A DIETARY supplement drink is being aggressively marketed in Bermuda, and its manufacturers are hoping residents will embrace its health benefits as eagerly as people have elsewhere.

Called Xango Juice, the drink consists of mangosteen, an Asian fruit said to possess powerful anti-oxidant properties. The fruit is most valued as the world's greatest supplier of xanthones, a family of poly-nutrients believed by many to be a powerful anti-oxidant with supreme health benefits.

The company behind the drink is Xango, its name a blend of xanthones and mangosteen. Established in Utah around three and a half years ago, the company now boasts sales in 14 international markets and a global distribution of more than 500,000.

Its arrival in Bermuda was celebrated with an official launch at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess last week. According to Bob Freeze, the company's vice-president of communications and public relations, the move was driven by local demand.

"Residents there are interested in health and wellness and Xango Juice resonated with the island," he said. "Even before the launch last week there were already hundreds of people there who had taken the product.

"We had quite a few strong leaders there driving the business to open a market office and we decided to make Xango Juice available in Bermuda so it would be less expensive for them. We've lowered the cost and set up a pick-up centre and delivery that we previously had not had, so we can have a stronger presence in Bermuda."

It was a decade or so ago that Joe Morton, while living in Malaysia, first tasted the mangosteen fruit in a restaurant. Identifiable by its distinctive colours, the mangosteen is about the size of a peach and has a dark purple rind. Inside, the pulp is white and usually houses between two and three seeds.

"Joe had never seen anything comparable and was told it only ripens twice a year and is highly valued," explained Mr. Freeze. "He knew he had stumbled upon something great. The taste was remarkable with a sensation both sweet and slightly tart. He couldn't believe the flavour.

"Most of the natives termed the mangosteen historically as the 'Queen of Fruits'. Joe sought out those familiar with mangosteen folklore and learned that while the fruit is valued for its flavour, the rind or pericarp has been used to treat numerous ailments for generations.

"He found it had been used topically for hundreds of years for skin conditions such as rashes etc. And he found they also used the rind to make a tea which was effective against dysentery and all kinds of internal problems. The ancient legends engaged Joe. He launched an informal research team that utilised libraries, documents and medical experts."

Mr. Morton's brothers, Gordon and David, and a third man, Aaron Garrity, joined him in his quest for information on the fruit. They discovered a significant amount of research which they felt proved its nutritional worth and decided to introduce those benefits to the western world.

"A significant volume of scientific research had been conducted by credible researchers on the fruit and the pericarp in Asia," Mr. Freeze said. "The team soon had an overwhelming stack of academic documents and published scientific studies. They learned that scientists knew the mangosteen was a rich source of an incredibly powerful poly-nutrient compound called xanthones that has been scrutinised by research teams for potential health benefits."

While mangosteen's properties have not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration, independent research has found that xanthones bolster the cell's defence against free radicals in the body, support a healthy immune system, support cartilage and joint function and flexibility, promote intestinal health and maintain a healthy respiratory system.

"Xango Juice is a delicious dietary supplement that harnesses the nutritional attributes of the whole mangosteen fruit through a proprietary formula," Mr. Freeze added. "Made from an exclusive puree, it is a concentrated source of xanthones."

The drink is sold around the world through a network of independent distributors based in the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Canada and now, Bermuda.

"There's been phenomenal growth of our product and people are accepting it," he exclaimed. "A number of people have signed up to be distributors in Bermuda or they can buy retail by dialling our 1-800 number."

Asked how mangosteen differed from other dietary supplements on the market, the company representative said its value was that it offered multiple benefits.

"A lot of dietary supplements only work with one bodily system. Xanthones add to almost every system in the body. There's multiple benefits to taking it and in that way it's different and some consider it better.

"Some users say they notice results immediately, others not for weeks. It depends on a person's body and the problems they have. Some notice they have more energy and it's for that reason that some people don't like to take it at night.

"Many people take it in the morning, some find it more effective if taken with a meal. It's kind of individual to your body and what works for you. It's a product for everyone ? children, adults, the elderly, everyone can benefit."

Mr. Freeze said he was recently in Las Vegas where a professional tennis player swore by its benefits.

"He loves it. Especially now that he's getting older, he says it helps him to recover quicker."

For more information on Xango Juice, or how to purchase it here, visit www.xango.net/bermuda.