Health Matters: Super Juices

Three juices are being widely advertised as “super juices,” having multiple health benefits. Two of the juices, mangosteen and noni, are sold over the Internet or through distributors. The third, pomegranate juice, can be found in most grocery stores. What is it that makes these products “super juices”? These fruits have existed since the beginning of the world, so why are these fruits making such an impact now?

Mangosteen

The mangosteen has historically been praised for countless centuries by all who encountered it. The hull has been a part of Asian medicine and has been valued throughout its native range for its medicinal qualities. For hundreds of years, people in Singapore, Malaysia, India and China have been using the fruit and the bark of the mangosteen tree to treat diarrhea and eczema. These days, mangosteen juice is as likely to be sold in Toronto and Vancouver as in these Asian countries.

Why all the interest in an obscure tropical fruit? It is an exotic fruit that is very difficult to grow and only exists in specific climates.

Why Drink It?

Mangosteen fruit, specifically the rind, contains a compound which is called, mangostin. Mangostin is a phytochemical. Phytochemicals are naturally-occurring compounds found in plants which promote health, decrease risk of various diseases, and boost the immune system. There are hundreds of different types of phytochemicals in plants, all with their health-promoting properties. The phytochemical in mangosteen is called xanthone, which is a proven antioxidant, ?that may help maintain intestinal health, strengthen the immune system, neutralize free radicals, help support cartilage and joint function, and promote a healthy respiratory system. Xanthones are among the strongest antioxidants, which are known for their anti-aging properties.

Mangosteen is also very high in potassium, which plays a vital role in energy levels and heart health.

Other promoters of mangosteen juice, those who sell the product for the manufacturer boast even more health benefits, including curing cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, migraine headaches, depression, and a lot of other diseases.

Many of the health benefits listed on these websites advertising mangosteen are anecdotal stories from people who have had various maladies alleviated after drinking mangosteen juice. Often anectodal stories take a leap of faith. You must choose to believe it because someone says it is so, not because you know it is true. These anecdotal stories are not scientifically obtained, however, as has been proven over and over, sometimes folkloric knowledge or uses hold up well under scientific scrutiny. Anecdotal evidence is often where science begins when it starts to test a product for its health benefits.

The Evidence

All of the science on mangosteen and its health benefits is still very early. Many of the health claims made by those who promote mangosteen juice have never been tested in any scientific or laboratory studies. The lack of studies done does not mean that there are no benefits to drinking mangosteen juice. Often science has to play “catch up” on many of the natural remedies that have been “tried and true” throughout centuries. The studies that are currently being done are still in the laboratory stage, testing to discover the various chemicals that mangosteen may contain that would be beneficial for humans. These preliminary studies show emerging evidence that mangosteen has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-microbial properties.

Noni

Noni is a lime-green fruit the size of a small potato that grows in tropical Asia and on islands in the Pacific, including Hawaii. In China, Samoa, Japan and Tahiti, various parts of the tree serve as tonics and to contain fever, to treat eye and skin problems, gum and throat problems, as well as constipation, stomach pain, or respiratory difficulties. In Malaysia, heated noni leaves applied to the chest are believed to relieve coughs, nausea, or colic. As for external uses, unripe fruits can be pounded, then mixed with salt and applied to cuts or broken bones. In Hawaii, ripe fruits are applied to draw out pus from infected boils. Traditionally, the root has been used to treat menstrual cramps and urinary difficulties. It was virtually unknown in North America until 1996, when a Utah company started selling it as a dietary supplement.

Eating noni fruit takes some getting used to; it has a very strong, and often unpleasant taste. To make noni juice more palatable, its manufacturers combine it with grape and blueberry juices.

Why Drink It?

The co-founder of the Noni juice manufacturer states that noni juice “addresses every ailment we know of.” It has made claims that it can prevent, treat, and cure diabetes, depression, carpal tunnel syndrome, lupus and other diseases. Again, these claims are based on anecdotal evidence from people who have benefited from drinking noni juice. Today, manufacturers say that noni juice “boosts the immune system, delivers superior antioxidants, and increases energy and physical performance.”

