Mangosteen

Sunday 10 August 2014


Mangosteen is a queen of fruit. In Malaysia, mangosteen is called manggis. The mangosteen consists of five to eight soft segmented fleshes. According to NutriWeb Malaysia, 3 big whole of mangosteen contain 33Kcal, 83.9g of water, 0.6g of protein, 1.0g of fat and 5.4g of carbohydrate. It can be eaten like other tropical fruit or made into juice. The juice consists of the whole fruit of the mangosteen pureed or combination with other fruit juice such as apple, blueberry, raspberry, cranberry, pear and strawberry.



Traditionally, mangosteen had been formed into ointment to apply to the skin problems such as eczema, injuries and infections. The roots of mangosteen were boiled to make a drink for women who had menstrual problems. The evidence of the traditional medicine is not known and further study is needed. Other illness that traditionally used mangosteen include dysentery, hemorrhoids, food allergy, wounds, arthritis, tuberculosis, ulcers, mucosis, fever, thrush, abdominal pain, cholera, suppuration, leucorrhoea and convulsant.

For topical medicine, mangosteen has been extracted to treat acne. The product is not widely known in local. According to American Cancer Society, mangosteen has been demonstrated to support microbiological balance, enhance immune system, improve joint flexibility and provide mental support. Mangosteen has the ability to stop certain bacteria and fungi growth. It able to stop the growth of bacteria that causes acne. 

Laboratory studies have shown that mangosteen has the properties of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumoral, anti-allergy, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. It is a tropical fruit which is packed with antioxidants, xanthone. Xanthone is a compound found in mangosteen that helps to protect the cells in human body from free radicals. According to journal of Food and Chemical Toxicology, mangosteen pericarp has shown strong anti-skin cancer effect. The extract of mangosteen has been used in many cosmetic products. To gain the benefits, people also can eat the mangosteen to get the health value.





References:
Anti-skin Cancer Properties of Phenolic-rich Extract From The Pericarp of Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana Linn.). (2012). Journal of Food and Chemical Toxicology.
Mangosteen Juice. (2008). American Cancer Society.
Medicinal Properties of Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana). (2008). Journal of Food and Chemical Toxicology.
NutriWeb Malaysia.

0 comments:

Post a Comment