory helps with inflammation
Anti-lipidemic - helps lower blood fat
Anti-neuralgic - helps in nerve pain
Anti-obesity - helps in weight loss
Anti-osteoporosis - helps prevent the loss of bone mass
Antioxidant-rich rich in antioxidants
Anti-oxolytic - anti-anxiety
Anti-Parkinson helps with Parkinson's disease
Anti-periodontic - helps prevent gum disease
Antipyretic - helps lower fever
Anti-tumor and cancer-preventive
Anti-vertigo - helps prevent dizziness
Antiviral - prevents or modulates viral infections
Cardio-protective - helps in the protection of the heart
Hypoglycemic - helps stabilize blood sugar
Hypotensive - helps lower blood pressure
Immunostimulant helps the immune system fight infection
This exotic fruit, used in traditional medicine for centuries, contains some of the most potent antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal compounds in nature.
Independent scientific research studies and clinical experience all show the remarkable health benefits of
Mangosteen.

Mangosteen and Your Health

Does Mangosteen really benefit people's health? Can it help keep people healthy and prevent disease?
We all know that prevention is the key to lasting health. As the saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure."
It is especially important in a modern society burdened with an increasing number and level of toxins, free radicals,
viruses, bacteria and other destructive agents.
Our immune system tries to protect our body's more than 75 trillion cells from these destructive forces of nature.
But it can get overwhelmed and needs reinforcement on a regular basis.

Mangosteen Keeps Us in the Pink of Health

Exercise helps. Diet helps. But we need to add one more to the mix: Supplements.
Vitamins have long been recognized as one of the dietary supplements our body needs to reinvigorate and
strengthen itself. But they are not enough. We need something more powerful to help us fight the daily onslaught
of destructive agents we've mentioned earlier.
We need Mangosteen to prevent diseases. Mangosteen contains:
* 40+ xanthones - powerful antioxidants and immune system boosters.
* polysaccharides - highly potent anti-cancer and anti-bacterial plant compounds.
* catechins - five times more potent as antioxidants than vitamin C.
* polyphenols - found to be far more more potent as antioxidants than vitamin E, considered one of the most
powerful known antioxidants.
* quinones - known for their anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties.
* stilbenes - known for their anti-fungal and antioxidant properties.

Free Radicals, Viruses, Bacteria and Mangosteen

Free radicals, known to be the root cause of nearly every known disease, need to be taken on and taken out.
Antioxidants do the job. But we need lots of it.
So we turn to Mangosteen, which contains up to 30 times more antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable.
Viruses and bacteria are constantly on the attack. We need a strong defender against these vicious microorganisms.
So we turn to Mangosteen, proven to contain powerful, biologically-active, anti-viral and anti-bacterial compounds.
Strengthened by the presence in our body of these Xanthones and the other potent natural compounds in the
Mangosteen, we elevate our immune system defenses, promote good health, and have peace of mind.

Mangosteen Health Benefits

Scientific research studies and clinical experience with fruits extracts of Mangosteens have caught the attention of
medical practitioners in recent years.
These scientific studies and practical clinical experience in the medical field, backed by centuries of folk medicine
practice, suggest that the natural compounds in Mangosteen may offer support to every system in our body and
provide a safe alternative to conventional therapies and treatments.
As Dr. J. Frederic Templeman said, "The Mangosteen extract has multiple health benefits. This simple fact is both
its greatest asset and its greatest liability.
"Unfortunately, many people will never try it because of its claims of effects across the full spectrum of health
concerns.
"They say, 'No one product can do all that!' But my patients know better... Mangosteen works!"

Mangosteen As First-Line Therapy

Dr. Templeman uses the Mangosteen extract in his medical practice as both "first-line therapy in a wide range of
conditions because it has, in my experience, proven to be more effective than the prescription medicine I used to
prescribe for many conditions."
Based on his experience with the Mangosteen, he wrote that, in his opinion, the Mangosteen extract "equals or
outperforms" many prescription and over-the-counter drugs used to address a wide variety of ailments.*

Successful Treatment With Mangosteen Extracts

Dr. Roland Phillips, in his book "Mangosteen: Super Nutrition for the 21st Century"**, discussed his medical group's
experience in helping patients with the Mangosteen preparation.
He listed some 45 ailments which they have successfully treated with the Mangosteen extract: from allergies,
angina, arthritis, chronic fatigue, depression, diabetes...
... to fibromyalgia, glaucoma, Graves disease, hepatitis C, high blood pressure, LDL and high cholesterol, infertility,
macular degeneration, sinusitis, tumors...

The Power To Heal

Dr. Kenneth J. Finsand wrote that "after experiencing the power of the Mangosteen beverage firsthand and
researching the history and the scientific studies on the phytochemicals known as Xanthones," he decided to start
using the juice with his patients.
"The Xanthones in the Mangosteen clearly contain the power to heal much of what ails the body", he said.***

A Weapon In a Medical Practitioner Group's Arsenal

Dr. Sam Walters, a human nutrition specialist who even formulated nutritional products for astronauts at the NASA
Space Center, said that they treat a lot of cancer patients in their clinic. Majority of the cancer patients they treat,
he said, are Stage Four and beyond.
"In some cases", he said, these patients "have been given six to eight weeks to live. We often witness wonderful
results. The Mangosteen juice has become one of the many weapons in our arsenal..."****
More and more medical practitioners are discovering the Mangosteen and are using it in medical practice to help
their patients regain their health and improve their lives.

See also:

Mangosteen and Health: Alzheimer's Disease

Can Mangosteen help those who suffer from Alzheimers Disease? Learn about the science and a doctor's clinical experience with
Mangosteen.

Mangosteen and Health: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

In some cases, by using the Mangosteen, patients with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) were able to get off their medications. Here's why.

Mangosteen and Health: Inflammation and Pain

Mangosteen has been known by pharmacological researchers and scientists for its beneficial effects on inflammation and pain. What has
inflammation got to do with chronic diseases. Here's the link.

Mangosteen and Health: Cancer

Scientific studies demonstrated that the Xanthones in Mangosteen help stop or prevent cancer. Here are the details.

* Health Journal: Feeding the Mind for a Healthier Tomorrow, Volume 44, Number 2, 2004; Mediavision, LLC; www.mangosteentools.com.
** Mangosteen: Super Nutrition for the 21st Century, A Holistic Approach; Roland F. Phillips, Jr., B.A., B.S., D.C.; www.mangosteentools.com
*** Wellness Report: Feeding the Mind for a Healthier Tomorrow, Volume 52, Number 1, 2004; MediaVision, LLC; www.mangosteentools.com.
**** Health Journal: Feeding the Mind for a Healthier Tomorrow, Volume 44, Number 2, 2004; MediaVision, LLC; www.mangosteentools.com.