Slow internet? Lite reading mode is on. Return to full design
Patient-first pathway: Understand symptoms, check warning signs, prepare questions, then seek qualified medical care when needed. Start with symptoms
Organic, seasonal Fruits, and Vitamin (A - Z)

Garcinia dulcis – Nutritional Value, Health Benefits

February 8, 2026 5 min read
✓
Medically reviewed by RX Editorial Board Medical Review Team
Last updated February 8, 2026
Medical review Clinically checked
Reading time 5 min read
Patient Reading Tools Make this article easier to read and review.
Helping a patient? Use the Family & Caregiver Guide to organize symptoms, reports, medicines, questions, and follow-up safely. Open caregiver guide →
Diet question? Use the Nutrition & Diet Guide to prepare food, hydration, supplement, and medicine-timing questions safely. Open nutrition guide →
Thinking about prevention? Use a simple prevention plan to organize risk factors, protective habits, screening, and warning signs. Open prevention guide →
Thinking about recovery? Prepare a safe plan for activity, rehabilitation, warning signs, and follow-up after illness, injury, surgery, or treatment. Open recovery guide →
Planning treatment? Prepare questions about treatment choices, benefits, risks, side effects, and follow-up before your doctor visit. Open planner →
Disease article roadmap: Read this topic step by step: meaning, symptoms, warning signs, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and follow-up. Open roadmap →
Not sure where to begin? Use the RX Start Here page to choose the right patient pathway for symptoms, reports, medicines, or urgent warning signs. Start here →

Garcinia dulcis/The mundu (Malayalam: muṇṭŭ; pronounced [muɳɖɯ̽]) is a garment worn around the waist in the Indian states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, the Lakshadweep archipelago, and the Indian Ocean island nation of Maldives. It is closely related to sarongs like dhotis and lungis. It is normally woven in cotton and colored white or cream. The color is dependent on whether the cotton is bleached or unbleached. A khadaṟ muṇṭŭ is made using handlooms. When unbleached, the mundu is called nēriyatu. In modern times, two types of mundu are prevalent—the single and the double. A single mundu is wrapped only once around the waist, while the double one is folded in half before wearing it. A mundu is usually starched before use.

 

Mundu Quick Facts
Name: Mundu
Scientific Name: Garcinia dulcis
Origin Peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand, Java, Borneo and the Philippines
Colors Yellow or deep yellow
Shapes Globose to oblate, 5–8 cm in diameter
Flesh colors Soft yellow
Taste Pleasant

Also known as Baniti, Gourka, Egg Tree, Mundu and Rata Fruit, it is a sub-woody plant that belongs to Clusiaceae family well known as mangosteen and “the Queen of Fruits”. This species is found in humid and tropical forest in coastal areas and inland upto 500 meters altitude. It can also thrive in moist and shady environment. Mundu is an evergreen, medium sized and much branched perennial tree which measures 10-13 meters high with an upright growth habit. Bark is rough, dark brown and branches are green and sparsely hairy angled. Leaves are simple, opposite, large, ovate and oval to oblong about 10-30 cm long by 3-15 cm wide. Petioles are 1 to 2 cm long. Flowers are pentamerous having 5 sepals and 5 yellowish-green or yellowish-white petals.  Male ones are smaller measuring 6 mm across with 5 adelphous stamens,  yellow lobed central dis and a rudimentary pis-til. Fruits are globose to oblate measuring 5-8 cm in diameter and green when immature turning to yellow or deep yellow when ripe. Fruit has thin skin with yellow and fibrous pulp and 1-5 brown seeds each about 2.5 cm long.

Health Benefits of Mundu fruit

  1. Heal wounds

The fruit has an anti-inflammatory property which helps to heal wounds and pains. It is helpful to maintain skin health.

  1. Erase Pain

The injured or chafed skin will make pain which could be reduced by using Mundu fruit.

  1. Goiters

Besides injuries, it could be used to treat goiter. Sprinkle grounded goiter on affected part of goiter.

  1. Relieve abdominal pain

Mundu has saponin, flavonoids, toning and anti-inflammatory properties which is helpful to cure stomachache.

  1. Treat bile problems

Besides stomach health, the fruit is effective for treating bile problems. The mundu fruit helps the one to defecate.

  1. Treatment for Diarrhea

Diarrhea is caused due to lack of digestive section to solve or create dirt which is found on part of digestive tract treated with either making it difficult to pass.

  1. Treat enema

Enema is a disease which attacks bile. Mundu fruit is helpful in overcoming this problem.

  1. Helps bowel movement

People with too many bowel movements continuously find Mundu fruit to be helpful. Leaves are used to treat it.

  1. Treat Thrush

Mundu fruit has anti-inflammatory properties which help to eliminate thrush of mouth area.

  1. Helpful for bad breath

Bad breath is caused due to canker sores specified with deficiency of Vitamin C.

  1. Treat burns

Mundu fruit is used to treat burns.

Medicinal uses

  • Crushed fruit extract is used to provide relief from scurvy in Thailand.
  • Use the crushed bark extract to clean wounds.
  • Apply the pounded leaves to cure swellings.

Culinary uses

  • Consume it fresh or serve it in sherbets.
  • Make the fruits into jam, fruit paste and butter.
  • Fruits are cooked and candied.

References

[bg_collapse view=”button-orange” color=”#4a4949″ expand_text=”Show More” collapse_text=”Show Less” ]

[/bg_collapse]

Share this patient guide

Help one more person reach proper medical knowledge calmly and safely.

Facebook WhatsApp Email
Medical review matters RX Theme is built to show who wrote, reviewed, fact-checked, and updated patient education articles.
Meet the review board
How this medical article should be trusted Check author, reviewer, update date, references, and safety notes before using health information.
View trust standards