Forever Good Nutrition

By Tanya Buckley

So, I know what you’re thinking… “What exactly is a Mangosteen, anyway?” Good question. The mangosteen is a small purplish fruit grown primarily in Southeast Asia and is called the Queen of Fruits. Queen Victoria was so jazzed by the fruit she would offer Knighthood to anyone who could bring her fresh supplies. The fruit grows on trees that reach anywhere from 20 to 80 feet tall. It is widely believed that the trees originated in the islands of Sunda and Molucca in the East Indies. The trees are extremely sensitive to climate and cannot tolerate temperatures below 40�F or above 100�F. All attempts at growing mangosteen trees in locations north of 20� latitude have failed. It takes up to 9 years for the tree to mature before the first harvest can be taken but on average the first harvest takes place within 10 to 20 years. So if you were thinking of planting a tree in the backyard you might what to reconsider. Unless you live in the tropics of course and have the patience of a saint. You might what to also take into consideration the amount of time you can dedicate to picking fruit because each mangosteen must be picked by hand and the average full-grown tree yields about 500 ripe mangosteen fruits. But some trees can yield as many as 5,000 and the trees can provide fruit for up to 100 years. Not gardening for the faint of heart. The scientific name is Garcinia Mangostana, and for thousands of years it has not only been eating as a delicious tropical fruit but also used in folk medicine for various ailments. The medicinal value is actually not in the fruit itself but in the rind. The hard leathery rind is ground into a powder, poultice or tea and used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, skin ailments, chronic pain, infection, fever and inflammation amongst others. Researched for over 30 years by doctors overseas the fruit has only recently come to the attention of western medicine. Mainly because of powerful phytonutrients called xanthones which the mangosteen has in abundance. In the same way that the discovery of antioxidants and their importance in overall health has become common knowledge, the xanthone is beginning to show the same promise. OK, so now we know what a mangosteen is, “But what on earth is a xanthone?” Glad you asked. Xanthones are a unique class of phytonutrients that are a biologically active group of molecules. Let’s try that in plain English shall we. They are supercharged antioxidants with powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Several of the mangosteen’s xanthones possess additional disease fighting properties active against infectious agents, cholesterol damage, cancer cells and more. Over 200 xanthones have been identified in nature. The mangosteen fruit contains a greater concentration of xanthones then any other botanical known to man; over forty xanthones identified so far. They are largely responsible for the multifaceted health-promoting properties of the fruit. Over the past decade more and more diseases have been shown to be the result of two major causes – inflammation and free radical damage. Those crazy radicals! Free radical damage has the ability to damage and destroy organs, cells and even our DNA. Chronic inflammation, as well, has been linked to numerous illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, allergies, heart disease, and Crohn’s. Offering an abundance of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties mangosteen has the potential to be beneficial in a large number of health conditions. The mangosteen is not readily available as a fruit outside of Southeast Asia. But it can be purchased as a supplement. It is available as a powder in pill form or as a liquid supplement. In pill form look for brands that contain the whole fruit including the rind. Look to make sure you are getting all forty of the xanthones available. Pay attention to the process in which the company creates the powder. Sometimes the extraction process can cause more harm then good. Make sure you know what you’re getting before you put down your hard earned money. If buying a liquid supplement check to make sure you are getting a whole fruit puree including the rind. Not something reconstituted from a powder extract or something that contains only the fruit itself without the rind. Check to see that whole fruit mangosteen puree is one of the primary ingredients. If they give a list of other juices and no mangosteen juice then it comes from a powdered extract. When you see such things on the label as “unique mangosteen peel extract” or “Mangosteen Fruit & Pericarp Extract” these are powdered extracts. Also be on the look out for products that say things such as “Alpha mangosteen”. The Alpha is only one of the over forty xanthones available from the mangosteen fruit and you’re not getting the full bang for your buck. Shop wisely and be health. And there you have it a brief history of the mangosteen the funny little purple fruit from Asia. I am a full time writer and playwright and certified health nut. I have fully recovered from two chronic, incurable (supposedly), illnesses using natural, holistic methods. I now write articles about the techniques I used so that I might help others. My articles are for information purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Please visit me at http://www.mymangosteenforhealth.net Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tanya_Buckley

• This entry was posted on Thursday, May 31st, 2007 at 9:19 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

The benefit of noni juice may seem too good to be true. Just read the testimonials sent in to a Hawaiian noni juice company and decide for yourself if noni juice is quackery or not! I think you’ll have to agree there is something to this noni juice.

Bad allergies lessened as a benefit of noni juice?

