Mangosteen trees originated in Southeast Asia.
Mangosteen trees are common in tropical areas of the world, and the mangosteen fruit has many health benefits. To be considered organic, a fruit juice product must contain a certain amount of fruit from an organically certified grower and farm. Generally, mangosteen juice contains other fruit and, therefore, the mangosteen ingredient specifically may not be organic. Although the fruit is usually imported, organic and nonorganic mangosteen juices are commercially prepared and distributed by several U.S. organizations. Add this to my Recipe Box.
The Mangosteen Fruit
St. Johns wort is in the Clusiaceae (formerly Guttiferae) family along with mangosteen.
Found in tropical areas, the slow-growing mangosteen tree ranges in height from 3 to 80 feet. The fruit looks similar to a pomegranate, but the interior resembles a segmented citrus fruit. When ripe, the fruit is generally dark purple, round and has a thick inedible rind that can only be consumed if processed correctly. The edible flesh within the hard rind is white and sweet with segments containing one or two seeds each. Mangosteen juice is produced using all the parts of the fruit.
Benefits of Mangosteen Fruit Juice
Mangosteen juice is most often found in the health food section of grocery stores.
To make mangosteen juice, the rind, seed and flesh are blended together. Lauded for its health benefits, the rind was historically used in Southeast Asia as a topical treatment for skin infections. The flesh was ingested to relieve stomach cramping, dysentery and diarrhea. There is little confirmed scientific research to date on the specific benefits of mangosteen juice. The rind contains xanthones, a naturally occurring chemical currently being studied for its cancer-fighting properties.
Organic Certification for Mangosteen Juice
While a number of authoritative bodies grant "organic certification" to food, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) controls the certification for the most widely circulated products in the United States To be labeled organic, a product must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients. If a product contains less than this, the label may identify which ingredients are organic. Because mangosteen juice is often blended with several fruit juices, check the bottle's label to confirm that mangosteen is one of the organic ingredients.
Organic Mangosteen Juice versus Mangosteen Juice
The difference between organic mangosteen juice and nonorganic mangosteen juice is the origin of the ingredients. If 95 percent of the ingredients (excluding water and salt) are certified organic products, then the mangosteen juice is organic. Often organic products cost more due to the nature of their production, so organic mangosteen juice may be more expensive than nonorganic juice. Because taste is a subjective sense, it's impossible to say whether organic mangosteen juice tastes better than nonorganic juice. Often health food websites and stores provide a trial offer for consumers to test a particular product. Contact a mangosteen juice supplier for more information.
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