12 Reasons Why Mangosteen May Be a Super Fruit
I’ve recently become familiar with a fruit many have probably never heard of before.
So, I did a little research.
According to Wikipedia,
“Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), also known as the purple mangosteen,[2] is a tropical evergreen tree with edible fruit native to tropical lands surrounding the Indian Ocean. Its origin is uncertain due to widespread prehistoric cultivation.[3][4] It grows mainly in Southeast Asia, southwest India and other tropical areas such as Colombia and Puerto Rico,[3][5][6] where the tree has been introduced.
The fruit of the mangosteen is sweet and tangy, juicy, somewhat fibrous, with fluid-filled vesicles (like the flesh of citrus fruits), with an inedible, deep reddish-purple colored rind (exocarp) when ripe.[3][5] In each fruit, the fragrant edible flesh that surrounds each seed is botanically endocarp, i.e., the inner layer of the ovary.[7][8] The seeds are of similar size and shape to almonds.
Genus Garcinia also contains several less-known fruit-bearing species, such as the button mangosteen (G. prainiana) and the charichuelo (G. madruno).
According to Healthline and other sources, Benefits of Mangosteen Include:
- Viral fighters and prevention of infections (Vitamin C and Antioxidants)
- Helps prevent gum disease (Vitamin C)
- Energy boosters – anti-fatigue
- Anti-aging
- May promote weight loss
- Improves insulin resistance
- Anti-tumor benefits
- Cancer: Mangosteen helps in the prevention of cancer with its powerful antioxidants.
- Lowers blood pressure
- High in xanthones, powerful antioxidants
- May help with blood sugar control
- Many say it tastes good
Upon further research, I discovered other fun facts.
For example, the mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a tropical evergreen tree, believed to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas. The tree grows from 7 to 25 meters tall. The edible fruit is deep reddish purple when ripe. In Asia, the mangosteen fruit is known as the “Queen of Fruits,” while the durian (Durio spp.) is known as the “King of Fruits.” It is closely related to other edible tropical fruits such as button mangosteen and lemon drop mangosteen.
The outer shell of the fruit is rather hard, typically 4-6 cm in diameter. Cutting through the shell, one finds a white, fleshy fruit 3-5 cm in diameter. Depending on the size and ripeness, there may or may not be pits in the segments of the fruit. The number of fruit pods is directly related to the number of petals on the bottom of the shell. On average a mangosteen has 5 fruits (round up figure).
I have eaten a lot of different fruits in my life, but I have never seen or tasted this “Queen of Fruits.”
And now I know why!
Fresh mangosteen is rarely available in the US! Not only that, but apparently it and other Asian fruits were banned in the US until 2007 due to concerns over fruit flies.
The good news is that there are freeze dried versions of it as well as multiple different powdered forms.
If you’re interested in learning a bit more about mangosteen, click the links below:
Martha Stewart – Why the Mangosteen Plant Was Banned until 2007
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1081/mangosteen
Since the fresh fruit is rarely available, below are a couple of products you can buy to try it out:
Mangosteen Bulk Powder on Amazon
Freeze Dried Mangosteen on Amazon
