You're Thinking... "What Exactly is XANGO, Anyway?"
XANGO is made from The Whole Fruit of the Mangosteen fruit.
The mangosteen is a fruit grown primarily in Southeast Asia and revered as the Queen of Fruits (Queen Victoria would offer Knighthood to anyone who would bring fresh supply). The scientific name is Garcinia mangostana and it is traditionally recognized for its enticing flavor and high value in folk medicine.
The dark purple rind was dried and ground and used to ward off infection. Ancient healers created an extract of the fruit to reduce fever. Poultices were made to treat parasitic skin infections. It has been used for centuries to treat dysentery, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and eczema.
You're probably wondering why you haven't heard of it before. Surprisingly, until now the mangosteen fruit had never been properly introduced outside of its native region.
OK, But is There Science Behind It?
Absolutely. Researchers have identified dozens of biologically active compounds called XANTHONES in the rind of the mangosteen fruit. There are many research papers online worth examining (if you're the skeptical type) that span decades of scrutiny.
Researchers have gone so far as to say: "Xanthones show considerable biological activity, and it is surprising that none of them so far have an established use in medicine." - Taylor and Frost, Phytochemical Dictionary, 1983
Stacks of existing mangosteen research have been validated with thousands of individual accounts in dozens of countries.
So Why Should I Drink XANGO?
TASTE
While XANGO Juice revitalizes some, just tasting it makes us wax poetic. Want a description of the flavor? We're overachievers. We've got four.
XANGO THE "IT" DRINK
So many juice-fruits It's flavor concentrated Tastes like happiness
More than just a juice Seizes you in the taste buds Never quite lets go
Nectar of the gods You'll swear up and you'll swear down XanGo births believers
Makes your mouth seize up XanGo juice tantalizes Delights the bored tongue
Makes your mouth seize up XanGo juice tantalizes Delights the bored tongue
So Why Should I Drink XANGO Anyway?
Changes are you willl feel a lot better than you feel now. I do.
About the Author
Fran Fausey is a retired Special Education teacher. She taught for 31 years in the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania. Fran received her undergraduate degree from Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky with majors in Business Education and Special Education. In 1980 she received a Master Degree in Education. Her expertise are in pay per click advertising and behavior management.
To visit her website go to www.gojuice4ever.biz
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
XANGO is a Juice Made From The Revered Mangosteen Fruit
Mangosteen Origins and History
The mangosteen fruit originated in the Malay Archipelago and quickly spread through the warm tropical climates of Southeast Asia . The small dark purple fruit with a delicious white pulp grows abundantly and is harvested twice a year from a small evergreen tree. Native people throughout Southeast Asia have historically used the fruit for its natural properties. It was when Europeans explored Southeast Asia that folklore related to the mangosteen first spread to western culture. However, it was not until XanGo LLC launched XanGo Juice in 2002 that mangosteen began to achieve widespread recognition and acceptance in western markets . The mangosteen rind was sliced and dried, then ground to a powder and administered as an herbal preparation. The mangosteen rind was steeped in water overnight and taken as a tea as well as made into an ointment and applied externally as a lotion. It was through these popular uses that the benefits of mangosteen were passed down through history and several scientists and explorers took note. The mangosteen is so revered in Thailand that the Thai government recognizes it as the country's national fruit.
The mangosteen fruit is an exceptional fruit fusing nutrition and sensational flavor. There are many elements found in the mangosteen that provide nutritional benefits. The main compounds, xanthones, are very stable and robust molecules, which show biological activity. The mangosteen fruit contains approximately 40 known xanthones and the majority of these are found in the highest concentration in the rind. Plant actives known as flavonoids offer additional benefits to the body. The two main flavonoids found in the mangosteen are catechins (found in green tea) and proanthcyandins (found in grape seeds). Many research institutions, such as The Mayo Clinic, The Linus Pauling Institute, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition and many others have studied flavonoids extensively. While science is still progressing in its attempt to validate the uses of mangosteen, the research of the mangosteens powerful phytonutrients thus far is quite promising. The mangosteen has been researched for 150 years, resulting in over 110 studies published in scientific journals, with studies touching on every system of the body. XanGo Juice is a great tasting beverage with naturally occurring nutrients, such as xanthones and flavonoids. A healthy diet low in saturated and trans fats may reduce the risk of heart disease. XanGo Juice is free of saturated and trans fats. Xanthones (or catechins, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins) are a factor in the maintenance of good health and a factor in normal growth and development.
