Archive for the 'USANA Nutritionals' Category

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 1 shows that people who use certain medications to control their heartburn and acid reflux, experience an increased risk of hip fracture. The problem medicines are termed proton pump inhibitors, and they work by blocking the production of stomach acid. In doing so, they apparently interfere with calcium absorption and thereby increase the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

For those seeking relief from mild and occasional heartburn, there are good alternatives to proton pump inhibitors.
In fact, many have found that USANA’s Body Rox Active Calcium™ Chewable provides reliable relief from occasional heartburn. The calcium and magnesium compounds in this product neutralize stomach acids thereby eliminating heartburn symptoms. Most importantly, Active Calcium Chewable provides heartburn relief while delivering advanced doses of the vitamins and minerals that are essential for maintaining strong healthy bones.

Many over-the-counter antacids work by neutralizing stomach acids. However, not all antacids are created equal when it comes to bone health. The following table shows that USANA’s Active Calcium Chewable stands well above other products in supplying balanced amounts of all three of the nutrients critical for maintaining strong healthy bones: calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D.

For good health, many experts suggest that adults consume approximately 1 gram of EPA+DHA
omega-3 fatty acids daily, or 7 grams (7000 mg) total per week. As part of a healthy diet, fish is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Yet, because of increasing concerns about mercury and other contaminants, some government agencies are now recommending that no more than 12 oz. of fish should be consumed per week, which makes it difficult to get the recommended amount of omega-3s from diet alone. That’s where the BiOmega™ dietary supplement comes in. By taking BiOmega as part of a balanced diet, you can be sure you are getting the right amount of pure, safe omega-3s.

Technical Background
Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid or ascorbate) plays two important roles in the body. First, it is a cofactor or cosubstrate for eight enzyme systems involved in various functions. Second, vitamin C is a potent, water-soluble antioxidant that plays a vital role in protecting cells and tissues from damaging oxidizing agents.

Vitamin C performs many other related functions. It assists in the regeneration and prolongs the activity of vitamin E, and promotes iron absorption in the intestines. It is also thought to play roles in regulating DNA transcription and protein synthesis.

Most mammals synthesize ascorbate from glucose, but humans and other primates have lost this ability. As such, vitamin C is an essential vitamin that humans must ingest to survive.

Vitamin C supplementation has generated considerable controversy. In the 1970s, Linus Pauling and others recommended gram doses of vitamin C to prevent and treat the common cold. Others have since suggested that megadoses of ascorbic acid can be useful in preventing and/or treating numerous degenerative diseases, including cataracts, cancer, atherosclerosis, and AIDS, though there is still a great deal of debate on the subject.

Epidemiological data suggest that a strong association exists between a diet rich in fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C and reduced risk of cancer, especially cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, colon, and lung.

In contrast, controlled clinical trials have produced inconclusive results concerning the value of vitamin C supplements in preventing coronary heart disease, colorectal cancer, stomach
cancer, and cataracts.

Sources and Recommended Intake

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 75 mg/day for adult women and 90 mg/day for adult men. This amount was selected to provide enough vitamin C to prevent deficiency symptoms (scurvy) and to provide some reserves.5 Many feel, however, that this level is well below that required for optimal health.

Dosages can be increased during times of physiological stress. Infection, injury, surgery, burns, fatigue, alcohol consumption, smoking, pregnancy,6 and other stress factors increase the body’s need for this vitamin.

The level of ascorbic acid in the blood reaches a peak 2-3 hours after ingestion and then decreases as it is eliminated in the urine and through perspiration. Most is out of the body in 3-4 hours. Because of this short residence time in the body, it is often recommended that vitamin C supplements be taken several times throughout the day.

Vitamin C is essentially safe for healthy individuals at doses below 500 mg/day. Some data indicate that doses >500 mg/day may increase urinary oxalate excretion in people with prior history of oxalate kidney stones. However, a prospective clinical study involving men with no history of kidney stones showed no association between a high daily intake of vitamin C (1,500 mg/day) and the risk of kidney stone formation.8 Doses of 1,000 mg can produce some
side-effects in some healthy individuals, including a burning sensation during urination, diarrhea, intestinal gas, and/or abdominal pain. When such symptoms occur, dosage should be reduced. It may also help to take the supplements with or after a meal.

Vitamin C increases intestinal absorption of iron and may exacerbate iron overload in people susceptible to this disorder. It is not known whether ascorbate induces iron over-absorption in normal people.

