USANA® Body Rox™

Complete daily vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant supplement for teenagers.

The Body Rox™ supplement is specially formulated to help fill the gap in a poor diet and help meet certain nutritional needs for growing adolescents.

The Benefits of Body Rox

Establishing healthy dietary habits that will last for a lifetime and getting optimal nutrition are especially important during adolescence and teenage years of growth, development, and physical maturation. And while there is no substitute for a balanced diet, Body Rox is a convenient way to ensure that your teen is getting the nutrients he or she needs to perform at his or her mental and physical best every day.

Additionally, healthy lifestyle habits and maintaining optimal levels of essential vitamins and minerals in the body help maintain overall health and keep the body’s immune system working as it should. Body Rox powers health with advanced levels of antioxidant vitamins A, E, and C, as well as a full complement of B vitamins, vitamin D, zinc, and selenium.

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Teenagers Young Team Together Cheerful Concept

The Science of Body Rox

Proper nutrition is the key to staying energized throughout the entire day. Body Rox is an exceptional formula to ensure teens are fulfilling their daily nutrient requirements. The B vitamins—especially B12, thiamin, and niacin—are essential for energy production because they help turn the foods we eat into useable fuel. Magnesium, copper, and zinc also help the body get the energy it needs by supporting nutrient metabolism.

The ingredients in Body Rox also support the needs of young athletes. Antioxidants are helpful for handling increased free-radical production caused by intense exercise, and strong bones, proper muscle function, and a healthy heart all depend on calcium and many other minerals. Calcium assimilation, supported by vitamin K, during the developing years is also essential for bone health later in life. Vitamins C, D, and E play a role in respiratory and cardiovascular function. Protein metabolism—supported by riboflavin, folic acid, B6 and B12, and molybdenum—is essential for muscle tissue development. Vitamin C also plays a key role in synthesizing collagen—a structural protein that is a major component of connective tissue and muscle.

In addition to helping the body, providing the brain with consistent levels of optimal nutrition will also keep it working at its best. Many B vitamins, including biotin, niacin, thiamin, and folate, are essential to healthy brain activity. A number of minerals, including manganese, are also needed to influence neural activity. Choline is involved in memory function. Some studies also suggest multivitamin/mineral supplementation has been beneficial for improvements in “mental tiredness” after complex tasks as well as in mood regulation, which is also controlled in the brain.

Teenage girls experimenting in chemistry class with friend in background

Beta carotene (provitamin A) and carotenoids, such as lutein and lycopene, along with vitamins C and E, are all crucial for skin health. Zinc and copper play a role in protein structure, which can impact skin appearance.

The USANA Difference

In three tablets a day, USANA’s Body Rox provides nutrients that adolescents and teens need to be their best every day. Only Body Rox offers USANA’s exclusive Antioxidant Phytonutrient Complex, which includes a special blend of antioxidant-rich phytonutrients, including our unique Olivol® olive-fruit extract, that defend the body’s cells from oxidative damage caused by pollution, stress, poor diets, and sunlight. It also contains a generous amount of vitamin D, which helps with the utilization of calcium in the bones. And a tasty fruit-flavored coating helps make swallowing each tablet just a little bit easier.

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Key Ingredients

  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin D
  • B Vitamins
  • Magnesium
  • Iodine
  • L-Cysteine
  • Antioxidant Complex

See full list of ingredients

Usage

Take one (1) tablet three times daily, preferably with food.

Ideal For

  • All generally healthy teens ages 12-18

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Barringer TA, Kirk JK, Santaniello AC, Foley KL, Michielutte R. Effect of a multivitamin and mineral supplement on infection and quality of life. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. 2003. Ann Intern Med 138(5):365-71.

Munoz KA, Krebs-Smith SM, Ballard-Barbash R, Cleveland LE. Food intakes of US children and adolescents compared with recommendations. 1997. Pediatrics 100(3 Pt 1):323-9.

Packer L. Oxidants, antioxidant nutrients and the athlete. 1997. J Sports Sci 15(3):353-63.

Zhang J, Stanley RA, Adaim A, Melton LD, Skinner MA. Free radical scavenging and cytoprotective activities of phenolic antioxidants. 2006. Mol Nutr Food Res 50:996-1005.

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

Get the Best Nutrition for Your Busy Lifestyle in USANA® HealthPak™

USANA® HealthPak™

A powerful combination of comprehensive nutrition—plus advanced formulas for healthy aging—will help you live well, every day.

It’s easy to get the micronutrients you need morning and night with USANA HealthPak. The 28-day supply of core supplements in convenient daily packets delivers advanced nutrition when and where you want it.*

HealthPak includes the USANA® CellSentials™ plus MagneCal D™ and the exclusive CellSentials Booster.

This expertly formulated combination provides a comprehensive nutritional foundation for your cells. Plus, the innovative formulas made with USANA InCelligence Technology® give you powerful support for looking and feeling good today and aging healthfully in the future.*

Each packet contains the following:

  • Two Vita Antioxidant tablets
  • Two Core Minerals tablets
  • One MagneCal D tablet
  • One CellSentials Booster

Made with the highest quality, bioavailable nutrients, HealthPak delivers the total health support your body needs to help you keep up with your busy lifestyle.*

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Busy, Modern Lifestyles Need Better Nutrition

One of the most important aspects of achieving vibrant health is maintaining consistent, optimal levels of nutrients in your body. But when you’re on the go, a balanced diet and good lifestyle habits are often the first thing to suffer.*

In a world of fast food and pre-packaged meals, an advanced nutritional supplement can help fill the gaps. And by taking those supplements twice a day, you can help ensure your cells are nourished all day, every day. With convenient AM and PM packets of supplements, HealthPak makes it easy for you to get the right nutrition your cells need to thrive.*

Great overall health starts from a foundation of great nutrition. The CellSentials have you covered with a broad range of vitamins and minerals, from A-to-Z. And the added phytonutrients, InCelligence Complex, and other vital nutrients make Vita Antioxidant and Core Minerals the cornerstone of any daily supplement routine.*

Magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D are three nutrients you may not get enough of. If you limit your dairy intake or don’t eat many leafy greens, it is likely you can benefit from a supplement that delivers more. HealthPak includes one tablet of MagneCal D in each packet to deliver added support for your cellular health, strong bones, muscle function, and energy metabolism.*

With HealthPak, you get even more.

The CellSentials and MagneCal D provide you with the basic nutrition you need if you lead a generally healthy lifestyle. But the effects of stress and poor diet—plus growing levels of pollution, chemicals, and toxins in the modern world—may increase your body’s demands for active cellular defense. That’s because all of those things cause oxidative challenges that can increasingly overwhelm your body’s natural defenses.*

The result? You may start feeling older than your years, as your cells and DNA suffer increasing damage from free radicals.*

Your cells and DNA can use a boost of targeted nutrients to help keep them healthy and restore normal, youthful function. The InCelligence Complex in Vita Antioxidant contains some of these aging fighters at levels you would get in a generally healthy diet. But the CellSentials Booster, available only in the HealthPak, delivers a concentrated dose of powerful cell-defending ingredients.*

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Your Cellular Super Protector–the CellSentials Booster

The CellSentials Booster is a unique supplement formulated entirely with USANA InCelligence Technology. This means all of the ingredients were carefully selected because they can influence distinct cell signaling pathways that help fight the cellular aging effects of the modern world.*

It includes four cell activating ingredients:

Olivol® Olive-Fruit Extract

Get the benefits of the Mediterranean diet with USANA’s unique Olivol ingredient. The extract contains phenolic compounds (a type of antioxidants) from olive fruit and by-products of olive-oil production that aren’t found anywhere else in nature. The CellSentials Booster combined with the InCelligence Complex delivers a total of 50 mg of Olivol’s powerful cellular protection per day.*

Pterocarpus marsupium
(Containing Pterostilbene)

Pterostilbene is a premium ingredient that is chemically similar to resveratrol but with significantly higher activity in the body. Each CellSentials Booster tablet contains 50 mg Pterocarpus marsupium (which contains 5 mg of pterostilbene) from the heartwood and bark of Indian Kino, a large tree that commonly grows in India and Sri Lanka.*

Pterostilbene belongs to a group of phytonutrients known as stilbenoids. Plants make stilbenoids in response to stresses to protect themselves. The natural extract contains several polyphenolic compounds (a type of antioxidants). And, because of its concentrated activity, pterostilbene is a superior modulator of the cell signaling pathways targeted by the CellSentials Booster.*

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha lipoic acid is a medium-chain fatty acid naturally made in the body by breaking down linoleic acid. It‘s considered one of the most effective antioxidants. Not only is it a precursor to glutathione, it also helps regenerate other antioxidants. Plus, it’s water- and fat-soluble, which means it works in all cells and tissues throughout the body.*

Most foods are very low in alpha lipoic acid, so supplementing is the best way to increase levels in the body. The CellSentials Booster contains more than twice the amount of alpha lipoic acid as the InCelligence Complex to give you a total of 250 mg per day.

Quercetin

There is nearly twice as much quercetin in the CellSentials Booster as is found in the InCelligence Complex. That’s because it’s a highly effective signaling compound. This plant flavonoid is found in many fruits and vegetables, including onions, grapes, and apples.*

Quercetin has been linked to many health benefits. It also interacts with other nutrients to maximize activity. The CellSentials Booster and the InCelligence Complex are both made with quercetin dihydrate, which has the best bioavailability. When taken together, you get a total of 180 mg of quercetin per day.*

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Feel Healthier, Longer with Advanced Cellular Protection

You can actively help reset your cells to their normal, youthful state and protect against premature aging with the exclusive CellSentials Booster. It does this by targeting a broad network of cell-signaling pathways.*

Its four powerful nutrients build on the protection and renewal activity targeted by the InCelligence Complex in the CellSentials:*

  • Sparking mitochondrial renewal. It targets the cell-signaling pathway that initiates mitophagy, which breaks down and removes damaged mitochondria (the part of your cell that produces energy) left behind after the production of cellular energy. This helps preserve cellular efficiency for optimum cellular-energy production.*
  • Stimulating cells’ production of their own antioxidants, such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase. Endogenous antioxidants (those made in your body) are a powerful defense mechanism against oxidative damage, which can protect the health and longevity of cellular function.*

The ingredients in the CellSentials Booster have demonstrated effects on additional signaling pathways. And with the advanced levels of active ingredients, in addition to those in the InCelligence Complex, you could experience significantly greater benefit.*

The CellSentials Booster targets a cell signaling pathway that supports a normal, healthy response to stress. It also helps keep some cell signaling pathways clear. This is important so that molecular messages are sent and received to maintain healthy, normal cellular function.*

Perhaps the most important pathway influenced by the CellSentials Booster is one associated with regulating the cell’s lifecycle.*

In very simple terms, cells maintain something called homeostasis, which basically means they maintain a balanced, steady state. They are constantly monitoring the environment and responding or reacting to maintain that balance. As proteins are made, other proteins are degraded. When one cell dies, another cell is made. It’s a very complex process that is tightly regulated by the body.*

