Mangosteen is typically advertised and marketed as part of an emerging category of novel functional foods sometimes called "superfruits"presumed to have a combination of 1) appealing subjective characteristics, such as taste, fragrance and visual qualities, 2) nutrient richness, 3) antioxidant strength and 4) potential impact for lowering risk against human diseases.
Among six exotic fruits, however, mangosteen was ranked lowest overall for these qualities.
The aril is the flavorful part of the fruit but when analyzed specifically for its nutrient content the mangosteen aril only meets the first criterion above, as its overall nutrient profile is absent of important content,it contains no pigmentation (correspondingly, no antioxidant phytochemicals in significant concentration) and there is no scientific evidence of aril constituents having any health properties.
Purée or juice from arils combined with exocarp phenolic extracts produces juice having purple color and astringency like the exocarp pigments, including xanthones under study for potential anti-cancer effects on mouse mammary tissue in vitro. As xanthone research is at an early stage of basic research, no conclusions about possible health benefits for humans are warranted presently.
However, a possible adverse effect may occur from chronic consumption of mangosteen juice containing xanthones. A 2008 medical case report described a patient with severe acidosis possibly attributable to a year of daily use (to lose weight, dose not described) of mangosteen juice infused with xanthones, as occurs in the manufacture of many commercial mangosteen juices. The authors proposed that chronic exposure to alpha-mangostin, a xanthone, could be toxic to mitochondrial function, leading to impairment of cellular respiration and production of lactic acidosis
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Stephanie
Among six exotic fruits, however, mangosteen was ranked lowest overall for these qualities.
The aril is the flavorful part of the fruit but when analyzed specifically for its nutrient content the mangosteen aril only meets the first criterion above, as its overall nutrient profile is absent of important content,it contains no pigmentation (correspondingly, no antioxidant phytochemicals in significant concentration) and there is no scientific evidence of aril constituents having any health properties.
Purée or juice from arils combined with exocarp phenolic extracts produces juice having purple color and astringency like the exocarp pigments, including xanthones under study for potential anti-cancer effects on mouse mammary tissue in vitro. As xanthone research is at an early stage of basic research, no conclusions about possible health benefits for humans are warranted presently.
However, a possible adverse effect may occur from chronic consumption of mangosteen juice containing xanthones. A 2008 medical case report described a patient with severe acidosis possibly attributable to a year of daily use (to lose weight, dose not described) of mangosteen juice infused with xanthones, as occurs in the manufacture of many commercial mangosteen juices. The authors proposed that chronic exposure to alpha-mangostin, a xanthone, could be toxic to mitochondrial function, leading to impairment of cellular respiration and production of lactic acidosis
This is from Wikipedia
Stephanie