The Evidence

A researcher in Hawaii who has tested Noni juice says that it is an important plant in Polynesian medicine. But, the Polynesians do not use the ripe fruit. As mentioned previously, they use the roots, bark, and leaves for different remedies, usually by applying them externally to the skin or to wounds.

Like mangosteen, noni is very high in potassium. Heart muscle needs potassium in order to function properly. Low potassium can even lead to heart arrhythmias.

In several animal studies, noni juice has prevented the DNA damage that can lead to cancer in rats, arrested cancer of the connective tissue, and prolonged the survival of animals with lung cancer. No human trials have been done of the effects of noni juice on cancer treatment or survival. Further testing needs to be done to see if these same effects can be replicated in humans. But these early results are promising.

One study found that noni inhibited and reduced growth of the blood vessels sprouting from human breast tumours, and in higher doses, the noni caused existing vessels to rapidly degenerate. Tumours need a significant blood flow in order to reproduce.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate has been revered through the ages for its medicinal properties. However, pomegranate wasn’t even heard of in North America until about three years ago when a successful Los Angeles business couple began marketing pomegranate juice as a chic, healthy drink. In 2003, they introduced a pomegranate juice that now can be found in most grocery stores in North America.

Why Drink It?

Promoters say, “Cheat death” eight ounces a day is all you need. This incredible juice has more naturally occurring antioxidants than any other drink.” Antioxidants have been shown to fight free radicals, those that cause heart disease, premature aging, Alzheimer’s, even cancer.

The Evidence

One pomegranate delivers 40% of an adult’s daily Vitamin C requirement. The company who produces 80% of the pomegranate juice in North America has spent millions of dollars testing their product. As a result, pomegranate juice is far ahead of noni and mangosteen juice in scientific evidence.
It is also a rich source of folic acid and of antioxidants. The researchers say that pomegranate is one of the phytochemical-rich fruits like blueberries, cranberries, and strawberries. These phytochemicals promote the function of the immune system, act directly against bacteria and viruses, reduce inflammation, and can be associated with the treatment and/or prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease and any other malady affecting the health or well-being of an individual. Each plant has its own array of phytochemicals that aid in the prevention and treatment of disease. Pomegranates are high in a phytochemical called polyphenol. These polyphenols are anti-oxidants which are responsible for the free-radical scavenging ability of pomegranate juice.
Some of studies that have been done are as follows:

Testing showed that PSA levels slowed substantially in men diagnosed with prostate cancer who drank 240 ml of pomegranate juice every day for three years. Rising PSA levels can indicate that a prostate tumour is growing.

Researchers say that the pomegranate juice stabilizes the cancer rather than kills it. Further testing will to be done so that researchers can determine if everyone who has prostate cancer or is at risk should drink pomegranate juice, but the preliminary findings are positive.

Also, preliminary studies from test tube and animal studies, and from a few small human trials suggest that pomegranate juice may be healthy for the cardiovascular system.

In one of the human studies, researchers gave men who had coronary heart disease a daily cup of pomegranate juice. After three months, stress tests showed that blood flow through the juice-drinkers arteries had improved, while it deteriorated in the men who drank a similar-tasting placebo beverage that contained no pomegranate juice.

Another study showed that men and women with atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) who drank a cup of pomegranate juice every day for a year, their carotid arteries were less clogged and their systolic blood pressure dropped by an average of 21%. Meanwhile, the artery blockages worsened in similar men and women who drank a placebo juice.

Pomegranate juice aids in the slowing down of cartilage damage in diseases such as osteoarthritis. It contains an extract that inhibits the build up of interleukin, which is an inflammatory protein molecule that plays a key role in cartilage degradation. Thus, it contains anti-inflammatory properties that are of benefit in a variety of diseases that are caused by inflammation.

Hype or Help?

Science is now just starting to test the health benefits of various natural remedies that have been used around the world for thousands of years. Just because science has not yet discovered the health benefits of these juices does not mean that the health benefits don’t exist. Even many of the herbal remedies that are widely used in naturopathic medicine have thousands of years of history to show that these remedies work. But, science has a lot of catching up to do.

What has been proven with these juices is that they contain chemicals that have strong antioxidant properties which does help in slowing down the effects of the aging process on our bodies by neutralizing the free radicals that build up over time, with exposure to pollution and toxins. To drink the juice for this reason alone is of benefit.