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antioxidants

Your body is made up of so many different types of molecules. They all play their roles. But antioxidants stand out. Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize free radicals. Left alone, free radicals can cause damage to cell membranes, DNA, and more. This damage can lead to mutations, impaired function, and even cell death. To minimize potential damage from free radicals, your body utilizes a defense system of antioxidants.

Where Do Free Radicals Come From?

It is impossible to completely avoid damage from free radicals. They arise from sources inside (endogenous) and outside (exogenous) your body. Oxidants that develop from processes within your body form as a result of normal breathing, metabolism, and inflammation.

Exogenous free radicals form from environmental factors like pollution, sunlight, strenuous exercise, smoking, and alcohol. Unfortunately, no antioxidant system is perfect. So, cells and DNA damaged by oxidation accumulate as you age. A healthy diet and lifestyle can help minimize this damage.

How Antioxidants Protect You

Antioxidants are unique molecules. Their chemical structure allows them to do their main job—neutralizing free radicals. Antioxidants are molecules that can give or take an electron. That’s important because free radicals have unpaired electrons that make them very reactive.

Electrons want to be in pairs. If they aren’t, these molecules with unpaired electrons try their hardest to solve that problem. That’s what can lead to reactions that cause the oxidative damage talked about above.

Antioxidants don’t mind helping out free radicals by donating or taking on an electron. With all the electrons paired up, these free radicals are neutralized and can be safely eliminated from the body.

Sources of Antioxidants

Some antioxidants can be created by your body, and others must come from your diet. Glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase are all created by your body to help defend itself. Key nutrients have been shown to increase the production of these important antioxidants.

Micronutrient (vitamin/mineral) antioxidants include vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and selenium. The body cannot manufacture these micronutrients, so they must be acquired by diet. In addition, there are many plant-derived nutrients (phytonutrients) that can act as powerful antioxidants in the human body. The following list is an example of the wide variety of phytonutrient antioxidants present in a healthy diet:

Phytochemical Food source
Allyl Sulfides Onions, garlic, leeks, chives
Carotenoids (e.g. lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin) Tomatoes, carrots, watermelon, kale, spinach
Curcumin Turmeric
Flavonoids (e.g. anthocyanadins, resveratrol, quercitin, catechins) Grapes, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, apples, grapefruit, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries
Glutathione Green leafy vegetables
Indoles Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy
Isoflavones Legumes (peas, soybeans)
Isothiocyanates (e.g. sulforaphane) Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy
Lignans Seeds (flax seeds, sunflower seeds)
Monoterpenes Citrus fruit peels, cherries, nuts
Phytic Acid Whole grains, legumes
Phenols, polyphenols, phenolic compounds (e.g. ellagic acid, ferrulic acid, tannins) Grapes, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, grapefruit, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, tea
Saponins Beans, legumes

The recommendation from the National Cancer Institute, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and nutrition experts is to eat a minimum of 5-13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day depending on your individual caloric needs. Based on these recommendations, a typical varied diet would provide approximately 200-600 mg of vitamin C and 10-20 mg (16,000-32,000 IU) of carotenoids. Additionally, polyphenols—the most abundant antioxidant in the diet—could have a daily dietary intake as high as 1 gram per day in a mixed, varied diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, and beverages.

Possible intakes of other phytonutrient antioxidants could include:

  • Anthocyandins: 1,500 mg in two ounces of black grapes
  • Proanthocyanidins: 100-300 mg per day from red wine
  • Catechins: 50 mg per day from tea (one cup brewed green tea – 240-320 mg catechins), chocolate, apples, pears, grapes, red wine
  • Isoflavones: 50 mg per day from soy foods
  • Chlorogenic acid: as high as 800 mg per day in coffee drinkers.

Are You Eating Enough Antioxidants?

It may seem reasonable that a consistently healthy and varied diet could provide high doses of antioxidants. But the average American gets a total of just three servings of fruits and vegetables each day. As previously mentioned, dietary guidelines call for five to thirteen servings.

Due to this low intake, 93 percent of Americans fail to get even the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for vitamin E. More than half of adults fail to get even the EAR for vitamin A. Intake of numerous other antioxidants are sure to be well under optimal and beneficial levels.

Eating enough fruits and vegetables is the best way to make sure that you are getting enough antioxidants in your diet. Evaluate your diet, and make sure that you get at least five servings per day. Additionally, a good multivitamin can increase your intake of antioxidant vitamins and minerals, and may include some antioxidant plant compounds.

What We Eat In America, NHANES 2001-2002. United States Department of Agriculture. 2005

 

*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’s Nutritionals, Foods, and Sense Products should all be stored in a cool, dry location. Although not required, refrigeration can help extend the shelf life of USANA products.

Because some nutrients are susceptible to heat, do not expose USANA products to excessive heat for a prolonged amount of time. (Heat exposure during shipping is not generally significant enough to affect product quality.)

Even though nutritional supplements contain expiration dates, unlike perishable foods such as milk or meat, they don’t really spoil or go “bad” in the same way. When discussing the shelf life of a supplement, it is really the potency that is the primary concern, not ingredient spoiling or becoming toxic. It isn’t dangerous to take expired vitamins, but they may have lost some potency.

The expiration date represents the last day the item will be at its highest level of potency and quality. In other words, up until that date the product is guaranteed to contain its labeled ingredient potencies and the tablet itself is guaranteed to disintegrate properly. Beyond the expiration date, nutrient potency may gradually decline. As such, we recommend consuming products before the printed expiration date.

Storing USANA Products

Some vitamins are very sensitive to the elements, while others (ie. minerals) will remain potent almost indefinitely. We recommend storing supplements below 25 degrees Celsius (room temperature), and away from light and heat. Refrigeration may also help increase the shelf life of supplements. Storing your supplements properly ensures that your supplements will remain fully potent and of guaranteed quality for entire labeled shelf life.