About the Author
Kim is the owner of this Mangosteen site. You can learn more about the Mangosteen fruit at promangosteen.com.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
What Is Imperial Formosa Oolong Tea?
Oolong teas are rapidly gaining popularity in the Western world. And, among oolong teas, those created in Taiwan, referred to as Formosa oolong teas, are some of the most delicious. If you haven't tried Formosa oolong tea, you're in for a real treat.
Oolong teas originated in China. Oolong literally means black dragon. However, the tea is often referred to as Wulong tea, a name that originated with the person believed to have created this tea.
Wu Liang was a Chinese tea gardener, who, according to Chinese legend, was busy collecting and processing tea leaves when he spotted a river deer. He stopped to kill and prepare the deer and it interrupted his tea processing for the day, and he forgot to dry out the leaves.
He remembered the tea a day later. By this time it had begun to change color, and Wu Liang was afraid it had gone bad, but decided to finish drying it anyway. After completing the drying process, he made himself a cup and found that he had created a very flavorful and aromatic tea. This was the birth of oolong tea.
Oolong tea falls somewhere between black and green tea. It is fermented, but for a shorter period of time than black tea. Depending upon the length of fermentation, oolong teas can be closer to green teas in terms of color and flavor, or closer to black teas. In addition, oolong teas are traditionally made from the larger leaves of the tea plant. These are the leaves that grow further down the tea plant rather than the top leaves.
Formosa oolong teas are those produced in Taiwan, rather than in China. Next to China, Taiwan produces the largest quantity of oolong tea in the world. Formosa oolong teas fall into two categories, depending upon how long they're fermented. True Formosa oolongs, like Chinese oolong teas, are fermented until about 30% of the tea leaves are red, leaving about 70% of the leaves green.
Formosa Pouchong oolong teas are closer to green tea. The leaves are fermented until just about 15% are red, leaving them 85% green.
To make Formosa oolong and pouchong teas, the leaves are plucked early in the day and then withered in the sun. Then the leaves are bruised lightly to cause the fermentation process to begin. Tea artisans will carefully watch the tea during the fermentation process, often shaking or tumbling the leaves regularly, until the leaves have fermented the required length of time and have reached the appropriate proportion of green and red leaves. It is ending the fermentation process at precisely the right time that makes a perfect oolong or pouchong tea.
Next, the leaves are dried, often using charcoal before they are graded according to the quality and sent for packaging.
Imperial Formosa oolong teas are considered the most sophisticated tea flavors in the world. It brews to a golden color and produces a very crisp liquor. It's an incredibly flavorful tea, often with significant notes of orange and nut flavors and sometimes with a very woody and sweet finish that lingers on the tongue.
Imperial Formosa oolong tea is a fairly rare tea. It may be more difficult to find and may be a bit more expensive. However, it is a true connoisseur's tea and will likely be one of the most exceptionally flavored teas you've ever experienced. You may find that each time you taste Imperial Formosa oolong tea you discover a slightly new and different nuance to the flavor.
Oolong teas of all varieties are also very healthy. Tea leaves naturally contain a high level of anti-oxidants. Fermentation changes these anti-oxidants, and the degree of the fermentation affects the amount of anti-oxidant changes. Because oolong teas are only partially fermented they retain a high level of anti-oxidants in their most natural state.
In particular, oolong teas have a very high level of polyphenols, which are some of the most potent anti-oxidants and are particularly effective at preventing heart disease and many forms of cancer. In recent years, scientists have performed a great deal of research on the positive health benefits of drinking tea and feel confident that being a lifelong tea drinker can help you live a longer and healthier life, protecting you from many serious illnesses.
