Archive 2006 2007 2008 2009

Q: Can mangosteen juice cure cancer, migraines, and other conditions, as claimed?

A: No. Mangosteen marketers make farfetched and unsubstantiated claims for their products, which are sold as "dietary supplements" via multi-level (network) marketing. The most promoted brand is XanGo, which comes both as a juice puree and in capsules. The juice can cost $25 or more for a 25-ounce bottle.

Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a tangerine-sized tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia. Not to be confused with mango, it has a hard purple rind and white pulp inside. Laboratory studies have specifically looked at compounds in the rind, called xanthones, which seem to have some anti-cancer effects in the test tube. Mangosteen is also said to have antiseptic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity.

Marketers cite long lists of lab studies as "proof" of mangosteen’s health benefits. But there are no clinical trials, and what happens in a test tube or animal may not occur in a human. Any reported benefits in humans have been anecdotal. No one even knows if the processed fruit juice and capsules retain the potentially beneficial compounds. What’s more, the juice is typically a mix of fruit juices—with an undisclosed amount of mangosteen in it.

Bottom line: Exotic fruits and their juices are usually nutritious. But don’t expect mangosteen to be a miracle cure for any disease.

Q. If shellfish contains very little fat, how can it have lots of cholesterol? Is it the good cholesterol?

A: Fat and cholesterol are independent substances. Cholesterol is a fatlike substance found in all cell membranes and nerve fibers of animals. Fat in food doesn’t contain any more cholesterol than does the lean tissue.

Though foods high in saturated fat tend to be rich in cholesterol, too, some foods are high in one but not the other. Shellfish tends to be high in cholesterol but low in fat (especially saturated fat). Eggs and organ meats, such as liver, also have lots of cholesterol, but only moderate amounts of fat. In contrast, vegetable oils and nuts, which are rich in fat, have no cholesterol, since they aren’t animal products.

Fat and cholesterol are often mentioned together because fat affects the body’s production of cholesterol (most of the cholesterol in blood is actually made in the body). Saturated fat, in fact, raises blood cholesterol more than dietary cholesterol does.

No food contains "good" (or "bad") cholesterol, which is found only in the body. All the cholesterol you eat is the same. Cholesterol travels in the blood in packages called lipoproteins, which are assembled in the liver. One type of cholesterol package, called high-density lipoprotein (or HDL), carries cholesterol back to the liver for reprocessing—and thus helps keep cholesterol from building up in the walls of the arteries. That’s why HDL has been dubbed "good" cholesterol.

Q: Does mesotherapy really get rid of cellulite?

A: Developed in France in 1952 and introduced a few years ago in the U.S., "mesotherapy" is promoted as a nonsurgical alternative to liposuction for cellulite reduction and body contouring. But it has not been proven effective and is potentially dangerous.

Cellulite is a nonmedical term for deposits of fat that give the skin a dimply appearance. In mesotherapy, a doctor injects a mixture of drugs, plant extracts, enzymes, and other compounds into these "problem" areas. Ingredients commonly used are phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) and isoproterenol (an asthma drug that’s been used in obesity research). Proponents say mesotherapy increases blood and lymph flow in the tissues and breaks up fat cells, which are then excreted from the body.

But no one really knows how it might work, or, if there is an effect, how significant it is. That makes many doctors wary of performing the procedure. Moreover, there are no standard formulas or doses; practitioners make their own mixtures. And none of the drugs are FDA-approved for use in mesotherapy for body contouring. It’s also unknown if the procedure affects other tissues or organs. Mesotherapy can cost more than $1,000 a session, and five or more sessions may be recommended.

Though there have been no reports of heart attacks or strokes, as there have been with liposuction, mesotherapy is not risk-free. It can cause extreme swelling, allergic reactions, and skin lesions, and there are reports of infections, which have required drug treatment and even surgery. If done incorrectly, there can be scarring.

Words to the wise: Stay away from mesotherapy. We agree with Dr. Rod Rohrich, chairman of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center: "It is mind boggling to think that a physician would inject patients with unknown, unproved substances based on hearsay and unsubstantiated clinical findings." Our best advice is to exercise and to lose weight, if you’re overweight. That may help reduce the appearance of cellulite—and also has proven health benefits.

UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, February 2006