Where Can I Find USANA Lot Numbers and Expiration Dates?

Lot numbers and expiration dates are printed on the bottom of the USANA supplement bottles. The expiration date on the USANA products listed with six digits is in the form DDMMYY (Day, Month, Year).

Nutritional Supplements

Most USANA supplements have a two-year shelf life. The following are exceptions:

  • HealthPak: 18 months
  • MyHealthPak: 4 months

USANA Foods

Most USANA Foods have a two-year shelf life. The following are exceptions

  • Collagen Protein Bars: 8 months
  • Peanut Butter Snack Bar: 15 months
  • Rev3 can: 18 months

Celavive™

All Celavive™ products have a shelf life of three years.

We are sometimes asked why more of USANA’s raw ingredients aren’t “certified” organic. In our view, the primary benefit of using individual ingredients or raw materials that are “certified” organic is a marketing one. Certified organic ingredients can be very difficult to obtain (if available at all) and are typically much more expensive.

Also, just because an ingredient or raw material is certified organic does not guarantee it is of high quality. In our experience, the consistency and quality of many organic materials has been questionable and not up to our rigorous quality control standards. Generally, though, the main reason for not using organic ingredients more in our product line is that at present there is not often a clear advantage to the consumer. Many people who use organically farmed products do so because they believe they are either more safe or more nutritious, which may not be universally true for all organic products and ingredients. Additionally, when it comes to nutritional supplements like USANA’s, “more nutritious” is not a relevant reason because each raw ingredient is measured and standardized for content. (To use a hypothetical example, imagine that an organically grown orange contains 85 mg of vitamin C, while a traditionally grown one only has 50 mg. In a dietary supplement, 85 mg extracted from organic sources provides no more vitamin C than 85 mg extracted from traditional sources – it is 85 mg of vitamin C, regardless.)

Another issue some bring up is safety. Again, since the majority of dietary supplement ingredients are extracted, processed, and purified, this is not a relevant issue for USANA’s nutritionals. Extracts and ingredients where there may be some legitimate concern about contamination (fish oil, for example) are thoroughly tested in the same way and to the same degree it would be necessary to test organic alternatives. USANA conducts many tests (including HPLC, ICP, FTIR and GC) on both raw materials and finished products to ensure purity and safety. Proper testing and screening procedures are also followed to assure that raw materials are free of unintentional compounds (including pesticides, heavy metals, organic contaminants, manufacturing contaminants, and more).

There may be advantages to eating organic produce and food – especially if it results in a higher intake of fruits and vegetables – but organically sourced ingredients are not generally relevant for many of the products produced by USANA.

The raw ingredients that go into USANA products come from a variety of sources. Some are derived from plants (our vitamin E, for example, is derived from soy) while others are produced synthetically. Some are derived from natural sources but have been further modified by synthetic steps. Others are derived from fermentation processes.

Natural versus synthetic is just one of the criteria that USANA uses to select the raw ingredients that go into its products. Other factors taken into account are potency, purity, safety, stability, and reliability of supply.

All factors being equal, we will select naturally derived materials over synthetically derived ones. But often times, all factors are not equal. We use vitamin and mineral compounds in the chemical form – be it “natural” or “synthetic” – proven to be effectively absorbed and utilized by the body, and that are safe, pure, and free of any contaminants.

There is a common misconception that “natural” vitamins and minerals are extracted from plants in their pure form, making them superior to “synthetic” vitamins and minerals which are made in a laboratory. This is often a misleading distinction.

First, it is not possible to extract pure vitamins from plants without considerable and significant processing that may include harsh chemical extraction solvents. Next, the biological activity of a compound has nothing to do with its source and is more determined by its chemical structure. In other words, it typically makes little difference whether the chemical originates from a leafy plant or is synthesized – it is the same compound, regardless.

Some vitamin and antioxidant compounds can be efficiently synthesized in laboratories to produce products that are identical in chemical form to those found in nature and are extremely pure and equally safe (and often much less expensive than their “natural” counterparts). In addition, some synthetic vitamins are preferentially absorbed over compounds provided by food sources.

One good example is folic acid, which is more easily absorbed than folate from food sources. Folates in food are typically large protein-bound molecules and must be hydrolyzed or deconjugated before absorption and transport into the cell.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) does not conduct pre-market authorization of dietary supplements. And no dietary supplements in the United States are “FDA approved.”

The Food and Drug Administration regulates dietary supplements under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). Under DSHEA, dietary supplements are in a special category listed under the general umbrella of “foods.”

The FDA requires that dietary supplement manufacturers follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for dietary supplements (21 CFR, part 111). USANA meets and exceeds these standards.

Otherwise, the FDA is primarily responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product after it has entered the market. The FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) is responsible for the oversight of dietary supplements after they reach the market. Their mandate is to monitor the marketplace for products that may be considered unsafe or make false or misleading claims.

The USANA products that currently use Nutritional Hybrid Technology include:

  • Proflavanol C100
  • Proflavanol C200
  • Hepasil DTX

USANA’s innovative Nutritional Hybrid Technology (NHT) is a state-of-the-art approach to formula design and manufacturing. NHT features bilayer tableting: the separation of various formula ingredients into two distinct tablet layers. This allows previously distinct products to be joined into a single formula. Incompatible ingredients can be combined in a single tablet and key nutritional ingredients can be visually highlighted in distinct tablet layers.

The Comparative Guide is written by Lyle MacWilliam and is not a USANA publication. Any questions regarding its content should be directed to Mr. MacWilliam. His website should provide contact information: https://www.nutrisearch.ca