What Is a Mangosteen?

Hint: It's not a mango.

The mangosteen fruit (or Garcinia mangostana, as it is known scientifically) is exotic, delicious and packed full of xanthones and other phytonutrients .

It is also:

found mainly in Southeast Asia and other tropical regions
roughly the size of a tangerine—about 5-8 centimeters in diameter
often called the Queen of Fruits (Queen Victoria gave knighthood to anyone who brought it to her)
has a bitter, purplish rind full of xanthones and other phytonutrients
has a beautiful, white pulp with 4-8 segments of pure taste-bud bliss

Although the mangosteen has been touted for its splendid flavor, it has also been suggested that use of the whole mangosteen fruit can promote wellness.

The mangosteen rind was sliced and dried, then ground to a powder and administered as an herbal preparation. The mangosteen rind was steeped in water overnight and taken as a tea. The mangosteen rind was made in to an ointment and applied externally as a lotion.

It was through these popular uses that the benefits of mangosteen were passed down through history and several scientists and explorers took note.

When Europeans explored Southeast Asia folklore related to the mangosteen first spread to Western culture.

However, it was not until XanGo launched XanGo® Juice in 2002 that mangosteen began to achieve widespread recognition and acceptance in Western markets, such as the US, Canada and Western Europe.

A Little about the Tree

The small dark purple fruit grows abundantly and is harvested twice a year from a small evergreen tree.

The mangosteen tree is actually in the same plant family as St. John's Wort, a recognized herbal supplement.

short, thick and leathery evergreen leaves
grows 7-25 meters tall
first fruit harvest takes place 10-20 years after planting
average lifetime yield of full-grown tree is 500
some trees provide ripe mangosteen fruit up to 100 years

The mangosteen tree is "ultra-tropical" and cannot tolerate temperatures below 40°F or above 100°F. All attempts to grow the trees in locations north of 20° latitude have failed.