The goal is to maintain this normal, steady balance. When you’re young and healthy, it’s normal for your cells to maintain this balance. As you age, preserving this function is vital, so when healthy cells divide into new cells, those new cells are healthy.*

There is a transcription factor (a protein that binds to DNA to start or stop a cellular function) that acts like a cellular monitor. It oversees the cell lifecycle. Its job is regulating the normal expression of genes and other messenger molecules that affect many important healthy cellular processes. However, with age this transcription factor can lose its ability to function optimally.*

The CellSentials Booster targets the pathway for this cell-monitoring function to help ensure it stays healthy. So your cells, genes, and DNA will keep acting youthful and remain normal.*

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Redefining Aging with the CellSentials Booster

Using InCelligence Technology to affect the signaling pathways mentioned above (and likely many others still to be revealed) can help redefine some of the declines normally associated with aging. The CellSentials Booster helps your body adapt to stress and protect long-term healthy cellular function. That’s how it offers benefits to many aspects of your health, including the following*:

Brain and Nerve Health

There’s no need to think twice about the importance of protecting your brain health! Protecting your brain cells, especially as you age, is important for memory, behavior, mood, and mental sharpness. The ingredients in the CellSentials Booster have been shown to protect normal brain and nerve function. *

Supporting healthy blood flow and mitochondrial health with the CellSentials Booster is also important for delivering blood, nutrients, and cellular energy to your brain to help power cognitive function. Maintaining healthy nerves is essential for sending and receiving messages from the brain throughout the body.*

Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health

Give your heart the love it deserves. The CellSentials Booster is full of ingredients that have repeatedly been shown to support healthy, normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels—as long as they’re already in the healthy range.*

Healthy circulation, or blood flow, is also an important aspect of cardiovascular health. Oxidative stress can decrease the bioavailability of nitric oxide in vessels. Nitric oxide is produced by the endothelium—cells that line your blood vessels. When it is released, nitric oxide tells the blood vessels to relax, so that blood can flow through easily. The ingredients in the CellSentials Booster help protect endothelial cells from oxidative damage.*

Maintaining healthy blood glucose is also important for protecting the long-term health of your nerves and blood vessels. And you can help keep it level with the CellSentials Booster. A number of the ingredients in this powerful supplement have been shown to help maintain healthy blood glucose levels, already in the normal range.*

Skin Health

Be beautiful inside and out. Your outer appearance is influenced by your environment, the products you use on your skin, and the nutrition you put in your body. The CellSentials in HealthPak provide the essential nutrients you need to support the health of your skin cells. And the cellular antioxidants produced within your body can also help defend your skin cells from the damaging effects that lifestyle or environmental challenges may have on your appearance.*

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Key Ingredients

See full list of ingredients

Usage

Take one (1) packet in the morning and one (1) packet in the evening, preferably with food.

Keep out of reach of children. Consult your physician if you are pregnant, nursing, taking a prescription drug, or have a medical condition.

Ideal For

  • All generally healthy adults over age 18
  • Certified Kosher (U.S. formula)

Frequently Asked Questions About USANA HealthPak

Is there a difference between the AM and PM packets in a HealthPak?

Ames BN. DNA damage from micronutrient deficiencies is likely to… 2001. Mutat Res 475(1-2):7-20.

Barringer TA, Kirk JK, Santaniello AC, Foley KL, Michielutte R. Effect of a multivitamin and mineral supplement on infection and quality of life. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. 2003. Ann Intern Med 138(5):365-71.

Cosgrove MC, Franco OH, Granger SP, Murray PG, Mayes AE. Dietary nutrient intakes and skin-aging appearance among middle-aged American women. 2007. AJCN 86(4):1224-31.

Esker S, Banerjee A, Simone T, Gallati C, Mousa S. Resveratrol as a Supplemental Therapeutic in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Syndromes: A Critical Review. 2009. Current Nutrition & Food Science 5(1):1-8.

Fairfield KM, Fletcher RH. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: scientific review. 2002. JAMA 287(23):3116-3126.

Fletcher RH, Fairfield KM. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: clinical applications. 2002. JAMA 287(23):3127-9.

Otten JJ, Hellwig JP, Meyers LD. Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. 2006. The National Academies Press, Washington D.C.

Alpha Lipoic Acid. The Cleveland Clinic. [Internet][accessed 14 Feb 18] Available at http://www.clevelandclinicwellness.com/employerprograms/documents/png/alphaLipoicAcid.pdf

Yang C, Jiang Q. 2016. Resveratrol and pterostilbene inhibit TNF-α stimulated activation of NF-kB and its upstream TAK1 in macrophages via modulation of sphingolipids. FASEB Jour 30(1 supplement).

Chang J, et al. 2012. Low-dose pterostilbene, but not resveratrol, is a potent neuromodulator in aging… Neurobiol Aging 33(9): 2062-71.

McCormack D, McFadden D. 2013. A Review of Pterostilbene Antioxidant Activity and Disease Modification. Oxid Med Cell Longev.

Reed S, Quelle D. 2015. p53 Acetylation: Regulation and Consequences. 7(1): 30-69.

Li K, et al. 2013. Pterostilbene acts through… PLoS One. 8(3):e57542.

Srivastava S, et al. 2016. Quercetin, a Natural Flavonoid Interacts with DNA, Arrests Cell Cycle and… Scientific Reports 6:24049.

Li Y, Li S, Lin C. 2017. Effect of resveratrol and pterostilbene on aging and longevity. BioFactors 44(1): 69-82.

Tanigawa S, Fujii M, Hou D. 2008. Stabilization of p53 Is Involved in Quercetin-Induced Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in HepG2 Cells. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 72(3): 797-804.

Wang B, et al. 2016. Neuroprotective effects of pterostilbene against oxidative stress injury: Involvement of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 pathway. Brain Res 1643: 70-9.

Poulose S, Thangthaeng N, Miller M, Shukitt-Hale B. 2015. Effects of pterostilbene and resveratrol on brain and behavior. Neurochem Int 89: 227-233.

Frombaum M, Le Clanche S, Bonnefont-Rousselot D, Borderie D. 2012. Antioxidant effects of resveratrol and other stilbene derivatives on oxidative stress and NO bioavailability: Potential benefits… Biochim 94(2): 269-276.

Cannon R. 1998. Role of nitric oxide in cardiovascular… Clinical Chemistry 44(8).

Feddi F, et al. 2011. Abstract 4239: Pterostilbene, a natural polyphenol, elicits full protection against ultraviolet B radiation-induced… Can Res 71(8 supplement).

Gegotek A, Skrzdlewska E. 2015. The role of transcription factor Nrf2 in skin cells metabolism. Arch Dermatol Res 307(5): 385-96.

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Read More

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

The USANA Prenatal CellSentials Deliver Excellent Nutrition for All the Stages of Your Pregnancy

USANA® Prenatal CellSentials™

Get the nutrition you need to stay healthy during pregnancy. Also support the growth and development of your baby with Prenatal Vita Antioxidant and Prenatal Core Minerals.

If you’re expecting—or hope to be soon—it’s more important than ever to focus on your nutrition. You’re going to need a big boost of nutritional fuel to help you stay healthy and energized throughout your pregnancy. And your little bundle of joy needs a lot of support for healthy growth and development. In addition to eating a balanced diet, a prenatal supplement can help support a healthy pregnancy and birth.*

The USANA® Prenatal CellSentials™ give you and your baby the essentials plus an exceptional range of additional micronutrients that may help keep you both healthy. And you get it all in two high-quality supplement formulas.*

Together, Prenatal Core Minerals and Prenatal Vita Antioxidant provide essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other vital nutrients. Meeting your increased nutritional demands with the Prenatal CellSentials can help ensure you get any nutrients you’re missing. That’s because the right nutrition is crucial for you and for all the stages of your baby’s life—from before conception until you finish nursing.*

The Prenatal CellSentials deliver some important benefits:

  • Supports your overall good health, energy levels, and immunity during pregnancy*
  • Aids healthy fetal growth and development from the first trimester through birth*
  • Helps ensure essential nutrients are delivered to your baby while breastfeeding*

The Prenatal CellSentials aren’t some stripped-down prenatal supplement. You’ll find ample folic acid, iron, calcium, and vitamin D. And you also get advanced amounts of nutrients like iodine, magnesium, and choline. Plus, there’s additional antioxidant protection and added defense for healthy cells with lutein, lycopene, coenzyme Q10, the InCelligence Complex.*

Prenatal Vita Antioxidant and Prenatal Core Minerals are carefully formulated by a team of experts in nutritional science. They contain the purest ingredients. They are also made using manufacturing processes modeled after those used in the pharmaceutical industry. So, you can trust the Prenatal CellSentials have excellent potency and quality. And, because no supplement is effective if your body can’t use the nutrients, the Prenatal CellSentials are made with forms of nutrients that can be better absorbed by your cells.*

Before taking a prenatal vitamin supplement or any other type of vitamin or supplement, consult with your doctor. (If you’d like to take the supplement facts for the Prenatal CellSentials to your doctor, please download them under the Key Ingredients link below.)

Note: The Prenatal CellSentials are also a great option for women who need to add more iron to their diet.*

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A Quality Supplement Gives Your Baby a Good Start

A healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables will go a long way in providing the nutrition you and your baby need. Also taking a prenatal supplement can help ensure you get any essential nutrients you might miss.

So, when should a mother-to-be start taking a prenatal supplement?

Most experts agree you need the right amount of key nutrients in your body at least three months before conception. Starting a supplement with folic acid several weeks before you get pregnant will help ensure you have enough folate for baby from the very beginning.*

Folic acid from fortified food or supplements converts to folate in the body. It’s urgently important for a woman to have plenty of folate in her body immediately when her baby starts to develop. It is needed for closure of the neural tube in the very first weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman even realizes she’s pregnant.*

Neural tube closure is critical for proper development of the brain and spinal cord.* Consuming healthful diets with adequate folate throughout childbearing years may reduce the risk of having a child with a birth defect of the brain or spinal cord. Sources of folate include fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, fortified cereals, and dietary supplements.

Some research has shown benefits for folic-acid supplementation as long as a year before pregnancy. That’s why women of childbearing age should always consume at least 400 mcg of folic acid a day—even if they aren’t planning to get pregnant. A daily multivitamin and mineral supplement is a good way to help ensure you won’t be missing this key nutrient when it matters most.*

A woman can switch to a prenatal formulation when she starts trying to conceive. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant women take a specially formulated prenatal vitamin supplement to meet the advanced nutritional needs of mother and baby.*

Continuing to use a quality prenatal supplement throughout every trimester of the pregnancy has been shown to support healthy birth outcomes.*

Your body’s nutritional demands don’t decline after you’ve given birth. In fact, when you’re nursing, you may have even greater nutritional needs than you did while pregnant. That’s why, when you’re lactating, it’s recommended that you keep using a prenatal until you stop breastfeeding. A quality supplement will help you get the nutrients you need to stay healthy and pass essential vitamins and minerals to your baby through breast milk.*

The food you eat and nutrition your baby receives during its earliest, most formative time of development could have impacts far into its future. Prenatal supplements can’t guarantee a healthy child. But a balanced diet coupled with a quality supplement to fill any gaps is one of the best things you can do to set your baby up for a healthy, happy life.*

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Healthy Moms Choose the USANA Prenatal CellSentials to Support Healthy Babies

When it comes to choosing a daily supplement, you have a choice. Do you want a product that will help you avoid deficiency? Or do you want a supplement that will promote great health? If your goal is vibrant health every day, then research has often shown that you will likely need higher amounts of many key nutrients than are recommended by the US DRIs (Dietary Reference Intakes).*

Giving your cells the micronutrients they need to support optimal health is the guiding principle behind USANA’s CellSentials. And USANA carries that idea through to the Prenatal CellSentials.*

It makes sense.

