The proof of a healing agent's effectiveness rests in the historical effectiveness it has demonstrated. The human studies Docere123 seems to feel are required to prove its effectiveness prove nothing... they serve only to describe how and why it works and to measure how effective it is or is not for a given application. This is a common misconception of people in western medicine, that scientific study is needed to prove something works.

Sailors carried limes onboard their ships for centuries in order to prevent scurvy (thus the sailor's nickname of "limey") -- It wasn't until sometime later when someone figured out that it was the vitamin-C contained in the lime that we knew why limes prevented scurvy, but that research didn't prove it does, it only showed how... then drug companies went and extracted the vitamin-C, learned how to artificially synthesize it, stick it in a bottle, patent it and sell it to us for more than it would cost to squeeze a lime into a glass of water every day. Bah!

What is unproven is not what has not been studied yet, rather, it is what has not had the benefit of many years of practical application. Case in point: Vioxx. This drug underwent every double-blind study and "proof" that Docere123 complains is missing from the mangosteen's validation, including full US FDA approval for its application to treat pain. That was... until it was pulled from the market after killing 30,000 plus people. Vioxx was completely unproven in spite of all of the testing.

There's a reason why the United States ranks 39th in the world in health. It is stunning really. This country spends more on healthcare and drug research than any country in the world and yet there are 39 countries that are healthier than we are. I didn't even realize there were 39 developed countries until I heard that fact.

While we may have the best emergency and urgent care medicine in the world, our overall health is horrid and that's largely because we do not practice preventative medicine. We depend far too much on drugs to treat the symptoms after we've gotten sick rather than preventing illness in the first place. You do not wake up suddenly taken ill in the morning. The heart attack you experience today started twenty years ago, you just didn't know it and you failed to take steps to prevent it.

In western medicine, when you get sick you hire a doctor. In eastern medicine, when you get sick you fire your doctor.

Finally, before I get into hard facts, I do want to express one bit of opinion and that's on the subject of Fibromyalgia that has been a frequent topic in this thread. Fibromyalgia is a horrible and incurable ailment suffered by over 6 million Americans of which 80% are women. I will *NOT* tell you that mangosteen will cure it. I will, however, tell you that there's ample in vitro (laboratory) research on the mangosteen that shows it to be both an effective anti-inflammatory agent and a COX-2 specific inhibitor (it does not block COX-1 enzymes as NSAID's do which means no risk of kidney damage, ulcers, etc.) There is anecdotal evidence, as well, that people suffering from Fibromyalgia do see benefits from including mangosteen in their diet. While there is no guarantee it will bring you any relief, I would strongly suggest you at least give mangosteen a try and see what happens. If nothing happens, no loss for having tried. NOTE: THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE!

Now... let me get down to hard facts. These things are all documented and quite easy for anyone to look up themselves if they so desire... Dr. Oz mentioned a fruit called the mangosteen in the same segment as the purslane and his green drink, as well as the goji, etc. That's the thing that Docere123 was complaining about was Dr Oz's assertion that mangosteen was proven. His point of debate aside, let me tell you that Mangosteen is a fruit most people in the US are unfamiliar with. This post is intended to provide information about the fruit and to ensure that those who are interested in the mangosteen do not fall into any of the marketing traps and hype that are out there. So, here's the heads up...

1) What can be factually said about the mangosteen from scientific research is this: it appears the phytonutrients in the fruit help maintain intestinal health, neutralize existing free radicals (anti-oxidant), maintain a healthy immune system, support cartilage and joint function, maintain a healthy seasonal respiratory system and relieve minor muscle pain after exercise. In addition, a recent double blind human study shows mangosteen used as a mouthwash is effective in treating halitosis (bad breath), plaque and gingivitis (gum disease). Research shows the pericarp of the mangosteen to be an effective anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-tumor and COX-2 specific inhibitor. Other studies are underway.

2) Mangosteen has been used medicinally in traditional healing for over a thousand years. There are 138 documented medicinal uses for the mangosteen in Eastern Medicine. The most common uses have been as an anti-inflammatory, an anti-microbial, an analgesic, an anti-diarrheal, a gastrointestinal aid, a treatment for skin ailments and, as Dr. Oz mentioned, a sexual aid.

3) The principal biologically active phytonutrients in mangosteen are catechins, polysaccarides, proanthocyanadins, anti-oxidants, sterols and a class of compounds known as "Xanthones" which account for most of the medicinal properties of the fruit. There are 200+ known Xanthones that occur in nature, typically in lichens, mosses and tree bark -- not things you probably want to eat. The family of plants related to St. John's Wart, of which mangosteen is a member, also contain Xanthones. Of the 200 or so known Xanthones, mangosteen contains over 40.

4) If you are scientifically minded, go to PubMed (you can find that in Google since I can't link it here) and look up the keyword "mangosteen" -- you'll get a long list of scientific studies that have been done on the fruit. You can do a general internet search for "mangosteen" though you're going to get a plethora of listings that are only selling juice and may or may not have useful and accurate information. To be sure, all of the leading brands of mangosteen juice are sold by direct distributors and they can make some pretty outrageous and misleading claims in their enthusiasm to make a sale.

5) You cannot buy fresh mangosteen fruit in the US and most of Europe because it doesn't keep well. Mangosteen is called "The Queen of Fruits" because Queen Elizabeth offered knighthood to anyone who could bring her the fresh fruit... no one ever did. Even if you did buy the whole fruit, the health benefits of the fruit are in the rind, not the fruit, and the rind tastes horrid. So you wouldn't eat that and thus would miss out on the benefits of the fruit.

6) Not all mangosteen juices are created equal. As I just pointed out, the benefits of the fruit are in its rind, not the pulp, so unless the juice is a whole fruit puree you won't get the full benefit. Just squeezing the fruit and throwing the juice in bottle will let you market it as a mangosteen juice, but that does not mean that it offers any of the benefits Dr Oz referred to or that have been the subject of the mangosteen's uses in traditional medicine he indicated.

7) Also beware of juices that use extracts and concentrates -- as already mentioned, there are over 40 known Xanthones in the mangosteen's pericarp and fruit concentrates or extracts usually miss most, if not all, of them. Some products claim to be extra rich in Xanthones because they extract and concentrate a small subset of the Xanthones that are available in the fruit and thus undermine the synergy of the entire fruit. They often focus on the Alpha-Mangostin Xanthone which is an anti-oxidant and miss all of the other Xanthones that are anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, etc. Also look for warning signs like added sugars, preservatives, added water, etc. Be very aware of what you are buying. To the best of my knowledge, there are no store bought brands that are whole fruit, not watered down, and without concentrates, extracts or additives.

8) The whole fruit tastes nasty without help. Try different brands to find the one that tastes best to you. There are brands out that there that are the whole fruit and tastes delicious. If you try a brand and it tastes bad, keep experimenting with other brands. If it doesn't taste good, you won't keep drinking it over time. Taste is a huge barrier to consumption and if you want to use the mangosteen over the long term as a health aid, then you need to find one you enjoy drinking or you WILL quit even though it is good for you.

In closing, I don't know if Dr. Oz or anyone related to him reads these threads, but I would love for him (or anyone related) to contact me so that I can put him in contact with some of the leading doctors and scientists in the area of mangosteen. I have no doubt it would be information he would find valuable. In my not so humble opinion, mangosteen is a topic worth Oprah devoting a show to.

If anyone would like additional information or research on the mangosteen, please feel free to e-mail me at kscottpiel@gmail.com and I can point you to a long list of resources on the subject