Mega Antioxidants is USANA's daily vitamins and antioxidants supplement while Chelated Minerals is USANA's daily mineral supplement for adults.
USANA's Essentials™has been repeatedly given top ranking is the NutriSearch Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements.
So... What's really in the Essentials™??? Let's find out...
This is the label on the bottle of the Essentials' Mega Antioxidant
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| Mega Antioxidant Supplement Facts |
while this is the label on the bottle of the Essentials' Chelated Minerals
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| Chelated Mineral Supplement Facts |
Key Ingredients
- Alpha Lipoic Acid
- Also known as lipoic acid (LA) or thioctic acid, is a vitamin-like antioxidant. Some refer to ALA as the "universal antioxidant" because it has the unique attribute of being both fat and water-soluble. Another unique aspect of ALA is its ability to regenerate other antioxidants back to active states, including vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione, and coenzyme Q10.
- Beta Carotene
- Beta carotene's role as an antioxidant is based on its extensive system of conjugated double bonds which, upon reacting with an oxygen atom, absorb and diffuse that oxygen's potentially destructive energy.
- Bilberry Extract
- The bilberry fruit (Vaccinium myrtillus) is rich in antioxidant anthocyanosides, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Bilberry has been shown to help maintain healthy capillaries, including those in the eye.
- Biotin
- Biotin plays an essential role in maintaining metabolic homeostasis by acting as a cofactor with enzymes involved in carboxylation reactions.
- Boron
- Boron may play a role in osteoporosis prevention by reducing calcium excretion and increasing deposition of calcium in the bone.
- Broccoli Concentrate
- Indole-3-carbinol and isothiocyanates are sulfur-containing chemicals found in cruciferous (cabbage family) vegetables. These compounds are formed from parent compounds when cruciferous vegetables are crushed or cooked. Both are antioxidants, and both are believed to stimulate natural detoxifying enzymes in the body. Emerging research shows good evidence for these compounds being at least partially responsible for the lowered risk of cancer associated with consumption of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables.
- Bromelain
- Bromelain is a general name for a family of sulfhydryl proteolytic enzymes (enzymes capable of digesting protein) obtained from the stem of the pineapple plant. Studies (in animals and in vitro) have demonstrated potential anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic and fibrinolytic activities.
- Calcium
- Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It is needed for strength and structure of teeth and bones, blood clotting, nerve function, muscle contraction and relaxation, enzyme regulation, and membrane permeability.
- Choline
- Choline is a dietary component necessary for cell membrane integrity and facilitating the movement of fats into and out of cells. Choline is also a precursor for acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter in the brain. Choline also works with folic acid, vitamin B12, and methionine in methyl group metabolism and maintenance of healthy homocysteine levels. Since high levels of homocysteine increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, an adequate intake of choline may be important in reducing risk.
- Chromium
- Chromium is an essential mineral known to potentiate insulin action. Recent reviews of chromium supplementation in humans have shown chromium to improve the efficiency of insulin and blood lipid profiles in most test subjects. Chromium is believed to exert this action by binding with nicotinic acid and amino acids (e.g. glutathione: glutamate, cysteine, and glycine) to form an organic complex called glucose tolerance factor (GTF). GTF is thought to initiate the disulfide bridge that allows insulin to bind to its receptor on cell membrane surfaces. The exact structure of GTF is not known, but complexes with good biological activity have been synthesized from chromium, niacin, and glutathione.
- While the absorption of chromium is relatively poor, chelating chromium with various amino acids (or their derivatives) appears to increase its bioavailability. Ascorbic acid also promotes the absorption of chromium.
- Cinnamon Extract, Pomegranate Extract
- Cinnamon extract contains bioflavonoids (called proanthocyanidins) similar to the proanthocyanidins contained in grape seeds. The primary type of antioxidant contained in pomegranates is somewhat different from other compounds in USANA's bioflavonoid complex; as such, it adds to the overall biodiversity of the complex.
- Coenzyme Q10
- Coenzyme Q10 is also an antioxidant. Its ability to quench free radicals helps maintain the structural integrity and stability of cell membranes (including intracellular membranes). It is also capable of improving oxidation resistance of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Additional evidence suggests that Coenzyme Q10 uses its antioxidant capabilities to regenerate vitamin E.
- CoQ10 supplementation has therapeutic benefits for several diseases. Some of the best-documented effects involve cases of heart failure, ischemic heart disease, certain muscular dystrophies, hypertension, and periodontal disease.
- Copper
- Copper indirectly functions as an antioxidant through its essential role in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) class of enzymes. Other biological roles for copper include oxidizing ferrous iron to ferric iron (a reaction needed for hemoglobin synthesis), and the formation of lysyl oxidase, a copper-requiring enzyme with roles in collagen synthesis and wound healing.
- Folic Acid
- Folic acid helps form the building blocks of DNA and RNA needed for protein synthesis in human cells. Rapidly growing tissues - such as those of a fetus - and rapidly regenerating cells - like red blood cells and immune cells - have an especially high need for folic acid.
- Green Tea Extract
- Green tea extract is rich source of catechins, a class of bioflavonoid compounds with strong antioxidant potential. Green tea catechins with the highest antioxidant activity are epigallocatechin-3-gallate, epicatechin-3-gallate, epigallocatechin and epicatechin.
- Hesperidin
- Hesperidin is a flavonoid found in the pith of unripe citrus fruits. Chemically, it is a complex of glucose and rhamnose with the flavonone hesperin. At one time it was called vitamin P, since it affects the fragility of capillary walls. (However, it is not technically a vitamin.)
