Originally from Indonesia, this sweet fruit has nutrients in both its white pulp and thick purple rind. It’s high in vitamin A and vitamin C.
“Normally, you don’t eat the rind of the fruit. You peel an orange and throw the rind away, but with mangosteen the rind is considered in Southeast Asia to be one of the most powerful immune system supportive herbal substances there is,” says says David Wolfe, nutritionist and author of The Sunfood Diet Success System.
Some early studies of cells and tissue cultures showed that mangosteen rinds may contain anti-cancer compounds, as well as agents that fight inflammation and infection. But other experiments have shown that these agents may also interfere with blood clotting, so researchers warn that not enough is known about the fruit’s effects on the body to justify anything beyond enjoying it as a snack.