Pregnancy increases your nutritional needs. Your body is working harder than ever. And a fetus requires a wide range of nutrients to support healthy growth and development. But, most people already struggle to get proper nutrition through the diet alone. And between morning sickness, cravings, and food aversions, it can be even tougher during pregnancy. So, taking a lower-dose, one-a-day multivitamin and mineral prenatal supplement simply isn’t enough.*

Science supports this idea. For example, observational studies have suggested that higher intakes of antioxidant vitamins, zinc, and selenium during pregnancy and early childhood may play a role in future respiratory and skin health.*

You and your baby deserve more. That’s why the Prenatal CellSentials meet or exceed adequate intakes for most nutrients recommended for pregnant or lactating women by the Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine. (See the tables for vitamins and minerals.)

Together, Prenatal Vita Antioxidant and Prenatal Core Minerals deliver safe and effective levels of the highest quality essential vitamins and minerals. You also get antioxidants and other vital nutrients that might be lacking in your diet. Plus, the unique InCelligence Complex provides powerful protection for healthy cells.*

When added to a balanced diet, Prenatal Vita Antioxidant and Prenatal Core Minerals will help you get the comprehensive nutritional support you need for the health of your future family.*

Expect More

Taken in the morning and evening, a daily dose of the Prenatal CellSentials delivers:

  • 600 mcg folic acid (1000 mcg dietary folate equivalents)
  • 25 mcg of vitamin D3 (1000 IU)
  • 225 mg calcium
  • 1000 mg vitamin C
  • 30 mg thiamine
  • 30 mg riboflavin
  • 40 mg niacin equivalents
  • 200 mcg vitamin B12
  • 134 mg vitamin E
  • 20 mg zinc
  • 28 mg iron
  • 240 mcg iodine

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A Perfect Pair: Prenatal Vita Antioxidant and Prenatal Core Minerals

The Prenatal CellSentials are two products designed to work together to deliver the best daily nutrition for you and your developing baby. Prenatal Vita Antioxidant and Core Minerals provide important vitamins and minerals recommended for a healthy pregnancy by the American Pregnancy Association. You also will get added nutrition to help you maintain your energy level, support your immune system, and keep your body healthy to support a healthy delivery.*

The short story: You and your baby need a full range of micronutrients to support good health as well as normal growth and development from head to toe.* Below are some of the specific benefits you get from the individual nutrients in the Prenatal CellSentials:

Vitamin A/Beta Carotene 

Vita Antioxidant provides 9000 mcg (3,000 retinol activity equivalents [RAE]) of beta carotene and mixed carotenoids per day. The beta carotene form of vitamin A is a safe, non-retinoid form of this essential nutrient that poses no toxicity risk. The right balance of Vitamin A is important throughout the stages of fetal development. It supports the healthy formation of the heart and circulatory system, organs, skin, eyes, ears, limbs, as well as bones and teeth.*

You can get vitamin A from supplements in a couple different forms. Beta carotene or other carotenoids are considered the provitamin form, which means they must be converted to vitamin A in the body as needed. They are dietary precursors to retinal or retinol. However, sources like retinyl acetate are preformed vitamin A, which means they don’t need to be converted by the body. These preformed sources are much more potent. The standard of measure for vitamin A is retinol activity equivalents (RAE), which reflects vitamin A activity as retinol after conversion. Twelve mcg of beta carotene is equal to 1 mcg of retinol. Other carotenoids have a higher conversion ratio.

Vitamin C 

Vitamin C is essential for helping the body make collagen. This protein is a building block for cartilage, tendons, bones, and healthy skin. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron properly and supports your immune system. The vitamin C in Prenatal Vita Antioxidant is USANA’s proprietary Poly C® blend.*

Vitamin D

Vitamin D does more than help develop strong bones and teeth (which it does by aiding calcium and phosphorus absorption). Recent studies have also shown a positive correlation between maternal vitamin D status and healthy neonatal outcomes. This includes healthy birth weight and brain development. Daily intakes as high as 100 mcg (4,000 IU) during pregnancy have demonstrated a number of benefits for both mother and baby, including strong immunity. And continued vitamin D supplementation at 50 mcg (2,000 IU) per day has also shown to help reduce risk of infant deficiency during breastfeeding.*

Folic Acid/Folate

Prenatal Vita Antioxidant is an excellent source of 1,000 mcg of dietary folate equivalents (DFE) as folic acid. This equates to 600 mcg of folic acid—an amount that meets the recommendation by nutritional experts.*

Folic acid is one nutrient that is especially important to take prior to conception for normal neurological development.* Healthful diets with adequate folate may reduce a woman’s risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord birth defect.

Additional benefits for folic acid/folate include healthy birth size and weight, as well as healthy heart development. It has also been linked to maintaining healthy homocysteine levels, which is important for a healthy pregnancy.*

Folic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin that converts to folate in the body. The NIH Food and Nutrition Board developed DFEs listed on supplement facts labels to reflect the higher bioavailability of folic acid than that of folate from food. One microgram DFE is equal to .6 mcg of folic acid from a supplement consumed with food.

Other B Vitamins

Biotin: Prenatal Vita Antioxidant is an excellent source of biotin. The rapidly dividing cells of the developing fetus require biotin to aid in regulating healthy cellular responses.

Many women—pregnant or not—turn to prenatal vitamins in hopes of getting their hair to grow. Biotin is the nutrient often associated with benefits for hair. However, data to back this up is lacking. Nevertheless, the health and volume of your hair is related to your overall nutritional status. Hormone status during pregnancy is also a factor, which can cause fluctuations in the amount of hair lost during and after pregnancy. So, taking a well-balanced multi—in addition to a balanced, healthy diet—may help you avoid the risk of deficiencies, which can include hair loss. It will not, however, reduce any hair loss associated with a normal pregnancy.*

Pantothenic acid: This B vitamin plays a role in tissue formation as well as metabolism, which is necessary for you to get energy from the foods you eat. It also supports muscle function and relaxation, which is important for supporting your body during pregnancy and birth.*

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin[e]): Thiamin helps maintain your energy levels. It supports fetal cellular health and brain development.*

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Riboflavin supports energy levels, good eyesight, and healthy skin.*

Vitamin B3 (Niacin): Niacin helps promote healthy digestion, skin, and brain and nervous system development.*

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Pyridoxine helps support the normal brain and nerve development, as well as formation of red blood cells. It may also help relieve morning sickness.*

Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin): Vitamin B12 supports development of the brain and nervous system. It also is needed for energy metabolism and red-blood-cell formation.*

Vitamin E 

Chances are good you need more vitamin E. It is estimated that 90 percent of people don’t consume enough. So, supplementing can help you avoid deficiency. This essential, fat-soluble vitamin will help your body make red blood cells. It also supports muscle and nerve development, vascular health, and cellular fluidity. Vitamin E helps your body use vitamin K properly.*

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is useful for ensuring proper use of calcium in the body. It’s also required for normal blood clotting.*

Choline

Demand for choline during pregnancy and lactation is high. It must be consumed in the diet and most women typically don’t get enough. But, it is often overlooked in prenatal formulations. At 102 mg per day, the Prenatal CellSentials delivers one of the most effective doses you can find.*

Choline plays a role in energy metabolism, liver health, and maintaining normal homocysteine levels. Most importantly, it provide building blocks for several important compounds needed for fetal development, particularly the brain.* 

Iron

Maternal blood volume increases by nearly 50 percent during pregnancy. So, iron supplementation beginning by the second trimester is important for supporting the healthy production of red blood cells. These cells help transport oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. Maternal iron is also needed during pregnancy and lactation to provide the infant with sufficient iron stores to last through the first four to six months of life. After that period, supplementary feeding is usually recommended. Prenatal Core Minerals is an excellent source of iron. *

Calcium

Calcium is important for a healthy pregnancy and maintaining the mother’s bone density. The mother’s calcium status is also important for the baby. Calcium is transferred from the mother to the baby to help support the healthy development of bones, teeth, tissues, and muscles. On average, in the last trimester of pregnancy, 300 mg of calcium is transmitted to the fetus daily.*

Iodine

A woman’s need for iodine increases considerably during pregnancy and while nursing. It’s needed to support metabolism and maternal thyroid hormone production, which plays a role in healthy fetal growth. Some estimates state that iodine uptake by the thyroid gland increases by as much as 45 percent in pregnancy. Adequate iodine during pregnancy is absolutely vital for supporting healthy development of cognitive function in babies and children. It also helps build the skeleton. The Prenatal Core Minerals supplement delivers 240 mg of iodine per day—more than is provided by most other prenatals on the market.*

Magnesium

Another important nutrient that’s often under-delivered by other prenatal supplements is magnesium. And most pregnant women don’t get enough. Magnesium is needed to support healthy fetal growth. It supports calcium absorption for strong bones and teeth. And it’s involved with glucose regulation and cardiovascular health, including supporting healthy circulation and blood pressure (that’s already normal).*

Copper

When taking iron, it’s important to maintain a good balance with copper to support normal brain and nervous system development. Copper also supports healthy development of connective tissues and the central nervous system. This element aids in the production of red blood cells to help meet the mother’s increased needs. Plus, it helps your body make melatonin, so you can get some sleep.*

 Zinc

Having enough zinc in your body, especially during the third trimester until you are finished nursing, is a key part of a healthy pregnancy. Zinc regulates the function of several key processes needed for healthy fetal growth and development. It supports nearly 100 different enzymes function throughout the body. It supports cellular stability and helps folate move across cell membranes. It supports healthy eyes, kidneys, muscles, skin, and bones. Zinc also serves as a necessary structural component of DNA-binding proteins that affect gene expression. It aids in the manufacture of heme and essential-fatty-acid metabolism.*

Chromium

Chromium is needed to help maintain already normal blood glucose levels.*

Selenium

Selenium intakes during pregnancy have been associated with a normal birth weight. It also supports healthy nervous and immune system development.*

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Powerful Protection for Your Cells Helps a Healthy Pregnancy

There can be considerable oxidative stress generated in the body during pregnancy. If left unchecked, too much oxidative stress can damage cells, proteins, and other vital organic substances that are needed for healthy DNA. This makes antioxidant protection a key part of supporting a healthy pregnancy. Dietary antioxidants support cells’ natural defense systems and can help protect against oxidative stress.*

Some research also indicates that the fetus preserves stores of some antioxidants. That makes these compounds available after birth to help protect cellular health.*

The Prenatal CellSentials help keep your cells healthy during pregnancy with a broad range of antioxidants. Many vitamins and minerals—including selenium, vitamins C and E—plus ingredients like coenzyme Q10, lycopene, and lutein provide antioxidant activity. And the InCelligence Complex supports your body’s natural cellular defenses by encouraging your cells to produce their own antioxidants.*

L-cysteine HCl is another antioxidant found in the Prenatal CellSentials. One study has shown positive pregnancy outcomes when this nutrient is combined with folic acid. It also supports liver health. This is important for helping your body naturally process everything you eat and drink, as well as eliminating any chemicals or toxins.*

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Beyond the Prenatal CellSentials

There are a few additional supplements to consider taking while you are pregnant.