Oolong tea can also be an effective weight loss supplement. The combination of the caffeine and anti-oxidants in oolong tea have been shown to speed up the metabolism and promote the oxidation of fat. And, research has shown that the caffeine in tea doesn't appear to raise heart rate or cause jitters the way many other caffeinated beverages can. So, tea is safely consumed by most people who are normally caffeine sensitive.
Formosa oolong teas are some of the most delicious and satisfying of all teas. For the experienced tea drinker, oolongs can add a new dimension to a favorite beverage. And for the novice tea drinker, oolong provides a sophisticated introduction to the world of tea. Experience Imperial Formosa oolong for yourself. You're sure to be delighted with this fragrant and flavorful tea.
About the Author
Jon Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, white tea and wholesale tea go to www.goldenmoontea.com
Benefits Of Drinking Wu Long Tea - Weight Loss And More!
Wu long tea or sometimes referred to as oolong tea or wulong tea has an amazing list of wonderful health benefits. These health benefits alone make it difficult for an individual to ignore this wonder tea, let alone its exquisite taste and aroma that will take you to the next level.
The taste of wu long tea is just divine. It has a smooth subtle taste encouraging the feeling of overall wellness that only a quality tea can provide.
Compared to other beverage such as coffee or soda that usually contains significant amount of caffeine, sugar and other chemicals, oolong tea soothes and calms you the moment you let it do its magic. Indeed, this tea is a perfect beverage to start and end your busy day.
Because wu long tea has light caffeine level, together with large amounts of polyphenols, it is known to speed up your metabolism resulting to a healthy weight loss. It is also known to regulate blood sugar levels for people with diabetes. Did you know that tea burns about 2.5 times more calories than other tea?
Oolong tea also has the ability to reduce plaque in your arteries, as well as lower your cholesterol. It also has slimming effects on your body.
This tea stimulates is very effective in controlling your body fat by activating the enzyme responsible for dissolving triglyceride.
Consuming a lot of carbohydrates results to a weight gain, this is due to an increase in insulin levels. Wulong tea suppresses your lipid metabolism thereby suppressing your fatty accumulation .
Wu long tea contains a large amount of antioxidants called polyphenols which are responsible for reducing the effects of free radicals in your body. Free radicals are damaging substances that are the cause of aging.
It has been found that Wu long tea strengthens your immune system lowering your risk for infections and other respiratory diseases.
Wu long Teas that are high quality generally contain the highest level of plucking from tea growing regions such as the high mountain in the famous mountain range in China called Wuyi.
The processing of loose wulong tea leaves has no fanning, broken leaves or twigs or even dust which is often found in tea bags.
The value of wulong tea is produced by high quality sold at a good price. You need to understand the cost per cup of loose tea leaves in order to realize its value compared to tea bags.
If you compare loose leaf tea to tea bags, the value of loose tea leaves is readily apparent not only in the freshness but the quality of the tea itself.
Tea bags contain broken tea leaves, as well as fannings and of course, dust. This is because in this method tea infuses quicker but you sacrifice the quality and benefits. When it comes to cost , a large part of the tea bag product is involved in producing the tea bag and providing packaging for the bagged tea.
With regards to loose leaf tea, you can get a high quality product from freshly plucked leaves without the high cost associated involved with tea bags.
About the Author
Mary Rose Antonio owns a website The Tea Avenue where she sells high quality wu long tea at a very affordable price. Sign up for a chance to win a FREE tea gift basket on a monthly drawing.
The Proven Benefits Of Drinking Green Tea
There are numerous types of teas available all over the world. However, one of the most popular types is the green tea. This ubiquitous beverage in Japan comes from the Camellia sinesis leaves. Actually other popular teas, such as black and oolong, are also derived from the same plant. However, the difference among these three varieties lies on the processing. In order to get green tea, the leaves of Camellia sinesis are steamed before drying.
