Mangosteen Comes To The Aid Of Migraine Headache Sufferers

What Is A Migraine?
Migraine is a chronic vascular headache which affects approximately 15% of the population. Women are twice as likely to suffer from attacks as men are, and, when there is a history of migraine in the family, this ratio will become even higher.

A migraine is an extended pulsing headache that can last anywhere between four and seventy two hours, typically affecting one side of the head. It is thought that it is the sudden expansion of blood vessels carrying blood to the brain that irritate the surrounding nerve tissues, and so cause a migraine headache.

Migraine attacks are characterized by additional symptoms which can include sickness and vomiting, impairment to sight, partial paralysis, speech difficulty, feelings of confusion, and fainting.

What Causes Migraines?
The precise causes of migraines are not known but triggers can include:

A change in hormone levels. Women often contend that migraine attacks are worse during their periods, through pregnancy, and when taking hormonal treatments Some foods have been known to trigger migraines, the more common culprits include: chocolate, alcohol, cheese, coffee, and artificial sweeteners.

Strobe lighting, and glare from the sun can cause occasion attacks.

Stress is another culprit including physical exertion, an interruption to regular sleeping patterns and fasting.

Mangosteen Can Help Relieve Migraine

Mangosteen has been identified as one of the top super-foods in the world. The Mangosteen tree is a native of Southeast Asia. It is the fruit born by this tree that is creating all of the excitement. It has been used for centuries by the traditional healers of the area to treat a number of illnesses and diseases, and as an anti-inflammatory pain killer. The soft white interior of the fruit is rich in nutrients, but it is the exterior rind, known as the “pericarp” that gives the fruit its unique characteristics. The pericarp is super rich in antioxidants known as xanthones. In fact Mangosteen contains far more xanthones than any other food known to man and it is these xanthones that act as a super anti-inflammatory pain reliever.

This is precisely the characteristic that benefits the migraine sufferer and helps to relieve the chronic pain.

But Mangosteen also has other health benefits. In addition Mangosteen can reportedly inhibit the spread of different types of cancer including liver, breast and blood cancer.

Pills, Capsules & Juice - Which One Should You Use?

Mangosteen has been sold mostly in juice form in the United States, but that is now becoming the subject of deep controversy. One of the problems that has come to light is that a few “rogue” companies are selling product that has such low levels of Mangosteen in it that any possible benefit is lost.

Also if the juice has been “hot” bottled, the pasteurizing process it undergoes kills off much of Mangosteen's active ingredients. This hot bottling process can also include the addition of benzoate as a preservative. Benzoate is now known to be a carcinogenic. Finally, all fruit juices that are imported into the United States have to undergo an irradiation treatment.

The Mangosteen fruit used to make the juice has an unpleasant taste and is extremely bitter and needs the use of other juices to make it palatable. In addition it also requires additives for a longer shelf life.

But new pills and capsules are now on sale following the introduction of a new technology that has enabled Mangosteen to be freeze-dried and powdered locally, immediately following harvesting. This preserves the potency of the active ingredients during shipping to the processing plants in the United States. When it arrives in the United States, it is virtually as fresh and potent as it was when it was harvested, and the powder, when in pill form, or encapsulated, has no taste.

Mangosteen Pills and capsules are now much preferred over the juice option, not only because they retain the fruit’s 100% natural organic status, but they are also easier to carry around.