Making sure you eat plenty of dairy products plus your Prenatal CellSentials may help you meet your daily needs for calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. However, you might consider adding a separate supplement with these nutrients. Calcium is quite large as an ingredient, so a separate supplement is generally required to deliver the advanced amounts most women want. And as mentioned above, doses of up to 100 mcg of vitamin D have been shown to support positive pregnancy outcomes, so you could still safely add another 50 mg on top of the Prenatal Vita Antioxidant.

Check out USANA’s MagneCal D for a product with balanced levels of magnesium and calcium plus more vitamin D.

The American Pregnancy Association recommends pregnant women take at least 300 mg of DHA per day. Adequate omega-3 fatty acid intake during pregnancy has shown benefits for both mother and baby. For example, omega-3s help support a normal mood after you deliver. And passing DHA to baby has shown significant benefits for eye, lung, and cognitive function in childhood.*

USANA’s BiOmega supplement provides healthy levels of omega-3s from purified fish oil sourced from sustainable resources. It also provides an additional boost of vitamin D.*

Some women also find Digestive Enzyme helps support healthy digestion during pregnancy.

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Key Ingredients

See full list of ingredients:
Prenatal Core Minerals
Prenatal Vita Antioxidant

Usage

Adults take two (2) tablets twice daily, preferably with food.

Keep out of reach of children. Consult your physician if you are pregnant, nursing, taking a prescription drug, or have a medical condition.

Ideal For

  • Women of childbearing age
  • Women who are pregnant or lactating
  • Women who need iron supplementation

Frequently Asked Questions About USANA Prenatal CellSentials

You won’t find potassium (or phosphorus, sodium, or chloride) in the Prenatal CellSentials because most women get plenty from their diet.

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Mori R, Ota E, Middleton P, Tobe-Gai R, Mahomed K, Bhutta ZA. Zinc supplementation for improving pregnancy and infant outcome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 Jul 11;7.

Mannion CA, Lindop RJ. Vitamin/mineral supplements and calcium-based antacids increase maternal calcium intake. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009 Aug;28(4):362-8.

Institute of Medicine. Nutrition during pregnancy: weight gain and nutrient supplements. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1990.

Hibbard BM (August 1964). “The role of folic acid in pregnancy”. An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 71 (4): 529–42.

Khayat S, Fanaei H, Ghanbarzehi A. 2017. Minerals in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Review Article. J Clin Diagn Res 11(9): QE01-05.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Spina bifida and anencephaly before and after folic acid mandate–United States, 1995-1996 and 1999-2000. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. May 2004;53(17):362-5.


U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2009 May 5;150(9):626-31.

Evans MI, Llurba E, Landsberger EJ, et al. Impact of folic acid fortification in the United States: markedly diminished high maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein values. Obstet Gynecol. Mar 2004;103(3):474-9.

Ladipo OA. Nutrition in pregnancy: mineral and vitamin supplements. Am J Clin Nutr. Jul 2000;72(1 Suppl):280S-290S.


Mock DM, Stadler DD, Stratton SL, Mock NI. Biotin status assessed longitudinally in pregnant women. J Nutr. 1997 May;127(5):710-6.


Grune T, Ross AC, Stahl W, Tang G, Thurnham D, Yin SA, Biesalski HK. Beta-carotene is an important vitamin A source for humans. J Nutr. 2010 Dec;140(12):2268S-2285S.


Shah PS, Ohlsson A, Knowledge Synthesis Group on Determinants of Low Birth Weight and Preterm Births. Effects of prenatal multimicronutrient supplementation on pregnancy outcomes: a meta-analysis. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 2009; 180(12): E99-E108.

Kovacs CS. Vitamin D in pregnancy and lactation: maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes from human and animal studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Aug;88(2):520S-528S.

Mock DM, Quirk JG, Mock NI. Marginal biotin deficiency during normal pregnancy. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002 Feb;75(2):295-9.

Morales E, et al. Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 in Pregnancy and Infant Neuropsychological Development. Pediatrics 2012;130: e913-e920

Maden M. Vitamin A and the developing embryo. Postgrad Med J 2001;77:489-491.

Zile MH. Function of vitamin A in vertebrate embryonic development. J Nutr. 2001 Mar;131(3):705-8.

Smith SM, Dickman ED, Power SC, Lancman J. Retinoids and their receptors in vertebrate embryogenesis. J Nutr. 1998 Feb;128(2 Suppl):467S-470S.

Zile MH. Vitamin A and embryonic development: an overview. J Nutr. 1998 Feb;128(2 Suppl):455S-458S.

Gernand AD, Simhan HN, Klebanoff MA, Bodnar LM. Maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d and measures of newborn and placental weight in a U.S. Multicenter cohort study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Jan;98(1):398-404.

Thompson L, Al-Hasan Y. 2012. Impact of Oxidative Stress in Fetal Programming. Journal of Pregnancy 2012 [Internet [accessed 2 Mar 2018] Available at https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jp/2012/582748/

Duhig K, Chappell LC, Shennan AH. 2016. Oxidative stress in pregnancy and reproduction. Obstet Med 9(3): 113-6.

Mokhtari V, et al. 2017. A Review on Various Uses of N-Acetyl Cysteine. Cell J 19(1): 11-17.

Sharma JB, et al. 2006. Oxidative stress markers and antioxidant levels in normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia. Int Jour Gyn Obst 94(1): 23-27.

Herrera E, et al. 2003. Relationship between plasma fatty acid profile and antioxidant vitamins during normal pregnancy. Eur Jour Clin Nut [Internet] [accessed 7 Mar 2018] Available at https://www.nature.com/articles/1601954

Amin AF, Shaaban OM, Bediawy MA. 2008. N-acetyl cysteine for treatment of recurrent… Reprod Biomed Online 17(5): 722-6.

Hollis B, et al. 2011. Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy: double-blind, randomized clinical trial of safety and effectiveness. Jour Bone Min Res 26(10): 2341-2357.

Mossin MH, Aaby JB, Dalgård C, Lykkedegn S, Christesen HT, Bilenberg N. Inverse associations between cord vitamin D and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms: A child cohort study. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2016.

Morales E, Julvez J, Torrent M, et al. Vitamin D in Pregnancy and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-like Symptoms in Childhood. Epidemiology. 2015;26(4):458-65.

March KM, Chen NN, Karakochuk CD, et al. Maternal vitamin D₃ supplementation at 50 μg/d protects against low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in infants at 8 wk of age: a randomized controlled trial of 3 doses of vitamin D beginning in gestation and continued in lactation. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(2):402-10.

Javaid MK, et al. 2006. Maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and childhood bone mass at age 9 years: a longitudinal study. Lancet 367(9504): 36-43.

Trüeb R. 2016. Serum biotin levels in women complaining of hair loss. Int J Trich 8(2): 73-77.

Bukowski R, et al. 2009. Preconceptional folate supplementation and the risk of spontaneous preterm birth: a cohort study. PLoS Med 6(5) [Internet] [accessed 7 Mar 18] Available at http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000061

Kloss O, Eskin M, Suh M. 2017. Thiamin deficiency on fetal brain development with and without prenatal alcohol exposure. Biochem Cell Biol [Internet] [accessed 7 Mar 18] Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28915355

Surén P, Roth C, Bresnahan M, et al. Association between maternal use of folic acid supplements and risk of… JAMA. 2013 Feb 13;309(6):570-7.

El-Heis S, Crozier SR, Robinson SM, Harvey NC, Cooper C, Inskip HM. Higher maternal serum concentrations of nicotinamide and related metabolites in late pregnancy are associated with a lower risk of offspring atopic eczema at age 12 months. Clin Exp Allergy. 2016 Oct;46(10):1337-43.

Miese-Looy G, Rollings-Scattergood J, Yeung A. 2008. Long-term health consequences of poor nutrition during pregnancy. Studies by Undergraduate Researchers at Guelph 1(2) [Internet] [accessed 7 Mar 18] Available at  https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/surg/article/view/421/666

Zeisel S, da Costa K. 2009. Choline: an essential nutrient for public health. Nut Rev 67(11): 615-623.

Caudill MA. 2010. Pre- and postnatal health: evidence of increased choline needs. J Am Diet Assoc 110(8): 1198-206.

Leung AM, Pearce EN, Braverman LE. Iodine content of prenatal multivitamins in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(9):939-40.

Asemi Z, Karamali M, Jamilian M, et al. Magnesium supplementation affects metabolic status and pregnancy outcomes in gestational diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(1):222-9.

Lee S, et al. 2015. Essential role for zinc transporter 2 (ZnT2)-mediated zinc transport in mammary gland development and function during lactation. J Biol Chem

Markhus MW, Skotheim S, Graff IE, et al. Low omega-3 index in pregnancy is a possible biological risk factor for postpartum depression. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(7):e67617.

Yelland LN, Gajewski BJ, Colombo J, Gibson RA, Makrides M, Carlson SE. Predicting the effect of maternal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation to reduce early preterm birth in Australia and the United States using results of within country randomized controlled trials. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2016;112:44-9.

Innis S. 2008. Essential n−3 fatty acids in pregnant women and early visual acuity maturation in term infants. Am J Clin Nut 87(3): 548-557.

Olsen S, et al. 2008. Fish oil intake compared with olive oil intake in late pregnancy and asthma in the offspring: 16 y of registry-based follow-up from a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nut 88(1): 167-175.

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

Intestines Sketch with Guts Bacteria

microbiome

If you think the word gut is gross, prepare yourself for the next sentence. Your gastrointestinal tract is a hotel for trillions of little critters.

These bacteria, yeast, fungi, and more are pretty amazing. They increase your ability to metabolize a variety of substances you couldn’t without the enzymes they provide. So they work for you.

And you’re somewhat in control of your gut microbes. With some effort and dietary diligence, you can change things up. Diet, lifestyle, exercise, stress, and your environment can all impact the composition of your gut microbiome.

Dietary fiber’s complex structures play a role in diversifying your gut’s microbes. Research has shown eating a variety of fiber-rich foods diversifies your microbiome. And people with a diverse array of gut microbes are better at responding to environmental challenges.

