Mangosteen For Flawless
Skin
To
be considered beautiful, a clear skin is a
pre-requisite. Sadly, not everyone is born with flawlessly radiant skin. Bumps,
scales, rashes, and the like, can be an ugly sight to ruin your
self-image. Battling with skin problems
can get frustrating and be a source of insecurity for most
people. Genetics, environment, habits and diet all play a role. A
flawless complexion is a reflection of a healthy body. The toxins
circulating in your blood could leave you with a dull complexion and a
range of diseases.
So
how do you start your journey to a clearer skin?
Let
Mangosteen Put You A Step Closer To
Your Goal
Mangosteen is
a tropical fruit found mostly in Southeast Asia. It is round in shape,
with
purple covering when ripe, sweet white pulp, and seeds within the pulp.
The medicinal properties are found
richly in
the pericarp or rind, with lower concentrations in the pulp. The fruits
are
harvested only twice a year.
To benefit from the
maximum health benefits
of the fruit, the pericarp part is grounded and packaged into a pill
form.
There is also a juice form that utilizes both the pericarp and the rest
of the
fruit, but it is mixed with other fruits to improve the taste, and
comes out
more expensive than the solid form.
Since ages ago, the
fruit’s pericarp has
been used as a tincture for treating skin disorders. Rind decoctions
have been
applied externally as an astringent. Lately, its antimicrobial actions
have
been found to be effective against the progression of acne. Its
activity
against methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus is worth
mentioning.
Mangosteen has
anti-inflammatory effects
derived from its xanthone extracts called garcinol and mangostin.
Xanthones are
phytonutrients know to exhibit strong anti-oxidant effects. They are
highly
concentrated on the pericarp. Garcinol
and mangostin are found to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties by
inhibiting
cyclo-oxygenase enzymes and carcinogens (cancer- causing substances).
Anti-viral
and anti-fungal properties were also observed from the Xanthones.
The anti-oxidant effects
from mangosteen
prove to be beneficial in keeping the skin healthy.
Mangosteen
Juice vs. Capsule
There are 2 preparations
of mangosteen:
the
juice form and the solid or capsule form. The juice form uses the whole
fruit
and has pleasant taste. Other fruit juices are added, to improve the
taste. The capsule form utilizes the
pericarp of
mangosteen,
which contains the highest concentration of xanthones.
To extend its shelf life,
the juice form
uses preservatives
including sodium benzoate, which is converted to benzene.
Benzene has been linked to diseases such as leukemia. Futhermore, the
juice
form undergoes the process of pasteurization, destroying the inherent
medicinal
benefits that you are after.
The capsule form contains
100% mangosteen,
has no preservatives, and cheaper than the juice form. It doesn’t go
through
processes that increases production cost and destroy the health
benefits of
mangosteen.
Some Skin
Disorders Effectively Treated
With Mangosteen
More and more skin
disorders are
being discovered to be responsive to mangosteen
treatments. The list is
endless, but here are some of the more popular uses of the fruit
extract and
how mangosteen
addresses their respective problems:
Acne
Teenagers are the most
commonly affected
population of this skin
disorder. It is caused by the blockage of pores and
overproduction
of sebum. It manifests with bumpy skin lesions also known as zits. It
becomes
reddish, enlarged, and may contain pus when inflamed.
Several factors are
linked to acne:
- Hormones
- Genetic
History
- Stress
- Accumulation
of Dead Skin Cells
- Hyperactive
sebaceous (oil) glands
- Bacteria,
particularly Propionebacterium acnes
- Use of
steroids
- Exposure to
certain chemical compounds
Diet has been implicated,
yet no adequate
studies prove its relationship with acne.
Treatments for acne are
available, ranging from topical creams to oral antibiotics and
retinoids, to intralesional steroid injection. The
increasing resistance of microorganisms against antibiotics
poses a challenge for effective management of acne. Retinoids,
on the other
hand, cause defects in the fetus when taken by a pregnant woman. These
drawbacks make more people turn to natural ways of healing.
Mangosteen has
been found to have
anti-bacterial properties against acne-causing P. acnes and S.
epidermides. Its
anti-inflammatory action soothes the irritation and prevents further
growth of
the pimple.
The strong anti-oxidants
in xanthones are
your army against environmental stressors and toxic build-up in the
body that
can aggravate acne. Stress, whether physical or mental, invites free
radicals
in the body. By taking anti-oxidants, the free radicals are prevented
from
causing havoc to the skin.
