Mangosteen Powder
The Mangosteen tree (Garcinia mangostana) is native to the tropical climates of South-East Asia. In Thailand, Burma (now Myanmar) and throughout Indonesia, the Mangosteen fruit has long been respected for its medicinal properties. The Mangosteen fruit turns a deep purple when ripe and is made up of a rind, pulp and seed. It is the astringent rind that contains most of the nutrients, while tasty fruit or pulp is often enjoyed as a dessert in South East Asia. It is considered "ultra-tropical" because of it's sensitivity to cold weather. The history of it's medicinal powers are lost amongst most Westerners because it is impossible to domesticate it locally in North America.
Mangosteen gets its potent antioxidant properties from xanthones; these naturally occurring chemical compounds, which are considered to be super potent antioxidants are found in high concentrations in the rind of the Mangosteen fruit. Mangosteen contains more xanthones than any other fruit.
Like the other antioxidant-rich superfood powders the Mangosteen powder in Blender Culture is spray-dried; a process that removes moisture from the fruit at a very low heat. This allows the powder to retain the nutritional benefits of the raw fruit.
Mangosteen, no relation to the Mango fruit by the way, has been used for centuries. In the Caribbean, Mangosteen tea is still taken to counter fatigue and low energy. Research into the many health benefits of Mangosteen powder is ongoing. The rind of partially ripe Mangosteen fruit yields a polyhydroxy-xanthone derivative termed mangostin, also beta-mangostin. Fully ripe fruits contains the xanthones gartanin, beta-disoxygartanin, and normangostin.