But why does dietary fiber play such a big role?

microbiome in intestines

Maintaining a healthy gut barrier is a big one. Your gut helps facilitate the absorption of beneficial nutrients into the body. It also helps keep harmful substances from being absorbed. Dietary fiber has been shown to help support the natural protection and healthy absorption in your gut.

And a lack of fiber may negatively impact the natural intestinal barrier system. But increased protection can come when there are adequate amounts of fermentable dietary fiber. This fermentation process has been shown to help maintain intestinal health in two ways. The first is increased cell proliferation (increase of the number of cells). The second is increased cellular specialization (when cells change to perform a specific job).

Dietary fiber also impacts your gut’s immune function. That’s important. The gut contains up to 80 percent of your body’s immune cells. And feeding the growth of beneficial microbes with dietary fiber also supports healthy endocrine (hormone) response, nitrogen metabolism, and signaling between the gut, liver, and kidneys.

You can see that keeping your microbial buddies healthy and happy is important for maintaining good health. And a great way to support a lush, diverse community of gut microbes is to eat a variety of fiber-rich foods.

grains and fiber

dietary fiber

In your gut, you really are what you eat. Food is a big factor in determining your microbiome. That’s the collection of bacteria, fungi, yeast, and other microbes living in your digestive tract.

But the impact of your food choices spreads beyond your microscopic friends.

A new article in Advances in Nutrition tackles the way dietary fiber—a variety of indigestible carbohydrates—can influence your liver and kidneys. It’s well-known that dietary fiber benefits human health. But the review of over 150 studies summarizes fiber’s influence on your detoxification organs.

How Dietary Fiber Makes an Impact

The process starts with dietary fiber feeding the growth of beneficial microbes. Then the microbes contribute to:

  • Gut barrier function
  • Immune function in your digestive tract
  • Endocrine (hormone) response
  • Nitrogen metabolism
  • Signaling between the gut, liver, and kidneys

These consequences in the gut are good for the liver and kidneys, too. Which makes total sense. Your gut supplies blood to these organs through the portal vein. So shifts in microbe activity and diet impact the liver and kidneys.

For example, enhanced gut-barrier function protects your key detox organs from the spread of bacteria that stimulate inflammation. That allows your liver and kidneys to focus on metabolism and detoxification.

More Good News for Your Liver

Dietary fiber has been shown to increase the activity of antioxidant and detox enzymes in your liver. It can alter bile acid pools. These pools are involved in liver metabolism and the absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins. Dietary fiber also supports the microbiota that help generate secondary bile acids.

A surprising finding also links dietary fiber and the body’s fat-burning state (ketosis). This is accomplished by altering patterns of gene expression and the products of metabolism. The new patterns look like those found during the body’s fasting state. That’s when your body is burning energy from fat storage.

Don’t Forget Your Kidneys

Nitrogen is central to the findings about the kidneys and dietary fiber.

When you feed your gut microbes dietary fiber, you increase your gut’s ability to contain more nitrogen. In the gut, nitrogen acts as a fertilizer for the microbes. So the microbiome uses more of the nitrogen produced. That keeps too much nitrogen gas from escaping through the portal vein to your detox organs. Reducing your kidneys’ nitrogen burden is important.

Dietary fiber also helps insulate your kidneys from other potential stresses. Not having enough fiber fermenting in your colon allows other substances to undergo fermentation. When things like amino acids ferment, they can produce harmful products that stress your kidneys. So keep your colon stocked with dietary fiber—for your kidneys’ sake.

Feed Them Fiber

Dietary fiber plays a significant role in supporting good health. And it’s clear most people don’t get enough of it. In fact, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee made fiber a nutrient of concern.

This decline in fiber intake isn’t new, though. It’s been sliding since the Industrial Revolution. And what follows is decreased microbial diversity in our guts.

Dietary fiber probably won’t ever be cool or hip. But it’s not just for old people. Everyone could do their detox organs a favor. The research shows you can help protect your liver and kidney health, and support the important detox work these organs do. All it takes is getting your guts’ microbial tenants some dietary fiber.

Kieffer DA, Martin RJ, Adams SH. Impact of Dietary Fibers on Nutrient Management and Detoxification Organs: Gut, Liver, and Kidneys. Adv Nutr. 2016;7(6):1111-1121.

liver detoxification

liver detoxification

The liver is an essential organ. It plays a role in metabolism, digestion, energy storage, and hormone production. It is also the major detoxifying organ in the body.

Detoxification in the liver is broken into two categories. They are known as Phase I and Phase II liver detoxification pathways.

Phase I Liver Detoxification Pathway

Phase I liver detoxification is the first line of defense against toxins. It consists of a group of enzymes known as the cytochrome P450 family. The enzymes help neutralize substances like alcohol and caffeine. They offer protection by converting these toxins into less harmful ones.

The byproducts of Phase I liver detoxification can still pose a toxic threat to the body. If the toxins are allowed to build up and stay in the liver, they can damage DNA and proteins. It is the role of Phase II liver detoxification, to make sure that those toxins do not build up. Which provides final neutralization of the toxins so that they can be removed by the body.

Phase II Liver Detoxification Pathway

Phase II liver detoxification neutralizes the byproducts of Phase I liver detoxification and other remaining toxins. This is done by making the toxins water-soluble. That way they can be excreted from the body. This process is known as conjugation. Glutathione, sulphate, and glycine are the primary molecules responsible for this process.

Under normal conditions, Phase II liver detoxification enzymes produce low levels of glutathione. Under times of high toxic stress the body increases production of glutathione.

Glutathione

Glutathione is so important for humans, it is known as the “master antioxidant.” It is called this, because it is the most abundant antioxidant in the body and it can regenerate itself in the liver.

Glutathione is found in asparagus, avocado, spinach, broccoli, and some supplements. Sadly, food sources of glutathione are poorly absorbed into the body. Digestive enzymes can break it down before it can be absorbed. There is also no direct transport system for glutathione.

Although glutathione is poorly absorbed, diet does play a part in the body’s levels. The body needs key building blocks to manufacture glutathione. Certain foods and nutrients are known to provide them. Eating these building blocks can increase the body’s production of glutathione. These include selenium, vitamin E, cruciferous vegetables, alpha-lipoic acid, milk thistle, and cysteine.

glutathione foods

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is also important in liver detoxification pathways. It helps protect liver detoxification enzymes, created in phase I and phase II liver detoxification pathways, from oxidative damage. Vitamin C helps protect liver tissues from oxidative damage. Some research also suggests that vitamin C may play a role in toxin removal.

Vitamin C is tightly controlled in the body. Blood levels are mainly determined by vitamin C intake and kidney regulation. Research shows that some phytochemicals may increase plasma vitamin C, even in the absence of vitamin C consumption.

Foods richest in vitamin C

  • cantaloupe
  • grapefruit
  • honeydew
  • kiwi
  • mango
  • oranges and other citrus fruits
  • strawberries
  • watermelon

Clinical Research on Increasing Glutathione Production

Scientists conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study on a blend of nutrients. The purpose was to determine if they promoted increases in plasma glutathione and vitamin C.

The study intervention group used a supplement provided by USANA Health Sciences. The supplement contained biotin, choline, milk thistle extract, N-acetyl L-cysteine, alpha-lipoic acid, broccoli concentrate, green tea extract, olive fruit extract, and turmeric extract.

Fifteen healthy volunteers participated in the study. Subjects were given the study treatment or placebo for 28 days. On days 1, 14, and 28, blood samples were drawn to measure plasma vitamin C and glutathione.

Study Results

  • Treatment increased plasma glutathione two hours following the first treatment and significantly increased plasma glutathione eight hours after treatment.
  • Plasma glutathione levels increased 74 percent by the end of the study.
  • Treatment significantly increased plasma vitamin C as soon as two hours
    following the first treatment. This was maintained during the entire acute phase (0-8 hour time points)

The results showed a synergistic effect of these nutrients. The treatment formula boosted both glutathione and vitamin C levels. It upregulated the body’s ability to utilize glutathione in detoxification reactions. It also increased the body’s antioxidant capacity.

A follow-up report showed that the increases in both glutathione and vitamin C have clinical benefits. Subjects taking the treatment supplement were significantly more resistant to oxidative damage than those taking the placebo.

Study Conclusion

The results back up previous research showing that some phytochemicals may increase plasma vitamin C, even in the absence of vitamin C consumption. It also offers a specific blend of ingredients that can be used to increase the body’s glutathione production.

Flora K, Hahn M, Rosen H, Benner K. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) for the therapy of liver disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 1998;93(2):139-43.

Guo J, Prokai-tatrai K, Nguyen V, Rauniyar N, Ughy B, Prokai L. Protein targets for carbonylation by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal in rat liver mitochondria. J Proteomics. 2011;74(11):2370-9.

Hepasil DTX™ Increases Antioxidant and Detoxification Capacity by Boosting Glutathione and Vitamin C (1)

Hepasil DTX™ Increases Antioxidant and Detoxification Capacity by Boosting Glutathione and Vitamin C (2)

Kesinger NG, Stevens JF. Covalent interaction of ascorbic acid with natural products. Phytochemistry. 2009;70(17-18):1930-9.

Kuiper HC, Langsdorf BL, Miranda CL, et al. Quantitation of mercapturic acid conjugates of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and 4-oxo-2-nonenal metabolites in a smoking cessation study. Free Radic Biol Med. 2010;48(1):65-72.

Kuiper HC, Miranda CL, Sowell JD, Stevens JF. Mercapturic acid conjugates of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and 4-oxo-2-nonenal metabolites are in vivo markers of oxidative stress. J Biol Chem. 2008;283(25):17131-8.

Manna SK, Mukhopadhyay A, Van NT, Aggarwal BB. Silymarin suppresses TNF-induced activation of NF-kappa B, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and apoptosis. J Immunol. 1999;163(12):6800-9.

Medina J, Moreno-otero R. Pathophysiological basis for antioxidant therapy in chronic liver disease. Drugs. 2005;65(17):2445-61.

Pabst MJ, Habig WH, Jakoby WB. Glutathione S-transferase A. A novel kinetic mechanism in which the major reaction pathway depends on substrate concentration. J Biol Chem. 1974;249(22):7140-7.

Rabovsky A, Cuomo J, Eich N. Measurement of plasma antioxidant reserve after supplementation with various antioxidants in healthy subjects. Clin Chim Acta. 2006;371(1-2):55-60.

Saller R, Meier R, Brignoli R. The use of silymarin in the treatment of liver diseases. Drugs. 2001;61(14):2035-63.

Stevens JF, Maier CS. Acrolein: sources, metabolism, and biomolecular interactions relevant to human health and disease. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2008;52(1):7-25.

Timpson NJ, Forouhi NG, Brion MJ, et al. Genetic variation at the SLC23A1 locus is associated with circulating concentrations of L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C): evidence from 5 independent studies with >15,000 participants. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;92(2):375-82.

Wellington K, Jarvis B. Silymarin: a review of its clinical properties in the management of hepatic disorders. BioDrugs. 2001;15(7):465-89.

 

coconut oil

coconut oil

Science has come a long way since the simplistic admonition in the 1980s for Americans to eat less fat.