Why Is Green Tea So Popular?
As mentioned earlier, green tea has already been a staple in Japanese diet for quite a long time. The positive results of several studies on the benefits of green tea have propelled it to popularity in the West and the rest of the world. According to results of a research published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute in 1994, regular consumption of green tea helps in lowering the risk of esophageal cancer. Aside from cancer, some experts also found that certain substances found in the beverage aid in reducing overall cholesterol levels, while improving the ratio of the good versus bad cholesterol.
Experts believe that the catechin polyphenols are the ones that make green tea potent in soothing many illnesses and improving one's overall health. One component, epigallocatechin gallate, is known to be a one-of-a-kind antioxidant that is responsible for preventing the growth of cancer cells, without harming the surrounding healthy tissues. This substance, which is known as EGCG for short, is also helpful in inhibiting blood clotting, which is the number one cause for strokes and heart attacks.
Even if black and oolong tea come from the same Camellia sinesis plant, green tea is considered healthier because ECGC is not oxidized in the process of steaming the leaves. Thus, the potency of ECGC is maintained. In contrast, the leaves of Camellia sinesis are fermented to make oolong and black teas. As a result, ECGC components of the plant are changed to other substances which are not as powerful in beating many diseases.
Benefits Of Green Tea
Aside from lowering the risks of developing certain cancers, green tea is also known to help stop the progressive cancer growths, according to the findings of the research done in the University of Purdue.
Scientists also found out that regular consumption of green tea has a substantial effect in a person's blood pressure. It seems that substances in the beverage can suppress angiotensin II, which is believed to bring about high blood pressure.
The immune system also benefits from regular dose of green tea. Since this drink is rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, it can boost the immune system. It is a known fact that you need to have strong immune response in order to fight infections and a variety of other diseases.
A study headed by Dr Tariq Haqqi from Ohio's Case Western Reserve University found that the polyphenols in green tea are helpful in preventing rheumatoid arthritis as well. Clinical tests showed that laboratory animals that were regularly given green tea polyphenols did not develop joint diseases.
But one of the top reasons why people from all corners of the world are clamoring for green tea -whether in tablet or concentrate form - is the finding that it can help boost weight loss. Research done by Japanese scientists found that green tea could help a person lose weight even without dieting or exercising. They have found that green tea increases thermogenesis, or the conversion of stored fat into energy. At the same time, components in green tea also speed up metabolism.
Since green tea is a natural diuretic, people who are having problems with weight gain caused by water retention can also benefit from either drinking several cups of green tea or taking supplements that contain substantial amounts of green tea. One product that contains green tea extract and is specifically designed to help alleviate water retention is Expelis. If you want to know more about this product, visit http://www.expelis.com/.
About the Author
Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news magazine. http://www.thearticleinsiders.com.
Brew: Growing Your Own Tea
If you are a tea drinker, you may enjoy growing your own tea plant. Today's tea drinkers get their tea from local shops, in tea bags or in canisters. You may find it rewarding to drink your own freshly picked, dried, and brewed tea leaves.
Camellia sinensis is the Latin name for the tea plant that provides the world with green, black, and oolong varieties of tea. Tea surpasses even coffee as the world's favorite infused water drink. To be properly called "tea", the main ingredient needs to be leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant, a native of east Asia.
The origin of tea is buried under many layers of history and legend. Generally, the Chinese are considered to have been the first drinkers of tea and they credit Shennong, a legendary emperor, with its discovery. India and Japan claim that Bodhidharma, a monk of India, discovered the tea that they cultivate. Tea, as we know it in British culture, was not imported until the 1600s. Europeans migrating to the United States brought their tea with them, which has spawned a derivative mainly popular in the southern United States - sweetened iced tea.
You may be able to get seeds or plants at your local nursery, but if you can't find any, you can always order seeds online. One place that sells grown plants is greenteaplants.com Although the tea plant is mainly associated with Asia, its area of origin, it can grow happily outside in the U.S. Hardiness Zone 8 (Texas, Georgia, northern Florida, etc.). Acidic, well-drained, sandy soil is the home of choice for the tea plant. You'll also need to invest in some kind of pruning shears, because tea will grow quite large and bushy without prudent pruning to keep it manageable.