Just talked to Terry and am excited about this. My friend and I bought our first bottle of noni juice 2 Sundays ago from your family at the flea market. Am so glad we did. I have tried it for a week now and my bad allergies have lessened. I want to give it more of a try so have ordered some more. Terry was very pleasant and easy to talk to. God Bless You All…..–Patty

Arthritis benefit of noni juice

I have placed two orders for noni juice from your company and have been very satisfied with the product and service. I have also shared your product with family and friends who are also satisfied. Noni is a true medicinal product even if it is not totally understood how it works as it heals the body.

My mother has been on noni 6 weeks and the results are very visible. Where she was suffering from arthritis and other ailments, she is walking with no pain and enjoying life again. Noni is doing what other expensive medications were not able to do, not to mention all the side effects, which nearly put her in a coma, and in the hospital for 11 days. -Lucus

Asthma benefit of noni juice

I first stumbled upon Noni Juice by accident about 7 months ago when I was searching for some help with my asthma. After years of inhalers and Nebulizer treatments, I felt I had become dependent on the chemical medications. I also have high blood pressure, some mild arthritis in my hands and feet, and 5 years ago at the age of 42, I needed a double by-pass due to blockages in the arteries to my heart. Needless to say, I was aging rapidly from all the health problems…and I was angry, because I felt I was far too young to be dealing with these things. I’ve always been an active person, ate a fairly sound diet, wasn’t overweight…so why all these problems?
I started using Noni Juice thinking that at the very least, I’d get some much needed vitamin C…and perhaps with any luck, it would have a positive effect on some of these problems. I began by taking 2 ounces morning and night, and really didn’t expect to see any results for awhile. I thought I’d give it about a month and if I saw no change I would give it up.
Within 3 days I began to see some subtle differences. Upon awakening on the third day, I noticed as I was standing in the kitchen getting my coffee, that I’d had no pain in my feet that morning and was able to simply get out of bed and walk to the kitchen…I didn’t need to massage my feet or fingers and I felt no pain whatsoever in them! Then I began to really pay attention. I was still skeptical…but cautiously beginning to hope that Noni Juice might be helping. The next benefit of noni juice I noticed was in my emotional state…I found myself feeling less stressed, happier, and with a general feeling of well being. By the end of the first week, I no longer was using my inhaler more than once a day…by the end of the second week, I did not need it at all. By the end of the first month, my hair which had been rapidly thinning ceased falling out, and I realized that I hadn’t had one single painful bout with the arthritis since I had begun using Noni Juice. In the third month of using Noni Juice, I came down with a bout of bronchitis, an illness that I’ve been plagued with ever since my heart surgery 5 years ago. Usually, a bout of bronchitis for me means that I will cough and be miserable for about 6 weeks, and need at least 2 rounds of antibiotics to get over it. This time, I doubled up on my Noni Juice morning and night (4 oz.) and sipped 1 oz. every 6 hours throughout the day, and I kicked that bout of bronchitis in 10 days with NO antibiotics!
Over the course of the next 3 months, I felt better than I had in 10 years. My family and coworkers were delighted that I was becoming active and happy again…and then I made the BIG mistake!
My daughter had become engaged to be married during this time, and I was devoting all my spare time to planning and coordinating her wedding for her. I worked long hours, slept little and worried alot about the expense…and 6 weeks ago, I ran out of Noni Juice. I decided that it would have to wait..I couldn’t afford to spend that extra money on myself with all those wedding bills.
I awakened this morning for the 5th day in a row with pain in both feet and hands. For the past 3 days, I’ve needed the inhalers again to clear my lungs enough to take a deep breath, and this morning I found 4 more hairs on my pillow that had fallen out in my sleep. What was I thinking?!
I just ordered another case of Noni Juice…if it arrives in 2 days, and I do a “loading dose schedule” of 4 oz. morning and night, I figure I may just be able to dance at my daughter’s wedding in a week without the painful ache of arthritis in my feet. And I will never again go without my benefit of Noni Juice! -Bobbi

1. Pure Hoodia Gordonii From South Africa

• Great Appetite Suppressant
• Completely Safe and Effective
• All Natural Ingredients
This cactus-like plant contains substances that may exert dramatic control over hunger, appetite, and thirst. Although the Hoodia gordonii plant looks like a cactus, it belongs to a category of plants called succulents. The use of Hoodia as an appetite suppressant is supported by both colorful folklore history and recent scientific studies. Hoodia is well known to the San bushmen of South Africa , who learned from the teachings of their ancestors to eat this plant to reduce hunger sensations. The San bushmen of South Africa believe that Hoodia is their food, water, and medicine.