It has taken nearly 30 years to officially reverse some recommendations about cholesterol and fat intake, even with relatively strong evidence that the recommendations were not based on current scientific evidence. Also, contrary to our thought process in the 1980s, it isn’t as simple as “saturated fats are bad” and “unsaturated fats are good.”

It was that exact overly simplistic thinking that resulted in the near extinction of tropical oils from the food supply and the explosion of hydrogenated vegetable oils (think trans-fat). The truth of the matter is that not all polyunsaturated fats are healthy, nor are all saturated fats unhealthy.

There has also been a shift in what most experts agree is a healthier macronutrient ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The long-time recommendation to eat low fat and high carbohydrate has now been adjusted to slightly increase fat and decrease carbohydrates to a more moderate level of both.

Although most experts would still agree with the fact that fats derived from plant sources, which are primarily unsaturated fats, should comprise the majority of fat intake, some research has indicated that replacing all saturated fat with carbohydrates may actually worsen heart health and disease risk.

So, as it turns out with most nutrition and health related subjects, the best advice is balance and moderation.

Everything in Moderation

The most recent evidence indicates that replacing saturated fatty acids with MUFAs or carbohydrates does not improve endothelial function, nor does it decrease coronary heart disease risk. Endothelial cells are cells that line the inner blood vessels that mediate coagulation, platelet adhesion, immune function, and control the dilation and narrowing of blood vessels (called vasodilation and vasoconstriction). Endothelial dysfunction is thought to be a key event in the development of atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries.

Saturated fats have a big advantage over polyunsaturated fats when it comes to stability. They are much less prone to oxidation and rancidity. Even the healthiest of polyunsaturated fats becomes unhealthy once it is oxidized. This is a real potential concern in processed products that require a fairly long shelf life.

It may take many more years for the official recommendations to catch up with science when it comes to saturated fat, but the evidence is mounting. Until then, our mission is to provide the healthiest and best quality products based on current science. Currently, the science says get a variety of fats from healthy sources such as nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables (avocados, olives), and that our avoidance and fear of saturated fats (especially from tropical plants) has been largely exaggerated and unnecessary.

 

This article appeared previously on the following websites:

http://blog.doctoroz.com/oz-experts/dietary-fats-the-shift-in-expert-recommendations

https://whatsupusana.com/2015/06/dietary-fats-shift-expert-recommendations/

Love Your Liver and Live the Good Life with USANA® Hepasil DTX™

USANA® Hepasil DTX™

Stay energized and help balance your body’s detoxification processes with a unique liver-support blend made with USANA InCelligence Technology®.

Life comes with the good and the bad. There are memorable meals with loved ones and opportunities to savor delicious food and drink. And there are also inescapable pollutants or chemicals in the environment that are a modern reality. Together, all of these add up to a load of substances your body has to process. Your liver is responsible for filtering everything you consume. It’s a big job. So, your body’s waste filtration system can’t ever really take a break. USANA Hepasil DTX™ can help support the normal health and function of your liver, so it can handle whatever may come its way. And you can stay focused on living the good life.*

The ingredients in Hepasil DTX help support your liver function, which plays many roles in maintaining your daily well-being:

  • Helps your body produce energy through supporting normal metabolic processes*
  • Produces vital substances needed to power your body*
  • Natural removal of fat, toxins, and waste products*

In addition to supporting your liver function, many of the ingredients in Hepasil DTX also provide antioxidant activity to help protect cells from damaging oxidative stress.*

Hepasil DTX is a powerhouse supplement for liver and detoxification support. Hepasil DTX is not a liver cleanse.*

Trendy cleanses where you limit your calories or drink only juices might be a “fun” way to help revitalize your commitment to living a healthier lifestyle. They might even help you lose a couple pounds, but they won’t cleanse your liver. When your liver is healthy, it doesn’t need an extreme cleanse to detoxify. That’s the job it’s designed to do. Hepasil DTX helps provide ingredients that will help it keep doing that job effectively.*

Your liver will love Hepasil DTX because it was formulated with the best of supplement science to create a uniquely powerful formula. It features a number of technologies exclusive to USANA. Each expertly blended tablet features USANA InCelligence Technology to activate your body’s naturally protective detoxification processes. The InCelligence Detox-Support Complex also includes Olivol®–the olive-fruit extract developed by USANA scientists. And because Hepasil DTX is also made with Nutritional Hybrid Technology, it offers an exceptional combination of ingredients at a potency that may not be available in many other products.*

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The Liver: Your Body’s Primary Processing Plant

Weighing in at more than three pounds (1.36 kg), your liver is a heavy hitter when it comes to keeping your body healthy. You can find your liver in the upper right area of your abdomen, under your ribs—above your stomach and below the lungs. And, as the second largest organ in your body (your skin is the largest), it performs a multitude of functions vital to keeping you alive and well.

After passing through the digestive tract, almost everything you consume—food, drinks, medications, supplements—goes through your liver. Once there, nutrients are further broken down into forms your body can use. Substances your body needs for energy and other functions are produced and stored. Waste and toxins are filtered out of the blood, then altered, so they can be removed. Once everything is processed, the various compounds are returned to your blood stream. Nutrients and other substances are circulated to where they’re needed. And finally, waste is sent to your bowels and kidneys to be eliminated from your system.

It wouldn’t be too much of an overstatement to say the liver borders on having magical powers. It’s the only organ that can actually regenerate itself when it’s healthy. As long as 25 percent of the tissue remains, your body can essentially re-grow a new liver.

This doesn’t mean you’re free to abuse your liver. Because it’s such a hardworking gland, it’s important to keep it healthy. A number of activities, especially if they’re done excessively, can stress your liver:

  • Drinking too much alcohol
  • Eating too much sugar or fatty foods
  • Misusing medications
  • Using toxin-laden cleaning and gardening products
  • Exposure to high amounts of pollution

There are lifestyle practices you can follow to help maintain your liver function. They include limiting your exposure to excess alcohol, unnecessary chemicals, and fatty foods. Of course, eating plenty of fruits and veggies and getting adequate exercise won’t hurt either. Good hygiene can also help avoid exposing your liver to unnecessary toxins or germs. And drinking enough water will help support the circulation of nutrients and removal of wastes, too. 

You can also help your liver thrive—even in a world filled with toxins and temptations—with advanced daily support. Add USANA’s Hepasil DTX to your healthy lifestyle to help maintain liver function and support your body’s natural detoxification processes.*

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Help Your Liver Turn Your Food into Energy with Hepasil DTX

One of the main functions of your almost-magical organ is assisting the digestive process in breaking down everything you consume. This action supplies the energy you need to power your day. Your liver uses many nutrients, including the biotin and choline  in Hepasil DTX, to drive key parts of the metabolism process.*

Your liver uses biotin to form metabolic enzymes. These are substances that cause chemical reactions to break down and change macronutrients, like carbohydrates and protein, into useable compounds. And these biotin-dependent enzymes don’t just break nutrients down. They also help your liver make substances your body needs for energy, like fatty acids and glycogen (a type of sugar your body uses for fuel).*

Choline is used by the body to mobilize many steps of the metabolic process. One of the most important is helping to create phosphatidylcholine (a type of lipid) and betaine (an amino acid), which are vital for helping to move fats and cholesterol out of your liver. This vitamin-like substance is also necessary for supporting normal detoxification reactions.*

Your body can make some choline, but it also needs a steady supply from the diet. And unfortunately, many people don’t eat enough foods with choline. Additional choline could be even more important if you regularly participate in endurance sports (such as triathlons and marathons). Strenuous physical activity has been shown to reduce plasma choline concentrations by about 40 percent.*

Hepasil DTX is an excellent source of biotin and choline to help ensure you have plenty of both nutrients, so your liver can help keep you energized.*

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The InCelligence Detox-Support Complex Helps Take Out the Trash

Imagine if you never took the trash out at home. It wouldn’t take long for all of the garbage to build up and become overwhelming. Soon, your home would be run down. And all the debris would interfere with your ability to function optimally.

Your body is similar. The metabolism process is constant source of toxins and waste that are filtered from the substances that you’ve consumed. And your body needs continual maintenance to keep it cleansed. This purification process helps your body function at its best. The liver is a major detoxifying organ that plays the role of housekeeper for your body.*

Taking a supplement like USANA Hepasil DTX every day can help support your liver’s important cleansing function.*

Hepasil DTX delivers superior support for your liver thanks to the InCelligence Detox-Support Complex. The unique blend supplies premium-quality nutrients, including many phytonutrient extracts selected because they deliver the highest percentage of active ingredients. These ingredients support naturally protective processes in a healthy liver.*

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) extract

The extract in Hepasil DTX is derived from the seeds of the milk thistle fruit. Milk thistle is one of the most frequently used herbal extracts for maintaining the health and function of liver cells. It provides a concentrated amount of the active ingredient silymarin. Recent research revealed silymarin’s benefits may come from its ability to help regulate important cell-signaling pathways for stimulating liver enzymes. And it also promotes the production of your body’s natural antioxidants.*

N-acetyl L-cysteine (NAC)

Hepasil DTX supplements the amount of this amino acid naturally made from L-cysteine in your body. It may be a small protein, but it packs a big punch as a detoxifier. It helps your body make its own glutathione (a powerful antioxidant) to maintain healthy levels in the liver. *

Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)

This acid, which is also naturally produced in the body, is quite the multitasker. Similar to NAC, alpha-lipoic acid helps your body make glutathione. It also offers direct antioxidant activity and helps recycle other antioxidants, including vitamins C and E.*

Historically, ALA could not be combined with NAC, as the two ingredients would break down and lose potency quickly. But because they’re combined using USANA Nutritional Hybrid Technology, these two powerful nutrients can be kept separate to retain potency, but still be delivered in one tablet.*

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea) extract

The broccoli concentrate in Hepasil DTX is a source of powerful compounds from cruciferous vegetables (like glucoraphanin and sulforaphane). They have been studied for their beneficial effects on a number of cell-signaling pathways. One of the effects of these antioxidant compounds is helping to activate the pathways for your body’s natural detoxification enzymes.*

Inositol

Inositol is a vitamin-like substance that’s closely related to glucose in structure. While it is most abundant in the brain, spinal cord, and spinal fluid, this naturally occurring carbohydrate also helps support the metabolism of fats.