Abstracts
Fuller CJ, Grundy SM, Norkus EP, Jialal I. Effect of ascorbate supplementation on low density lipoprotein oxidation in smokers. Atherosclerosis 1996 Jan 26; 119(2):139-50. The oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein (LDL) may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, evidence of oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) has been found in vivo. Supplementation of some animal models with antioxidants has been shown to retard the formation of aortic atherosclerosis. Ascorbate (vitamin C) is a highly potent aqueous-phase antioxidant in plasma, which has been shown in vitro to retard LDL oxidation. Cigarette smokers have reduced concentrations of ascorbate in their plasma, and their LDL may be more prone to oxidation. Hence, the objective of the present study was to examine the effect of ascorbate depletion and supplementation on the propensity of LDL to oxidize in
smokers in a 6-week study. Nineteen healthy smokers followed a low ascorbate diet (< or = 30 mg/day) for 2 weeks, then were randomly assigned to receive placebo or 1000 mg ascorbate per day for 4 weeks. Blood was taken at 0 and 4 weeks of supplementation for study of LDL oxidative susceptibility. LDL was oxidized with 5 mumol/l copper. The ascorbate-supplemented group had significant increases in plasma ascorbate. The placebo group showed no change in the time course of LDL oxidation between 0 and 4 weeks. However, the ascorbate-supplemented group has a significant reduction in LDL oxidative susceptibility as measured by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and the formation of conjugated dienes. The ascorbate-supplemented group demonstrated significantly increased lag phase and decreased oxidation rate at 4 weeks compared to 0 weeks. No changes were found in the placebo group. The ascorbate-supplemented group showed no biochemical signs consistent with increased body iron stores. Supplementation of otherwise healthy smokers for 4 weeks with 1000 mg ascorbate per day resulted in increased plasma ascorbate and reduced LDL oxidative susceptibility.

USANA VITAMINS

Niacin (nicotinic acid) and its derivative niacinamide (nicotinamide or nicotinic acid amide) are two forms of a water-soluble vitamin referred to as vitamin B3. (Note that the name “niacin” is often used in the generic sense to refer to both nicotinic acid and its nicotinamide derivative.) Both compounds are precursors for the active forms of important enzyme cofactors (coenzymes) that assist in catalyzing oxidation-reduction reactions in the cell. These coenzymes are nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP).

Niacin is also a structural component of Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF), an organo-chromium complex that potentiates insulin by improving its binding to cell surface receptors.

Deficiencies in niacin and niacinamide cause pellagra, a disorder with broad-spectrum symptoms including inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes, diarrhea, and neurological dysfunction (confusion, disorientation, anxiety, and insomnia). In the early 1900s, pellagra was endemic in the southern United States among children fed low-grade, starchy diets. It was first treated by supplementing those diets with meat, eggs, and milk. It was later successfully treated with niacin supplements.

Niacin has been used for many years in combination with other drugs to lower cholesterol levels. However, the levels used for this purpose (over 500 mg) should not be self-administered as a dietary supplement due to possible liver toxicity. Under the care and monitoring of a physician it can be used safely as part of an effective therapy to improve cholesterol levels.

Niacin is widely distributed in plant and animal foods. Good sources include meats, cereals, legumes and seeds. Milk, green leafy vegetables, and fish are also good sources.

Dietary niacin intakes below 500 mg are essentially non-toxic.

USANA Vitamins

Q&A with a USANA Scientist

John Cuomo, Ph.D, Discusses Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Early Childhood Development

“As a mother, I only want the best for my baby. I know it’s important to get omega-3 fatty acids for my baby’s development,
and I choose to take BiOmega because I know it’s safe and of great quality. And now, with the added lemon oil, there’s none of the fishy aftertaste, so it’s much easier to take the full dose every day.”
–Kathy, Utah

Omega-3 fatty acids taken by a mother during pregnancy may play a role in the development of her baby’s brain and eye health before birth and even during early childhood.

Studies seem to come out daily touting the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for good health. There is exciting new research that suggests a link between omega-3 fatty acids and early childhood development. USANA’s Executive Director of Research and Development John Cuomo, Ph.D., answers some questions on this new hot topic:

Why should every woman of childbearing age consume omega-3 fatty acids as part of an overall healthy diet?