Hoodia gordonii has been used for centuries by the San bushmen of South Africa . These people may have, at times, consumed Hoodia on a regular basis. The “San” are known to have chewed on the plant during times of food scarcity, in order to alleviate hunger and thirst. Hoodia gordonii was found by bushmen to be particularly valuable for use during arduous hunting expeditions in the Kalahari desert . The Kalahari desert is a principle home for the San bushmen and it is a prime location for the growth of the succulent plant, Hoodia gordonii. The power of this succulent plant, known to the San as !khoba (Hoodia) is going to be a continuing focus of international attention in the fight against the global pandemic of obesity. The world has finally listened to the “San” people.

The traditional use of Hoodia gordonii for its appetite suppressant effect involved the eating of whole, fresh plants or perhaps dried plants. Flowers, roots, and spiky skin on the plant were not eaten readily by anyone, including the hardy San bushmen. The natural use of Hoodia involved cutting open the skin, and eating or drinking the flesh and sap of the plant. In fact, several TV correspondents have taken the plant in this traditional form. These newscasters, along with others, comment upon its bitterness, and almost immediate effects on appetite suppression. It is clear that Hoodia gordonii cannot be taken in this fresh form by many consumers. Therefore, the Hoodia plant in South Africa has been processed by drying the plant and producing powder or concentrates that can be used in dietary supplements, or perhaps added to food.

The use of Hoodia in a dietary supplement is closer to the traditional use of Hoodia than the isolation of certain extracts of Hoodia (steroidal glycosides). Although recent scientific experiments seem to support that specific fractions or extracts of Hoodia gordonii are responsible for its major effects on appetite, it is not safe to assume that other ingredients within Hoodia do not contribute to its many effects in humans. The precedent for the safety of taking Hoodia rests with the use of the whole plant, not with the use of extracts such as steroidal glycosides.

This product is for adults only. Do not use this product if you are pregnant, nursing, or have the following conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid disease, glaucoma, diabetes, difficulty urinating due to prostate enlargement, or if you are now taking a prescription monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) (certain drugs for depression, psychiatric or emotional conditions, or Parkinson’s disease), or for two (2) weeks after stopping the MAOI drug. If you are uncertain whether your prescription drug contains an MAOI, consult your physician before taking this product. Do not exceed recommended dosage.

• By Sean M Williams

Adding nutritional supplements to our daily diet can help us live longer, maintain good over-all health, and help manage difficult medical problems. If you’re like most of us, you know what you need, but sometimes there’s just too much information out there about where to obtain the best nutritional supplements. Health stores, drug stores, magazines, newspapers, television, and the Internet contain un-ending sources of all sorts of supplements. It can make you dizzy just contemplating everything that’s available!

How Do I Choose the Best Nutritional Supplements?

Before purchasing a supplement, there are several things to keep in mind. First, what is the price of the product? Sometimes “more” is not always “better.” For example, you may see a nationally-known brand of a supplement that is fairly pricey, maybe more than you can afford. Look for the store’s own brand; you’ll find that it contains exactly the same supplement, but for a much lower price than the “name brand.”

Expensive advertising doesn’t necessarily mean that the product is one of the best nutritional supplements; it just means the manufacturer has plenty of money to sell the product. If you see it advertised in a magazine or on television, expect to pay more. Advertising isn’t free, and you, the consumer, end up paying the cost of advertising by purchasing nationally-advertised brands.

Another thing to consider is how long a company has been in business. The best nutritional supplements usually derive from new, enthusiastic “start-up” companies that are seeking to establish a superior reputation among the legions of competitors, or long-time companies with good reputations. Examine Internet sites; do they offer testimonials from satisfied customers? How do they describe their product? For example, if you wish to find the best Goji Juice nutritional supplement, how accurate is the site’s description of the product? Is reputable evidence included that verifies the company’s claims of its benefits? Is the Goji Juice fresh and natural?

Some of the best nutritional supplements i.e. the “Top Sellers,” are ginkgo biloba, St. John’s wort, ginseng, Himalayan Goji Juice, echinacea, goldenseal, kava kava, valerian, feverfew, soy and black cohosh root. Vitamins are essential to good health, but here again, you’ll find store brands much less expensive than nationally advertised brands. The best nutritional supplements are well-packaged to prevent spoilage. Be sure to check the product’s expiration date; many stores neglect to examine and discard products that are past their prime.

Finally, you may learn about the best nutritional supplements through word of mouth from family, friends, co-workers and medical personnel. Just ask! Every one will have their favorite, most reliable supplements that have truly helped them feel better, look better and live better.

If you found this article interesting - head over to http://www.healthyhabitsblog.com This article was written by Sean Williams. Sean also maintains the blog with dozens of health related articles. Sean has a big interest in health and wellbeing, and believes in preventing disease rather than curing it. Sean lives in New Zealand.

• Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_M_Williams