Mangosteen is a particular tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia that contains a exhausting, purple exterior and a white, segmented flesh. This fruit, together with the plant’s bark and roots, has been used for hundreds of years to assist deal with irritation, wounds, infections, and menstrual problems, in addition to assist gastrointestinal and immune well being, in keeping with PeerJ Life and Atmosphere. Whereas analysis in people on the well being advantages of mangosteen is restricted, the plant is wealthy in varied compounds with health-promoting properties.
Mangosteen fruit might be consumed entire or made into tea. To make mangosteen tea, reduce and steep the rind in boiling water. Alternatively, you’ll be able to add mangosteen tea leaves to sizzling water. You might discover recent mangosteen at Asian or different specialty meals markets, however in the US, it’s extra frequent to seek out dried mangosteen rind, mangosteen tea leaves, or canned or frozen mangosteen fruit.
Anticancer Properties
Mangosteen is a wealthy supply of phytochemicals referred to as xanthones, which show potential anticancer and antitumor exercise in laboratory settings, in keeping with Pharmacological Analysis. That stated, mangosteen hasn’t been effectively evaluated in a human topic scientific trial as a possible anticancer remedy, and most obtainable analysis explores the xanthone content material of the mangosteen fruit versus tea constituted of the fruit or its leaves.
Mangosteen additionally has the potential to intervene with sure most cancers medication, Memorial Sloan Kettering Most cancers Middle notes, underscoring the necessity for extra high quality human topic analysis.
Antimicrobial Properties
The xanthones in mangosteen may exhibit antimicrobial capabilities, with restricted, early analysis highlighting the usage of mangosteen extracts to deal with a spread of bacterial infections. What’s extra, it could be efficient in opposition to some drug-resistant pathogens, and it appears to work synergistically with some artificial antibiotic medicines. The success of those functions, nevertheless, is dependent upon the dose of mangosteen extract used, and it’s unclear whether or not mangosteen tea may present comparable advantages as mangosteen extracts utilized in these research.
Antidiabetic Properties
Xanthones within the mangosteen plant could assist assist wholesome blood glucose administration, in keeping with Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, and should enhance insulin sensitivity in folks with kind 2 diabetes as effectively, notes PeerJ Life and Atmosphere. Extra scientific analysis is required to additional discover these potential advantages because it pertains to the longer term improvement of diabetes therapy choices.
Antioxidant Exercise
The rind of the mangosteen fruit, which is usually used to make mangosteen tea, displays robust antioxidant exercise, too, PeerJ Life and Atmosphere experiences. Researchers proceed to discover the assorted methods it could assist defend the physique from harm and assist illness prevention. Myriad continual and degenerative well being situations are linked to oxidative stress, together with Alzheimer’s illness, heart problems, and kidney illness, in keeping with the Cleveland Clinic.
Dental and Oral Well being
Due to its anti-inflammatory exercise, mangosteen extract may have therapeutic results on gingivitis, per Vitamins, and periodontitis, in keeping with Dental and Medical Issues, each of that are frequent forms of gum irritation that negatively impacts dental and oral well being. Nonetheless, it’s unclear whether or not mangosteen tea can present comparable anti-inflammatory advantages when sipped because the mangosteen extracts utilized orally in these research.
A Phrase of Warning
Mangosteen fruit and tea are typically thought of protected with minimal danger of unintended effects. Nonetheless, there isn’t sufficient human topic analysis to make clear mangosteen’s well being results or advantages, together with any dangers of taking giant doses of mangosteen dietary supplements. Mangosteen additionally has the potential to work together with sure medicines, though it’s unclear whether or not the quantities of energetic compounds in mangosteen tea particularly could have an identical impact.
In the event you’re underneath a health care provider’s look after any medical situation, or when you take any prescription medicines, discuss to your healthcare supplier about the advantages and dangers of utilizing mangosteen dietary supplements or consuming giant quantities of mangosteen tea.
