In the third grade I was told I could write a paper on any topic for an English homework assignment. I chose the subject of scurvy as it affected sailors who were away at sea for long periods of time and the resulting discovery of Vitamin C as its cure. I remember the paper well for I was literally transcended from ignorance to a place of awe at the intricacies of the human body and its response to nutrients.

Today, antioxidants are the word on the street. They are used to boost energy (forget caffeine - this stuff rocks!) and these antioxidants fight infection, and address a whole range of health issues.

Before XanGo, Tahitian Noni, Fruta Vida, (containing, respectively, mangosteen, goji, and acai) and now Amigo Juice (a marriage of all three super foods), we had Vitamin C, E, and A. For many of us, it was all about drinking that cup of orange juice at breakfast or taking a vitamin supplement. But today, we are not talking about just a punch but a real blow to sickness and disease, taking the form of antioxidant rich health beverages that many consumers swear by in their quest for wellness.

Living in today's very toxic world, antioxidants deserve a special place in the area of nutritional supplements and are certainly worth examining closer to see what they are all about and learn how we can implement them into our daily routine.

Quite simply put, at the molecular and cellular levels, antioxidants serve to deactivate certain particles called free radicals. In humans, free radicals usually come in the form of O2, the oxygen molecule. The oxygen molecule desires to be oxidized, and this oxidation process can sometimes be carcinogenic. Free radicals are the natural by-products of many processes within and among cells. They are also created by exposure to various environmental factors, tobacco smoke and radiation. Of course, this certainly includes air quality and all the junk we put into our bodies that our immune system is forced to combat.

If allowed to run amok, these free radicals can cause damage to cell walls, cell structures, and genetic material within the cell. They are the bully on the playground and need to be dealt a firm hand for the resulting damage can eventually lead to disease and ultimately death.

Antioxidants play a key role in cleaning up the destruction caused by these free radicals. They clean house before free radicals get a chance to harm the body. Researchers have determined that antioxidants are useful in the prevention of carcinogenic effects of oxidation.

To that end, a variety of health companies, most notably in the form of multi-level marketing, have cropped up offering antioxidant rich health drinks, as captured in the pericarp, hull, pulp, rind, basically the whole fruit, the kitchen and its sink, ground and mixed and served up in tasty 1 oz. servings. Not to mention the mangosteen fruit has introduced an entirely new classification of antioxidants, called Xanthones with professed health benefits too numerous to list, many years of research, and centuries of positive use.