Dietary supplements made from mangosteen are usually taken more for holistic health, rather than - in the case of mangosteen pills - to address any specific medical problems. The former approach may have far more validity than the latter. The curative properties of mangosteen as medicine are far from proven, but supplements made from it are definitely beneficial.

The best mangosteen supplements are manufactured from the peel, hull and pulp of the fruit. In these, the ratio is usually something like 40% fruit pulp/60% pureed pulp and hull. (The pulp by itself tastes great and has its own dietary advantages.) The label should confirm that peel and hull (pericarp) are present in the supplement.

Liquid mangosteen supplements are ideally ingested in amount varying from 30 ml to 90 ml per day. The daily intake should be spread over the day rather than taken as a single dose. Care should be taken that the chosen brand does not contain artificial sweeteners, preservatives or stabilizing agents, since these can negate the desirable effects of the supplement.

Various regimens are now available, including combinations of mangosteen juice and pericarp capsules. The problem however seems to be that most users seem to expect these supplements to have some miraculous curative powers, rather than seeing them for what they are excellent adjunctive therapy. Doctors confirm that mangosteen supplements give support to most organs in the body and boost the immune system. Many medical practitioners prescribe it as a complement to traditional medications.

Mangosteen dietary supplements were first introduced on the American market in 2002, by a Utah-based company. Various brand names are available on the market these days, but the potential user should choose based on the contents that are by law mentioned on the label, rather than based on brand names. Nor should these contents vary from purchase to purchase if any benefits are to be derived.