If you don't have the climate or the space to plop your tea plant outside, you can grow it in a pot. Mix some sphagnum moss in with the potting soil for additional acidity. You can also make your own soil for tea plants with a mix of sphagnum moss, bark shavings, sand and regular potting soil. It may seem ironic, given the destination of the leaves, but do not over water your tea plant. The soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings. As the tea grows, you will have to either repot the plant or thin out the roots if you want to keep the plant in the same pot. Potted tea grows best in rooms between 65 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Growth will slow or stop at much below 65 degrees, so warm, sunny rooms or greenhouses are best for tea growth.
Growing tea is only the first step. In order to enjoy your tea, you need to know when and how to pick and dry the leaves. Tea plants take some time to grow to the point where you can harvest their leaves. For all teas, you will want to pick the youngest leaves and buds on the tea plant.
For green tea, let them dry in the shade for a few hours. Steam them on the stove like vegetables for about 1 minute. Then, spread on a baking sheet in the oven at 250F for about 20 minutes.
For oolong tea, let them wilt in the sun for about 45 minutes. Then, bring them inside to sit at room temperature for a few hours (make sure you stir them up every hour to help them along). When their edges turn red, pop them into the oven for 20 minutes at 250F.
For black tea, crush the leaves with your hands until they turn dark red. Then you want to spread them out on a tray for a couple of days in a cool location. Finally, you complete the drying process with 20 minutes in a 250F oven.
All teas should be kept in an air-tight container. For different tastes, mix herbs, spices or flowers in with the tea leaves. Enjoy!
About the Author
HomesByLender.com is one of the nation's best resources for homes for sale by owner. Contact us for information on finding New Hampshire homes for sale by owner.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Tea for Bad Breath
Drink tea for bad breath? For years, its been standard wisdom that tea is a cause of bad breath (halitosis) and should be avoided, but recent scientific studies suggest otherwise. In fact, research has shown that compounds known as polyphenols, which are found in both green and black tea can fight halitosis in several ways. (See Tea as a Functional Food for Oral Health, by Christine Wu and Min Zhu, published in the journal Nutrition: Vol 18, N0 5, May 2002, Pg 443-444.)
The effect is strongest with black tea and halitosis, apparently because polyphenols known as theaflavins are present in higher concentrations in black tea compared to green tea: to produce black tea, tea leaves are oxidized (often called fermentation), converting the polyphenols known as catechins to theaflavins. Thus, while green tea has been shown to have many health benefits, the best tea for bad breath is black tea (Black tea in this context refers to tea made from black tea leaves. The literature does not address the effect that adding milk or cream to tea might have.)
The research suggests two connections between black tea and halitosis: polyphenols in low concentrations inhibit the ability of anaerobic oral bacteria to produce the foul smelling hydrogen sulfide associated with bad breath, and at high concentrations, the compounds actually inhibit the growth of these bacteria. Though the concentrations needed to inhibit bacterial growth may not be achievable by simply drinking ordinary black tea for bad breath, rinsing for thirty seconds with strong black tea would likely be beneficial.
Interestingly, drinking tea for bad breath may have other benefits for oral health. It seems that tea also fights cavities and reduces oral plaque. It̢۪s long been known that tea contains significant amounts of fluoride, a compound known to strengthen dental enamel when applied topically, however the same researchers who linked black tea and halitosis found that rinsing with black tea inhibited the growth of cavity causing bacteria, inhibited the production of acid by these bacteria, and slowed the accumulation of dental plaque. (See Tea Fights Cavities, Reduces Plaque, by Christine Wu et al, published in Health and Medicine Week, June 11, 2001.)
About the Author
R. Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. She is a contributing editor to Tea for Bad Breath at Bad Breath Remedies, a blog dedicated to the treatment of bad breath.