There are three reasons:

First is the area of heart health. There are hundreds of studies that show omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart.*

Two, there are potential benefits for the immune system.*

The third and most important reason is the clear link between an adequate nutritional supply of two omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, and proper development of a child’s brain and eyes.* A child must get these important nutrients for normal, healthy cognitive and visual function.* There is only one place for a developing fetus to obtain these nutrients and that’s from its mother. In fact, the fetus’ nourishment takes priority over the available supply of omega-3 fatty acids, and therefore this constant drain on the mother’s fatty-acid reserves could easily lead to a deficiency. But most important, if the mother’s supply of these fats is low, the child may not get adequate amounts for normal development. The best way to ensure a sufficient supply for both the child and the mother is to get plenty of omega-3s into the diet before, during, and after pregnancy.

What are the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for the child?

A number of very good clinical studies show that when the mother consumes omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy, there is measurable support for both visual and mental development in the infant.* In fact, these studies show that omega-3 fatty acids consumed by the mother during pregnancy support continued development in normal cognitive and visual function in
children for several years after birth.* This seems to occur even if that child doesn’t get any additional EPA or DHA. High quantities of DHA are especially important in the functioning of normal cells in the brain and visual systems.*

Are there benefits to the infant if a woman supplements with omega-3 fatty acids while nursing?

Yes. Many of the best studies include women who supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and while breast feeding. It is very well documented that supplementation by nursing mothers increases the levels of DHA in their breast milk.* This in turn increases the infant’s levels of DHA.* And studies show that higher levels of DHA provide increased support for cognitive developments in infants.*

Are there any concerns for women eating fish?

Yes, in fact the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency warn pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children to limit the intake of certain fish because of high levels of mercury. This includes shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel. There are even warnings for canned tuna. They suggest women
should not eat more than two cans per week of chunked light tuna, which has the lowest amount of mercury. If women
eat albacore tuna, the levels of mercury are even higher, so the EPA recommends no more than one can per week. Mercury
is a developmental toxin, which may undo any benefit women get from DHA. The warnings are primarily against eating those fish that have the highest levels of mercury and other toxins.

So, could USANA’s BiOmega™ supplement be a good option?

Because of the EPA advisory, women are eating less fish, especially during pregnancy. So, I think our product is an
excellent addition to the diet because the amount of measurable toxins is so low that it’s virtually non-existent. While
we can’t guarantee that it’s completely free of any of those toxins, we have set our specifications for these compounds
at what the EPA has called the lowest detection limit (.01 parts per million for mercury), and BiOmega doesn’t even
reach that limit. The double molecular distillation process used to manufacture the product essentially removes any
toxins that might have accumulated in the fish to provide the highest quality, ultra-pure fish oil.

Are there any benefits to the vitamin D that has been added to BiOmega?

Not specifically for pregnancy. The statistics show that most people are deficient in vitamin D. And, there is data
that shows vitamin D is important to immune function, which is important to the mother. All women should obtain
sufficient amounts of vitamin D so their bodies can efficiently use calcium. You can’t efficiently absorb and utilize
calcium unless you have adequate supplies of vitamin D.

Should parents give BiOmega to their child?

The dosage for BiOmega has been formulated for adults, so parents should not give their child BiOmega capsules.
If parents want to supplement their child’s omega-3 intake in addition to other dietary sources, they could slice
open a capsule and mix it with food.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

More on USANA Products, click the link below:

Ounce per ounce, TenX Antioxidant Blast™ has 10 times the antioxidant power of most juice products currently on the market.† The TenX Blast is an exclusive blend of apples, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries along with USANA’s unique bioflavonoid complex, which includes quercetin; rutin; grape-seed, green-tea, and cinnamon extracts; and USANA’s patented Olivol® olive-fruit extract.

Research shows that the antioxidants found in TenX Blast have many positive benefits:

Combat free radicals to reduce oxidative stress*
Support a healthy cardiovascular system*
Assist natural immune function to maintain health*
Support collagen synthesis to promote healthy skin*
In addition, each TenX Blast has no saturated fat, trans fat, or cholesterol; is free from artificial flavors, added colors, and preservatives; is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber; and has a low-glycemic index of 31.

A powerful weapon in your fight for optimal health, TenX Blast is a healthy and convenient way to add concentrated antioxidants to your diet every day.*

Best if consumed before the expiration date. Refrigerate bars for quality.

†Based on results of ORAC measurements provided by Brunswick Labs.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.