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Mangosteen is possibly one of the most important fruits on the face of the planet. Not only is its sweet taste uniquely pleasant, but mangosteen is exponentially high in extremely important vitamins, minerals, and most importantly, antioxidants.

The Whys, Whats, and Hows of Antioxidants

We've all heard for years that our body needs antioxidants to stay strong and healthy. But how many of us actually know what they are, why we really need them, and how we can incorporate the right amount into our daily diet?

Mangosteen, in particular, contains very powerful antioxidants also called xanthones. In recent scientific studies, researchers found the xanthones contained in mangosteen to be uniquely potent in their ability to eradicate dangerous free-radicals in the body.

So what are antioxidants?

Scientifically put, antioxidants are chemicals that hinder the production and release of free radicals. Although our body produces them naturally and for a purpose, overabundances of free radicals in our systems pose a great danger. They are causative factors in many types of cancer, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), liver damage, and emphysema, among other diseases.

Free radicals are, at their core, typically an O2, or oxygen structure. While they can help fight off infection, if they become oxidized (which is what they "want" to be, as a form of oxygen) and are left with free reign of the body, your health could be in jeopardy.

Antioxidants play their part by performing a cleaning-up function for the body, capturing and harmlessly allowing free radicals to pass through the system without harm.

So if antioxidants help rid our bodies of these sometimes harmful cellular emissions, it's important to keep our diet rich in foods and beverages such as mangosteen with high antioxidant levels.

The term "antioxidant" actually refers to several organic matters, which includes vitamins A, C, and E, as well as selenium and beta-carotene. In addition, researchers have discovered a new classification of antioxidants, called xanthones. Among the xanthones found in the mangosteen fruit, alpha-mangostin and gamma-mangostin are two of the most powerful antioxidants that science has classified.

Why do we need antioxidants?

As mentioned, antioxidants play a very important role in the prevention of cancer and other dangerous diseases by neutralizing and eliminating free radicals from the body.

Not only does your body make its own free radicals on a regular basis, but they are picked up constantly in the form of tobacco smoke, alcohol, breathing polluted air, eating processed foods, or even water pollutants.

When you exercise, free radicals are produced by your body.

And your body produces free radicals whenever you are ill -- the more major the illness, the more free radicals are produced.

Not only that, but our bodies pick up free radicals just through the radiation from being in the sunlight.

If left in an unspoiled and natural environment, our bodies may be able to cope with the amount of free radicals they produce on their own own, in terms of daily function, exercise, or fighting illness. But when you add to it the increasing amount of water and air pollution as well as consumption of processed foods, it's no wonder cancer rates have risen.

In addition, most diets are severely lacking in terms of foods that are rich with the powerful antioxidants our bodies require to cope with these outside influences.

Simply put, because of our increasing unnatural exposure to free radicals, our bodies require more antioxidants than they have in the past to stop the propagation and mutation of cancerous cells.

Xanthones, like those found in the mangosteen, work with the body to absorb and thoroughly halt any damage that free radicals may do. Studies have shown that the protective and positive functions of xanthones may even be of more help in fighting cancer than most of the prescription medications.

How do you know you're getting the right amount of antioxidants?

Antioxidant supplementation is a big industry, and there are multitudes of vitamin and mineral supplements available that offer extra support in terms of antioxidation. However, simply taking a vitamin high in antioxidants will never protect your body in the same way natural foods high in these protective properties do.

Vitamins and supplements should not be used as a substitution for a healthy, well-rounded diet. But because our lives are more hectic than they have been in the past, it may be difficult to simply eat the allotted amount of necessary foods to keep your body as healthy as it should be.

And in terms of supplementation, the best way to make sure you're getting the right kinds of antioxidants and vitamins is to keep your intake as natural as possible.