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USANA Assures the Quality of Its Fish Oil Supplement

usana biomegaResponse to fish oil supplement study in New Zealand

A recent study published in the journal of Scientific Reports (Albert et al, 21 Jan 2015) reported that majority of the fish oil supplements in New Zealand are highly oxidized and do not meet label claim for omega-3 contents.

Researchers at the University of Auckland evaluated the quality and content of 32 encapsulated fish oil products sold at retail or online stores in Auckland, New Zealand. All products were tested for total oil content, EPA+DHA content, oxidation status as measured by PV, AV and Totox value. The study found that only 3 out of the 32 fish oil supplements contained quantities of EPA and DHA that were equal or higher than labelled claims, with most products tested (69%) containing less than 67%. The vast majority of products tested also exceeded recommended levels of oxidation markers. Findings from this study had come as a surprise with such high percentage of products that failed to meet label claim and quality standards. It certainly raised alarms for the New Zealand authorities to conduct further investigation. Testing methodology used in the study should be closely examined and re-testing of these products by independent laboratories may also be necessary to avoid misrepresentation.

USANA wish to advise its customers that results from the Auckland study has no relevance to USANA Biomega fish oil supplement sold in Australia, New Zealand and globally. Although the study authors have not disclosed the brand names of the products tested, they did state the country of origin and label claims. There were only two products that were manufactured in USA and their label claims for EPA+DHA content do not match the label claim of USANA BiOmega. We therefore conclude that USANA BiOmega was not included in the Auckland study.
USANA wish to further assure its customers that, when it comes to choosing a fish oil supplement, they can trust USANA Biomega as a high quality and high potency product.

▪ USANA BiOmega is manufactured according to pharmaceutical-grade GMP – a much more stringent manufacturing standard than food-grade GMP. We adhere to such high manufacturing standards to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of our products;

▪ Fish oil in BiOmega is extracted from wild, cold water fish species that come from a fishery
that uses sustainable practices and renewable resources;

▪ We comply with all relevant regulations in regards to purity and potency, and meet our
internal specification to guarantee that heavy metals and other contaminants are well under
the allowable limits set by government authorities;

▪ Fish oil in BiOmega is individually encapsulated and manufactured under nitrogen gas to
prevent the omega-3 EFAs from being oxidized. Each capsule of BiOmega also contains
tocopherol (vitamin E) to further protect the omega-3 EFAs from oxidation to ensure long term
stability. Test results of oxidation markers (PV and AV value) for BiOmega are also well
below the level set by government and international guidelines;

Each batch of BiOmega is tested against our strict specification for label claim and purity at time of product release and throughout long-term stability testing program to ensure that the product maintains its quality and potency throughout its shelf life;

▪ In addition, USANA BiOmega has been independently tested by ConsumerLab and received
approval for label claim for EPA+DHA content and for meeting the purity standards.
BiOmega has also been tested and certified for label claim by NSF international.

If you want to purchase USANA Biomega fish oil, please visit our USANA New Zealand approved website.

NutritionX Health Network

The ABCs of USANA Vitamin D

Just when you thought yoVitamin Du knew everything there was to know about vitamin D, USANA goes and uncovers even more benefits of this incredible nutrient! A new research study, done in conjunction with Inter-mountain Healthcare’s The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (TOSH) is now published online in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the findings are amazing!

But, if you’re anything like me, all that super smart, scientific jargon can be intimidating…and, let’s be honest, a little boring. Reading the study is one thing—but actually understanding it is a completely different story. That’s why I’ve gone through and pulled out the most important info. You’re welcome!

The Point  

To determine the extent to which vitamin D supplements and other factors influence overall vitamin D levels in the body.

The Subjects

The study examined 743 male and female adults living across the United States during the summer and winter months. They were between the ages of 20 and 65.

The Findings

Taking a vitamin D supplement is the most significant way to improve vitamin D levels in the body.

Ok, so what does this all mean? Can’t we get enough vitamin D through diet and sun exposure? It may sound simple enough, but maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D is much easier said than done.

More than 95% of the subjects in this study did not consume the estimated average requirement of vitamin D through their diet alone.

The Surprise

While it’s true that we can make vitamin D in our skin from sun exposure, there really wasn’t much difference between people’s vitamin D levels between the summer and the winter months!

