Question: Dear Dr. Ettinger,
I am a white female, 62 years old, and was diagnosed with fibromylgia 30 years ago, and RA l0 years ago. Standard treatment for the RA has led to current Enbrel, along with methotrexate and Celebrex. Savella for the fibromylgia. Fatigue, over exertion and infections will trigger a flair. Am still self-employed, and stay active, but find that weekends are spent doing light housekeeping and resting up for the week ahead.
Recently reduced my daily predisone from 20 mg. to 1.25mg.
Of course, would love to not be dependent on medications.
How does Mangosteen help people with RA and fibromylgia? Why does it work it the cases where it has been effective? Obviously will check with my Rheumatologist to make sure it does interfere with any current medications.
Thank you for your time and knowledge.
Judith A
Answer: Judith,
FYI: All antioxidants are anti-inflammatory but not all anti-inflammatories are antioxidants.
The exciting aspect of the mangosteen fruit is the high level of xanthones, which have potent anti-inflammatory properties. People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis joint pain and fibromyalgia gain relief from anti-inflammatory medications. Some of the medications contain steroids and some do not. The xanthones are a non steroidal anti-inflammatory substance.
Mangosteen is a fruit/food and will not react with meds, as far as I know. Your MD should not discourage you from taking any and all antioxidants. If he/she does, ask to see ‘why’ in writing. I have treated many patients over the years with what you have now. If you would like to begin a natural approach to your body problem, please take a look at this link – here and visit my website. I can design a personalized protocol for you.
Absolute Mangosteen at 1oz, two times per day will add a nice level of antioxidants back to your body. There are many more wonderful, natural products that can help but I would need to know more about you and your condition to make an intelligent decision.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ettinger
PS. Here is a question put to Dr. Brent Bauer, MD
Can it relieve arthritis pain? Can drinking mangosteen juice reduce arthritis inflammation and pain?
Answer: It might. A number of laboratory and animal studies suggest that mangosteen has significant anti-inflammatory effects. And a few small-scale studies in humans indicate that the juice helps reduce blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a substance associated with inflammation, which may be caused by widespread infection or disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
But the studies that found this reduction in CRP were not conducted with people who have arthritis. And not everybody who has arthritis has an elevation in CRP. So at this point, while the data appears promising, it is still too early to say for sure what role mangosteen juice has in treating arthritis symptoms.
Mangosteen is a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia. Despite its name, mangosteen is not related to the mango. The mangosteen fruit is the size and shape of a tangerine, with a thick, dark rind and creamy flesh. Mangosteen is marketed as a supplement, both as a juice and in capsule form.
