The scientific name of purple mangosteen is Garciniamangostana. In the traditional medicine by the ancient people of Southeast Asia, purple mangosteen has been referred as “fruit of the gods” or “queen of fruits”. It is tropical and sweet but slightly sour tasting exotic fruit. It is not heard a lot about this. It is considered as a rare fruit. It has a lot of health benefits and it is potential antidote for cancer too. In India, the purple mangosteen is known by many other names, like Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Bengali and Hindi.
It is classified as an exotic fruit. It is seasonal and it is not available easily. This fruit grows on evergreen tropical trees which grow about 6 – 25 m tall and it has a rind colored deep reddish – purple when ripe. It is believed that is originated in Indonesia and it is cultivated on the islands in Southeast Asia, India and some regions of Africa and Florida, and Puerto Rico. There are not many studies which are done for the effects of purple mangosteen on breastfeeding mothers or pregnant women.
This is a reason why you should avoid purple mangosteen if you are pregnant or breastfeeding mother. Also, purple mangosteen can slow down blood clotting for people suffering from bleeding disorders so it can increase the risk of bleeding. Also, people who are about to go for surgery should avoid it because taking it can increase the chances of bleeding either after the surgery or during it.
Health benefits of purple mangosteen
Good for eye health: The purple mangosteen is rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C and both of them can boost your eye health. We live in modern era where the exposure to screen is almost 24/7 so our eyes go through a lot of strain every day. The regular consumption of purple mangosteen can help in the fight against night blindness. Also, it fights against free radicals, boost eyesight and it can prevent cataract and other eye diseases.
Aids a healthy pregnancy: It is very important for pregnant women to have a healthy diet with optimum nutrition because this is important for healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. Purple mangosteen is rich in minerals and vitamins, folate and manganese so it can be a boon for pregnant mothers. This fruit is natural source of folic acid and if pregnant women are deficient in this acid, then they can have birth defects in their babies.
Helps in digestion: Digestive stress can be a problem for many people. People can have bloating, uneasiness or constipation and all of these conditions can have negative effects on the function of the body. It is rich in fiber which can boost the digestive health so you should consume this fruit on regular basis.
Has antihistamine properties and fights allergies: It is known fact that many people suffer from different allergies no matter if they are on regular basis or the most common allergies – seasonal. It has been found that purple mangosteen is beneficial in fighting allergies by releasing histamine through ethanol extract. Histamine can reduce allergic symptoms, such as inflammation and also it will give you a relief from allergies.
Fights tuberculosis: Purple mangosteen has antibacterial properties. Purple mangosteen can give you a relief from many painful symptoms of tuberculosis. This fruit can hasten the recovery process. It has strong antiviral properties which can help to combat the fever and keep your sickness away.
Promotes healthy skin, fights acne: Every single person wants to have healthy skin. When you are regularly consuming purple mangosteen, then you can prevent acne and breakouts due to antibacterial properties. Also, purple mangosteen has Vitamin C which can prevent the aging and sun damage. It is acting as anti – aging agent. Purple mangosteen has xanthones which can help to repair and regenerate damaged cells.
Lowers blood sugar and good for diabetics: Purple mangosteen has sugar – lowering properties due to OPCs and tannic acid present in it. This fruit prevents starches from breaking down into glucose and it can prevent a spike in the blood’s sugar levels.