Green-tea (Camellia sinensis) extract

With 90 percent polyphenols, the green tea extract in Hepasil DTX offers concentrated antioxidant activity. One of the most studied antioxidant compounds in green tea is epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG). This compound has been shown to regulate important cell-signaling pathways.*

Olivol® olive-fruit (Olea europaea) extract

USANA scientists developed Olivol extract to deliver the potent antioxidant benefits of olive oil in a unique ingredient. The olive-fruit extract helps defend cells from oxidative damage. And research has indicated that hydroxytyrosol, one of the active phenolic compounds in olives, also helps the body produce its own protective antioxidant enzymes.*

Meriva® Bioavailable Curcumin Extract**

Meriva extract is the source of another nutrient you’ve probably heard a lot about: curcumin. The “golden spice of India” has been used for thousands of years as part of Ayurveda (an ancient approach to holistic wellness). More recently, it has garnered a lot of attention. Studies have revealed that curcumin provides many benefits for health, including supporting antioxidant activity and healthy immune responses. Curcumin has also been shown to influence the production of your body’s own antioxidants and help retain normal levels of key detoxification enzymes.*

**Meriva is a registered trademark of Indena S.p.A.

The InCelligence Detox-Support Complex activates your body’s natural processes to help keep your liver healthy and clear of substances that can slow you down. And by maintaining the integrity of your liver cells with antioxidant protection, the ingredients in Hepasil DTX work together to support the normal function of a healthy liver.*

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How Hepasil DTX Helps Your Body Remove Toxins

When it comes to comprehensive support for liver health, Hepasil DTX truly shines. It aids metabolism and the removal of fats and cholesterol from the liver. And the ingredients in Hepasil DTX also help balance natural Phase I and Phase II detoxification reactions.*

Let’s take a brief look at how the process works:

Many enzymes in the liver help change toxins into less harmful substances. The main detoxification pathways in the liver use what are known as Phase I and Phase II enzymes.*

You may have guessed that Phase I is the first stage in your body’s natural detoxification process. Phase I enzymes begin transforming a toxin by joining the toxic molecules with other reactive molecules, making it unstable. This is known as oxidation. Unfortunately, this initial oxidation can make some compounds more toxic. However, your body has a second phase of detoxification that kicks in to defuse the situation.*

In the second phase of detoxification, the highly reactive molecules are combined with various compounds that neutralize them. These are known as Phase II detoxification enzymes. Glutathione, amino acids, and methyl groups are all included in this process (along with other substances). Once the byproducts of Phase I are chained to these water-soluble molecules, the byproducts have been made into forms that can be passed from the body in bile or urine.*

It’s important that Phase I and Phase II detoxification processes are balanced properly. You need Phase I enzymes to start the process. And it’s vital that there are enough Phase II enzymes to ensure the reactive molecules are neutralized to maintain cellular function and support healthy aging.*

That’s where Hepasil DTX comes in. It supplies your body with plenty of nutrients it can use to help keep these natural detoxification reactions in balance.*

Many of the ingredients in the InCelligence Detox-Support Complex, such as curcumin, milk thistle, ALA, and broccoli concentrate, have been shown to support naturally protective processes in the liver. One way they do this is by targeting the cell signaling pathway for helping your body produce liver enzymes, such as glutathione-S-transferase.*

Glutathione is a master detoxifier. It attaches to and carries toxins out of your body. The enzyme is highly concentrated in your liver, because it’s so important to detoxification reactions. And that’s not all. It’s also a master protector.*

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Glutathione Guards Healthy Hepatocytes

Glutathione plays many vital roles in your health. In addition to its action as a Phase II detoxification enzyme, glutathione helps the liver regulate lipid, glucose, and amino acid use by the body. And it supports the removal of formaldehyde produced from the metabolism of choline and other substances.

Glutathione also supports healthy hepatocytes (liver cells) by acting as an antioxidant.*

The natural detoxification process is dynamic, with a lot of reactions and conversions happening as substances are metabolized. This process can generate a lot of free radicals. So, enzymes like glutathione can defend against damaging oxidative stress to maintain the health of your liver cells.*

Unfortunately, glutathione from food or supplements is inefficiently absorbed. It’s best to give your body what it needs to make it. In addition to having enough protein from your diet, a number of micronutrients can help support this process.*

The InCelligence Detox-Support Complex contains several nutrients that help your body produce its own antioxidants, like glutathione, in addition to providing antioxidant activity. (Many also help your body make other antioxidant enzymes, like superoxide dismutase [SOD].) Milk thistle, green tea, NAC, ALA, Olivol—virtually every ingredient in the proprietary complex enhances your cells’ ability to generate glutathione to help maintain healthy levels in your liver.*

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3 Hepasil DTX a Day Keeps Liver Damaging Free Radicals Away

The InCelligence Detox-Support Complex in Hepasil DTX contains a unique blend of ingredients that optimize cell-signaling pathways tied with glutathione production. This process supports the body’s natural detoxification capacity, and it significantly enhances antioxidant protection.

The ingredients in Hepasil DTX have been shown to support healthy circulating glutathione levels following supplementation. And, somewhat unexpectedly, vitamin C levels can also be supported.

This is surprising, because there isn’t any vitamin C in the product. It was thought that circulating vitamin C levels could only be supported with direct vitamin C supplementation. But USANA research has shown that both circulating and tissue levels of vitamin C can also be optimized by certain phytochemicals.*

In other words, Hepasil DTX seriously ramps up your body’s ability to protect your liver, and other cells, from damage caused by free radicals. And because it’s made with USANA Hybrid and InCelligence technologies, no other liver support supplement can equal the innovative formula of Hepasil DTX.*

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Key Ingredients

  • Choline
  • Biotin
  • InCelligence Detox-Support Complex

See full list of ingredients

Usage

Adults take three (3) tablets daily, preferably with food.

Ideal For

  • Healthy adults
  • Endurance athletes
  • People exposed to pollution or toxins

Frequently Asked Questions About Hepasil DTX

Supporting healthy liver function is always a good idea. But it’s especially important when your body is exposed to increased pollution or when you consume less healthy food and drink. If you know you’re going to need some extra support, it’s best to take Hepasil DTX before the exposure, not after. This will help ensure your liver has the support it needs to keep up with the extra load, when it needs it.*

Hepasil DTX contains a unique blend of ingredients that alter cell signaling pathways tied with glutathione production. This process increases both the body’s antioxidant and detoxification capacity, by increasing plasma glutathione and vitamin C levels.

Newman T. 2018. What does the liver do? Medical News Today [Internet] [accessed 13 Aug 2018] Available at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/305075.php

How does the liver work? Informed Health Online/PubMed Health [Internet] [accessed 13 Aug 2018] Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072577/

Rui L. 2014. Energy metabolism in the liver. Compr Physiol 4(1): 177-197.

Choline. National Institutes of Health Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. [Internet] [accessed 16 August 2018] Available at https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/

Choline. Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. [Internet] [accessed 22 August 2018] Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK114308/

Brown MJ. 2016. What is choline? An essential nutrient with many benefits. Healthline. [Internet] [accessed 22 August 2018] Available at https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-choline

Cornatzer WE. 1960. Lipotropic agents and lipid transport. Am Jour Clin Nut 8(3): 306-309.

Methionine. PubChem. [Internet] [accessed 22 August 2018] Available at https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-methionine#section=Top

Pajares MA, Pérez-Sala D. 2006. Betaine homocysteine S-methyltransferase: just a regulator of homocysteine metabolism? Cell Mol Life Sci 63(23): 2792-803.

Cho E, et al. 2006. Dietary choline and betaine assessed by food- frequency questionnaire in relation to plasma total homocysteine concentration in the Framingham Offspring Study. AJCN 83(4):905-11.

Zeisel S, da Costa K. 2009. Choline: An Essential Nutrient for Public Health. Nutr Rev 67(11): 615-623.

Tong L. 2013. Structure and function of biotin-dependent carboxylases. Cell Mol Life Sci 70(5): 863-891.

Gazak R, Walterova D, Kren V. 2007. Silybin and Silymarin – New and Emerging Applications in Medicine. Current Medicinal Chemistry 14(3):315-38.

Flora S, Pachauri V. 2010. Chelation in metal intoxication. Int J Environ Res Pub Health 7(7): 2745-2788.

Lang I, et al. 1993. Effect of the natural bioflavonoid antioxidant silymarin on superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and expression in vitro. Biotechnol Ther 4(3-4):263-70.

Manna SK, Mukhopadhyay A, Van NT, Aggarwal BB. 1999. Silymarin suppresses TNF-induced activation of NF-kappa B, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and apoptosis. J Immunol 163(12):6800-9.

Wellington K, Jarvis B. 2001. Silymarin: a review of its clinical properties in the management of hepatic disorders. BioDrugs 15(7):465-89.

Esmaeil N, Anaraki SB, Gharagozloo M, Moayedi B. 2017. Silymarin impacts on immune system as an immunomodulator: One key for many locks. Int Immunopharmacol 50: 194-201.

Vargas-Mendoza N, et al. 2014. Hepatoprotective effect of silymarin. World J Hepatol 6(3): 144-149.

de Andrade K, et al. 2015. Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Hepatic Diseases: Therapeutic Possibilities of N-Acetylcysteine. Int J Mol Sci 16(12): 30269-30308.

Kall MA, Vang O, Clausen J. 1996. Effects of dietary broccoli on human in vivo drug metabolizing enzymes: evaluation of caffeine, oestrone and chlorzoxazone metabolism. Carcinogenesis 17(4):793-9.

Fahey JW, Talalay P. 1999. Antioxidant functions of sulforaphane: a potent inducer of Phase II detoxication enzymes. Food Chem Toxicol 37(9-10): 973-9.

Dinkova-Kostova A, et al. 2002. Direct evidence that sulfhydryl groups of Keap1 are the sensors regulating induction of phase 2 enzymes that protect against carcinogens and oxidants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 99(18): 11908-11913.

Yang F, et al. 2001. The green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate blocks nuclear factor-kappa B activation by inhibiting I kappa B kinase activity in the intestinal epithelial cell line IEC-6. Mol Pharmacol 60(3): 528-33.

Oz H. 2017. Chronic inflammatory diseases and green tea polyphenols. Nutrients 9(6): 561.

Basu A, et al. 2013. Green tea supplementation increases glutathione and plasma antioxidant capacity in adults with the metabolic syndrome. Nutr Res 33(3): 180-187.

Chen L, et al. 2017. Therapeutic properties of green tea against environmental insults. J Nutr Biochem 40: 1-13.

Manna C, et al. 1999. Olive oil hydroxytyrosol protects human erythrocytes against oxidative damages. J Nutr Biochem 10(3):159-65.

Echeverría F, Ortiz M, Valenzuela R, Videla L. 2017. Hydroxytyrosol and Cytoprotection: A Projection for Clinical Interventions. Int J Mol Sci 18(5): 930.

Hegazi RA, Seth A. 2013. Chapter 38 – The Role of Curcumin in Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases. Bioact Food Diet Interv Liv Gast Dis: 585-596. [Internet] [accessed 29 Aug 2018] Available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123971548000221

García-Niño WR, Pedraza-Chaverrí J. 2014. Protective effect of curcumin against heavy metals-induced liver damage. Food Chem Toxicol 69: 182-201.

Zhai Qixiao Z, Narbad A, Chen W. 2015. Dietary strategies for the treatment of cadmium and lead toxicity. Nutrients 7(1): 552-571.

Flora S, Pachauri V. 2010. Chelation in metal intoxication. Int J Environ Res Public Health 7(7): 2745-2788.

Hodges RE, Minich DM. 2015. Modulation of Metabolic Detoxification Pathways Using Foods and Food-Derived Components: A Scientific Review with Clinical Application. J Nutr Metab 2015: 760689.

