The mangosteen beverage category was called one of the “top 10 trends to watch” during 2006 by Datamonitor's ProductScan Online. But the phytonutrient-rich “Queen of Fruits” more than lived up to expectations and transcended trend status during the year as consumer interest and repeat sales of mangosteen products continued to surge worldwide.

XanGo LLC, the company that created the category when it introduced XanGo Juice to a global market in 2003, continued to dominate the space, leading the category with more than 80 percent of market share*. During the past year, XanGo expanded the reach of its flagship product, XanGo® Juice, into Europe and Asia by entering the German, Sweden and Singapore markets, where interest and sales have soared. Repeat sales continued to swell in XanGo's established markets, including the U.S., Japan, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. The resounding message? People everywhere most enjoy the benefits of the mangosteen just the way nature intended—through a product that enables them to consume the whole fruit.

Consumer awareness of the mangosteen is steadily growing. An independent market survey, conducted in October 2006, showed that 6.2 percent of U.S. consumers are now aware of the mangosteen, and some 5.3 percent have heard of XanGo Juice. The introduction of pop star Hilary Duff's new fragrance, With Love, in September 2006, is another indication of the mangosteen going mainstream and gaining recognition in pop culture. Promoters of the fragrance exclaim that its “top notes” are of mangosteen fruit and spices, while the scent's “heart” also features the mangosteen blossom.

While consumer awareness increased, so has the race to manufacture and distribute products to capitalize on the growing popularity of the mangosteen. As the category creator, XanGo Juice is the only product that purees the whole fresh mangosteen—pulp and rind—into its proprietary formula. Other products use powders, extracts or select parts from the mangosteen but still purport to deliver the “whole fruit.” This claim can be misleading to consumers who are interested in the benefits of all the phytonutrients included in the mangosteen.

The use of extracts of the mangosteen, pulp or pericarp, also can lead to reduction of the fruit's potent nutrients, including xanthones and flavonoids. Research shows that the whole fruit contains some 40 xanthones (phytonutrients with powerful antioxidant properties), while extracts only contain one or two xanthones. In addition, extracts don't include the mangosteen's powerful flavonoids, catechins and proanthocyanidins (PCOs), which are antioxidant plant compounds known for their ability to repair damage and provide a shield from environmental toxins.

Catechins belong to the flavan-3-ol class of flavonoids—a part of the bioflavonoid family. The EGCG catechins found in green tea are found to be slightly more abundant in whole fruit mangosteen, and the health benefits of catechins have been studied extensively in humans and in animal models. Science shows catechins may help maintain cartilage, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. PCOs are a significant source of antioxidants that deactivate free radicals before they have a chance to harm your body. Therefore the protection from free radicals that PCOs offer helps to increase efficiency of the circulatory system and plays a key role in maintaining intestinal health and cell integrity.

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