Written by: Laura Flanagan, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When I first moved to Costa Rica, I began exploring all of the exotic fruits and vegetables that hold such powerful medicinal properties. After all, I left the world of Western Medicine after a breast cancer diagnosis in 2013. Having taken myself off the medicine prescribed to me to prevent recurrence meant that I had to be well prepared to replace these with ‘food as medicine’. My predictions were accurate – there are more exotic fruits and vegetables here to create your own natural pharmacy! One of my many favorite exotic fruits is Mangosteen.
The mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a tropical evergreen tree, believed to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas. The tree grows from 7 to 25 meters tall. The edible fruit is deep reddish-purple when ripe. In Asia, the mangosteen fruit is known as the "Queen of Fruits," while the durian (Durio spp.) is known as the "King of Fruits." It is closely related to other edible tropical fruits such as button mangosteen and lemon drop mangosteen.
The outer shell of the fruit is rather hard, typically 4-6 cm in diameter. Cutting through the shell, one finds a white, fleshy fruit 3-5 cm in diameter. Depending on the size and ripeness, there may or may not be pits in the fruit segments. The number of fruit pods is directly related to the number of petals on the shell's bottom. On average, a mangosteen has five fruits (round up figure).
Prevents hardening of the arteries
Protects the heart muscle
Anti-Parkinson, anti-Alzheimer and other forms of dementia
Anti-depressant
Prevents and arrest fungus
Prevents bacterial infections
Viral fighters and prevention of infections
Prevents gum disease
Anti-diarrheal
Lowers fevers
Eye care-prevents glaucoma and cataracts
Pansystemic - synergistic health effect on the whole body
Energy boosters - anti-fatigue
Anti-aging
Weight loss
Lowers blood fat
Anti-tumor benefits
Cancer: Mangosteen helps in the prevention of cancer with its powerful antioxidants.
Lowers blood pressure
Numerous references to "Immunostimulants"
Blood sugar lowering
On top of all of these benefits, it tastes amazing, and when I imbibe in these as I do for breakfast often, I feel more energetic for the rest of the day.
Now, if you cannot come to visit me soon at the Socrates Center in Costa Rica where I will prepare a plethora of exotic and healthy fruit and vegetable delights, you can find Mangosteen juice at many natural health food stores and if you cannot venture out, you can also order the juice on Amazon!
Laura Flanagan MS, RYT, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Laura Flanagan is a Scientist by education and career, but she recently left her corporate job and moved to Costa Rica with her horse to open and Equine Therapy Center. Concurrently with her career as a scientist, she has been teaching Yoga and Meditation for over 18 years. Laura is a Yoga Instructor, Yamuna Body Rolling Instructor, Meditation Teacher, and Director of the Socrates Center in Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica. She has helped thousands of clients with physical pain through her certification with Yamuna who uses a form of small ball therapy. She has used her Yoga, Body Rolling, and Meditation practices to assist in her own recovery from breast cancer. She is also enrolled in the Functional Nutrition Counselor program through https://fxnutrition.com/