Zimniak P. 2008. Detoxification reactions: relevance to aging. Ageing Res Rev 7(4); 281-300.

Wu G, et al. 2004. Glutathione metabolism and its implications for health. J Nutr 134(3): 489-92.

Oregon State University. Lipoic Acid. [Internet] [accessed 10 October 2018] Available at https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/lipoic-acid

Metabolic Functions of the Liver. Vivo Pathophysiology. [Internet] [accessed 11 October 2018] Available at http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/liver/metabolic.html

American Liver Foundation. 13 Ways to a Healthy Liver. [Internet] [accessed 10 October 2018] Available at https://liverfoundation.org/13-ways-to-a-healthy-liver/

What is Ayurveda. National Ayurvedic Medical Association. [Internet} [accessed 5 November 2018] Available at https://www.ayurvedanama.org/what-is-ayurveda/

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

USANA InCelligence Technology® is intelligent supplement design. It’s a nutritional technology—not a single product or a product line. InCelligence is a platform for creating products that support optimal cellular health through a natural process called cell signaling.*

This technology utilizes molecular targeting of nutrients to optimize cellular function. Key nutrients, scientifically proven to be effective cell-signaling molecules, speak your cell’s language.*

They cut through the biochemical noise—whether naturally occurring or from your lifestyle or environment—to activate your body’s abilities to support vibrant health.*

The Four Types of Nutrients and Cellular Interaction

Your diet is so much more than the calorie count. The food you eat contains a variety of nutrients. We put them in four basic categories:

  1. Essential Micro- and Macronutrients: Macronutrients are the big things (hence the macro)—protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Your body uses them for calories (energy), and as building material for cells. Micronutrients are found in the fruits and vegetables we eat. That’s where a lot of our vitamins and minerals come from.
  2. Antioxidant Protection: Just the act of living, breathing, and going through your day creates damaging oxidants. That’s why you need antioxidants. Living without enough of these important nutrients can cause problems and compromise health over time. In the broadest sense, an antioxidant is any oxidant scavenger. Dietary antioxidants include vitamins and other organic compounds that neutralize oxidants at a one-for-one or one-for-two ratio. So each molecule of an antioxidant like vitamin C can take care of one or two oxidants.
  1. Additional Nutritional Support: These additional nutrients fall outside the category of essential vitamins and minerals. So you won’t encounter a nutritional deficiency disease without them. But they have been found to provide additional health benefits. Nutrients like lutein, zeaxanthin, and glucosamine are deposited in specific areas of the body to provide a targeted benefit—like supporting healthy vision, cognitive function, skin health, and joint health.
  2. USANA InCelligence Technology: We’ve known for centuries that fruits and vegetables are good for us, but scientists had to find out why. They pulled out all the big things, like vitamins, and kept digging deeper. The search led them to phytonutrients—other compounds plants make, like the ones that give them bright colors. After all, if you think about it, the best chemists in the world are plants.

In high concentrations in test tubes, the compounds were great antioxidants. But they couldn’t figure out exactly how they were still working at the lower concentrations they could achieve in the human body. Something else had to be happening.

It was cell signaling. This relatively new understanding of phytonutrients’ abilities is the basis for InCelligence technology. USANA scientists select key nutrients—like resveratrol and quercetin—that work on cell-signaling pathways to elicit health benefits inside your cells.*

Cell Signaling Basics

Your cells are intelligent. They can sense and respond to their internal and external environments through cell signaling. So at a very basic level, this process is nothing more than a cell responding to internal or external molecules.

Receptor molecules in the cells sense their internal and external environment. These interactions trigger a chain reaction (think of a line of dominoes) that can turn on genes and activate a variety of cellular responses.

There can also be signal amplification. So very small amounts of the right nutrients targeted to the right cellular landing spots can have big impacts.

If you’re ready to dig deeper into cell-signaling, we have an in-depth description for you.

Supporting Cellular Communication Pathways

Age, lifestyle, and environmental factors can make it harder for your cells to communicate effectively. InCelligence supports your cellular communication pathways, helping maintain their health and yours.

We have the ability to target specific pathways with nutrients. Supporting the free flow of cellular information allows a broad spectrum of pathways to be positively impacted. Here’s just a few examples of what supporting and turning on these cell-signaling pathways can do:

  • Optimize cellular function.*
  • Support a healthy immune system.*
  • Support the body’s natural detoxification processes.*
  • Optimize the production of powerful antioxidants made inside cells.*
  • Support cellular clean-up processes.*

Cellular Strength Training for Resilience and Adaptability

Exercise strengthens your body, making it more resilient and adaptable. Your cells need the same thing. That’s why InCelligence is like strength training for your cells.

Hormesis is the scientific term you could use to describe this kind of cellular exercise. You stress cells to increase their resilience and adaptability—just like exercise stresses your body to ultimately make it stronger. The nutrients used in InCelligence complexes evolved as plants’ protection from the sun and hungry animals. So even though you’re getting a safe dose of these “cellular stressors” your cells still trigger protective responses.*

Flexing those cellular muscles helps create resilient cells that can more easily adapt to your lifestyle. Taking the proactive approach of turning on these natural processes also optimizes the natural longevity of cellular function.*

Products Made with USANA InCelligence Technology

USANA utilizes InCelligence cell-signaling technology to formulate a variety of products that provide different benefits.

USANA® CellSentials™: Contains Vita Antioxidant™  and Core Minerals™. CellSentials supplies carefully balanced levels of high-quality vitamins and antioxidants and a balanced range of highly absorbable essential minerals and trace minerals. It’s designed to provide an essential foundation of nourishment and powerful antioxidant protection. The InCelligence Complex also uses nutrients to unlock natural processes that support the health of your cells.*

HealthPak™: Convenient AM and PM packets containing Vita Antioxidant, Core Minerals, CellSentials Booster, and USANA® MagneCal D™ —a bone-health supplement that was not formulated with USANA InCelligence Technology. All the core supplements you need in one product for full support of your healthy lifestyle.*

Proglucamune™: Daily immune-support supplement with zinc and the InCelligence Beta-Glucan Complex. It supports the body’s ability to adapt and respond to the effects occasional, everyday stress or strenuous exercise can have on immune function. InCelligence Beta-Glucan Complex uses baker’s yeast and a combination of mushrooms to prime immune cells’ natural protective responses so they can effectively protect health.*

Hepasil DTX™: Comprehensive liver-support formula featuring the InCelligence Detox-Support Complex. The complex delivers a comprehensive array of phytonutrients, including green-tea extract, milk-thistle extract, broccoli concentrate, turmeric, and USANA’s unique Olivol® olive-fruit extract. This helps to activate your liver cells’ natural protective antioxidant and detoxification processes.*

Procosa®: Supports joint function and comfort. It also helps regulate normal cartilage formation that helps cushion your joints. The InCelligence Joint-Support Complex in Procosa helps trigger a process in cartilage cells that helps renew healthy joint-cell function and support healthy joint aging. The complex also influences signaling pathways that modulate your body’s natural responses to the temporary, normal inflammation resulting from exercise. This helps proactively promote a healthy immune and inflammatory response after exercise.*

CopaPrime+™: Supports peak mental performance and protects your brain health as you age with powerful nootropics: American ginseng plus the InCelligence Cognitive-Support Complex, which includes bacopa monnieri and coffee-fruit extract. CopaPrime+ works by helping your body produce an important cognitive protein needed for learning, memory, and thinking. It also helps you stay calm and focused during mentally stressful situations.*

Celavive® Skincare Products with the Cell Signaling Complex: A number of products in the Celavive skincare line reveal your natural radiance and fight the visible signs of aging with the power of the Cell Signaling Complex. These products feature InCelligence Technology by supplying targeted nutrient combinations that help revive your skin’s youthful appearance. A combination of botanicals and innovative peptides supports the natural production of compounds—collagen, hyaluronic acid, and more—that help skin look firmer and more radiant.

*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.

When you think of the adrenal glands you likely think of stress. It makes sense, since they are most often referred to for their role in secreting the hormone adrenaline (epinephrine), which enables your body to respond to a stressful situation. Think fight or flight reaction.

But that’s not really their primary role. Their primary role is in secreting hormones that are essential to life.

Each adrenal gland is composed of two distinct structures—the outer part of the adrenal glands is called the adrenal cortex. The inner region is known as the adrenal medulla.

The adrenal cortex secretes 3 types of hormones that are essential for life – mineralcorticoids, which are regulated by the hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain; glucocorticoids that are regulated by signals from the kidneys; and sex hormones to a small degree (most sex hormones are produced by the ovaries and testes).

Glucocorticoids released by the adrenal cortex include:

  • Hydrocortisone: Commonly known as cortisol, it regulates how the body converts fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to energy. It also helps regulate blood pressure and cardiovascular function.
  • Corticosterone: This hormone works with hydrocortisone to regulate immune response and suppress inflammatory reactions.

The principle mineralcorticoid is aldosterone, which maintains the right balance of salt and water while helping control blood pressure.

Unlike the adrenal cortex, the adrenal medulla does not secrete hormones that are essential to life, but that does not mean they aren’t beneficial. Hormones secreted by the adrenal medulla help you deal with both physical and emotional stress.

Hormones secreted by the adrenal medulla are:

  • Epinephrine (adrenaline): This hormone rapidly responds to stress by increasing your heart rate and rushing blood to the muscles and brain. It also spikes your blood sugar level by helping convert glycogen to glucose in the liver.
  • Norepinephrine (noradrenaline): This hormone works with epinephrine in responding to stress. However, it can cause vasoconstriction (the narrowing of blood vessels). This results in high blood pressure.

Disorders and diseases of the adrenal glands include Addison’s disease (also known as adrenal insufficiency), which develops when the adrenal cortex fails to produce enough cortisol and aldosterone, and Cushing’s disease, which is caused by overproduction of the hormone cortisol, typically due to a tumor on the adrenals or pituitary gland.

Adrenal fatigue is a term applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances and digestive problems. Although the term is commonly used, it isn’t an accepted medical diagnosis currently. “Adrenal Fatigue” is a syndrome, not a disease, which means it is a collection of symptoms. Symptoms of adrenal fatigue syndrome are numerous and include:

  • Waking up unrested
  • Decrease ability to handle stress
  • Brain fog or decreased cognitive ability
  • Dizziness when standing from sitting or lying down
  • Low sex drive
  • Increased severity of allergic responses
  • Low blood pressure
  • Low blood sugar
  • Weakness, and more…

Adrenal disorders such as Addison’s and Cushing’s diseases are medical conditions that require medical treatment, or life-long hormone replacement (much like type 1 diabetes or hypothyroidism).

Adrenal “fatigue” can best be addressed by a healthy diet (high glycemic diets and overconsumption of stimulants are often problematic), adequate sleep, stress management, and a balanced multivitamin/ mineral supplement that provides basic building blocks and nutrients to support normal kidney and adrenal function. Specific products marketed to treat adrenal fatigue are rarely necessary or beneficial, especially if lifestyle and dietary factors are not adequately addressed.

https://www.endocrineweb.com/endocrinology/overview-adrenal-glands