Researchers found a minimal increase in vitamin D levels in the summer. So what did the researchers conclude from this? We all need to be worried about our vitamin D levels no matter what time of year it is.

Vitamin D from the SunIt’s true that most individuals could meet the vitamin D requirements from sun exposure, but most of us lead busy lives. Even during the summer months, we tend to stay indoors while at work or with our children, and when we do find time to soak up the sun, it’s usually not during the optimal hours for vitamin D synthesis in the skin (11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.). Not to mention the various health concerns associated with increased sun exposure.

That’s why all of us should take a daily vitamin D supplement with at least 2,000 IUs (International Units). It’s a safe and effective approach to increasing your vitamin D levels.

The ExpertsUSANA Vitamin D

“This study provides novel data indicating that the number of individuals with low vitamin D doubles during winter compared to those during the summer. Notably this finding underscores the impact of vitamin D supplementation in order to achieve a good vitamin D level, especially during the winter months.” – Tyler Barker, TOSH Clinical Researcher

“USANA and TOSH are the ideal partnership for conducting nutritional scientific studies. We’re excited about the outcome of our research, which helps to identify risk factors for vitamin D deficiency—a worldwide health concern. And the fact that vitamin D supplementation is a safe, cost effective and potent way to increase vitamin D levels provides a promising and simple solution to the problem.” – Mark Levy, USANA Senior Scientist.

 Purchase USANA Vitamin D from our website:    www.buyvitaminsonline.co.nz

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Weight-loss and alcohol – how can it affect your liver?

usana hepasil

Article from 2014 USANA published Magazine.

Some fat in the liver is normal. But if fat makes up more than 5-10 per cent of the weight of your liver (your doctor can advise you), you may have alcoholic or non-alcoholic liver disease. Both of these conditions can lead to serious complications. And, there are no symptoms in the early stages – only a blood test and abnormal liver enzymes can signal an early problem.

Getting into a healthy weight range is important. This helps you to avoid insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (a cluster of symptoms including belly fat and two or more of high blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood glucose). Insulin resistance can occur when insulin tries to normalise the concentration of glucose in your blood by taking glucose in the blood into body cells (where it can be used as an energy source). Insulin resistance is when the cells become resistant to insulin so that there are high levels of insulin and glucose in the blood. Insulin is a hunger hormone and glucose is converted into fat and deposited around the body – including the abdomen and liver.

And, while losing weight is important, it is very important to go slow and steady with weight-loss. Rapid weight loss is not recommended. For example, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can develop in some people following surgery to reduce obesity and may be due to rapid changes of fats in the blood when the body encourages the liver to produce fats to make up for the fat missing from the diet.

Alcohol is also a well-known cause of liver damage – and if you regularly drink over the recommended lower risk guidelines, you increase your chances of developing live problems which can be irreversible. 

The liver turns glucose into fat which it sends round the body to store for use when we need it. Alcohol affects the way your liver handles fat so your liver cells get stuffed full of it.

Alcohol causes oxidative stress when the liver tries to breakdown alcohol into something less toxic. The damage can lead to inflammation and scaring as your liver tries to repair itself. Alcohol also causes toxins from your gut to get into the liver and these can cause inflammation and scarring, too.

What can you do?

Don’t drink alcohol every day. Daily drinking increases the chances of your body becoming tolerant to alcohol. Taking days off alcohol helps to give your body a break and time for your liver to heal itself. If you need help, speak with your GP.

Eat well. Good nutrition can help to support your liver to function and plays a crucial role in your health.Enjoy two fruits and five veggies or more daily and always fill half of your plate with fresh produce and only a quarter with lean protein and a quarter with wholegrain or wholemeal carbohydrates help to shift the balance to healthier eating. You will automatically consume fewer calories if you go for this kind of portion perfection. A healthy weight loss is about half to one kilos per week.

Try a liver lovin’ cleanse. USANA HepaPlus™ supplement contains numerous ingredients including milk thistle extract and alpha lipoic acid.

USANA HepaPlus™ also contains a bioavailable from of turmeric extract to support healthy liver function. 

Turmeric is widely used in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory, to treat digestive and liver problems and skin conditions. In animal studies, curcumin, the pigment that gives turmeric its distinctive yellow colour can slow the changes caused by excessive alcohol consumption that lead to liver damage.  It can also lower the levels of two body enzymes that cause inflammation. 

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