- Inositol
- Inositol promotes the production of lecithin, which aids in the metabolism of fats and helps reduce blood cholesterol. With the help of choline, it protects the heart by helping to prevent the hardening of arteries. Research has also shown that inositol may help to reduce folate-resistant neural tube defects. Therefore, combining inositol with folate should further help to prevent the majority of neural tube defects.
- Iodine
- Lycopene
- The antioxidative properties of lycopene are well-documented. Many of the protective benefits of lycopene are due to its ability to protect against oxidative damage. Recent studies focusing on these protective characteristics have found a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer with an increased lycopene intake. Studies suggest that higher blood lycopene levels may be associated with reduced incidence of prostate, digestive tract, breast, lung, and cervical cancer.
- Magnesium
- Magnesium is an essential mineral for many fundamental processes in the body. It normally exists in the body as a charged particle (or ion) and is primarily stored in bones. Magnesium plays an integral role in hundreds of enzymatic functions and is important for nerve, muscle, and bone health.
- Magnesium helps with the absorption of calcium and depends on vitamin D for its own absorption.
- Manganese
- Manganese performs a number of essential roles in cellular function and human metabolism. At the biochemical level, manganese functions both as a constituent of metallo-enzymes and an enzyme activator. It is an important constituent of an enzyme called manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) which helps protect tissues against oxidative damage.
- Molybdenum
- Molybdenum was first shown to be an essential mineral in 1953. Molybdenum functions primarily as an oxidizing agent, which gives it an important role in the electron transport component of oxidation-reduction reactions.
- N Acetyl L Cysteine
- N-acetyl L-cysteine is a derivative of the amino acid cysteine, one of the building blocks of glutathione. Glutathione deficiencies can be reversed through an increased intake of cysteine, and the most effective supplemental form is the cell-permeable form of N-acetyl-L-cysteine.
- Niacin (Vitamin B3)
- Niacin (nicotinic acid) and its derivative niacinamide (nicotinamide or nicotinic acid amide) are two forms of a water-soluble vitamin referred to as vitamin B3. Both compounds are precursors for the active forms of important enzyme cofactors (coenzymes) that assist in catalyzing oxidation-reduction reactions in human cells.
- Olivol
- Olivol contains polyphenols derived from olives. The polyphenolic antioxidants found in olives are not present in other common dietary sources. They are structurally distinct from vitamins, carotenoids, bioflavanoids, proanthocyanidins, and other antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants may be one of the components of the Mediterranean diet associated with health and longevity.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acid, DHA, EPA
- Fatty acids are long-chain carbon compounds with a non-polar carbon tail and a polar head. The human body can produce most important fatty acids from components found in the average diet. However, there are two fatty acids humans cannot produce, meaning they must be obtained from dietary sources. These two acids - called "essential fatty acids" - are Linoleic Acid (LA) an omega-6 fatty acid, andalpha-linolenic acid (ALA, not to be confused with alpha-lipoic acid) an omega-3 fatty acid.
- Alpha-linolenic acid is the starting material for the biosynthesis of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two important polyunsaturated fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic acid, EPA, and DHA are the main members of the omega-3 family of fatty acids.
- Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)
- Pantothenic acid (sometimes referred to as vitamin B5) is a water-soluble nutrient widely synthesized by plants and many bacteria, and essential in the diets of all vertebrate animals, including man.
- As a component of coenzyme A, pantothenic acid is essential for the production of energy from carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Its pivotal role in energy metabolism involves the formation of acetyl CoA, which in turn combines with oxaloacetic acid to form citrate. This reaction initiates the tricarboxylic acid cycle (Krebs cycle) which ultimately leads to the production of ATP, the cell's principal energy currency.
- Quercetin
- Quercetin belongs to a group of polyphenolic substances known as flavonoids, and is specifically found in a class of flavonoids called flavonols.
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
- Riboflavin (vitamin B2) functions primarily as part of two coenzymes: flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and flavin mononucleotide (FMN). These coenzymes participate in oxidation-reduction reactions needed for the production of energy from glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids.
- Selenium
- Selenium is a trace element that functions as part of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, a vital antioxidant system that protects cell membranes.
- Silicon
- The most important functions appear to be in the growth and development of bone, cartilage, and connective tissue, where silicon plays both a metabolic and structural role.
- Silicon also appears to be required for the synthesis of collagen. Collagen is the protein matrix found in connective tissue and cartilage, and it is the single most abundant protein in the human body. Silicon promotes the synthesis of proline and hydroxyproline, principal amino acids in the structure of collagen.
- Thiamin (Vitamin B1)
- Vitamin B1, also called thiamin or thiamine, is a water-soluble vitamin required for normal energy metabolism and cell division. Thiamin is involved in the production of five-carbon sugars required for synthesis of DNA and RNA, and it plays a role in fatty acid synthesis.
- Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)
- Vitamin B6 is an essential water-soluble B vitamin. Vitamin B6 ultimately plays a key role in general human metabolism and health. Primary processes mediated by vitamin B6 include the generation of glucose from glycogen, the synthesis of niacin (vitamin B3), lipid metabolism, nervous system function, hormone modulation, and immune function.
- Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12)
- Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble B vitamin essential for human health and well-being. Vitamin B12 works alongside folic acid and vitamin B6 in the maintenance of homocysteine levels, an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease.
- Vitamin C (Mineral Ascorbates)
- Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid or ascorbate, plays two important roles in the body. First, it is a cofactor or cosubstrate for eight enzyme systems involved in various functions, including collagen synthesis, ATP synthesis in mitochondria, and hormone biosynthesis. Second, vitamin C is a powerful water-soluble antioxidant with a vital role in protecting cells and tissues from damaging oxidizing agents, including superoxides, hydroxyl radicals, and other free radicals.
- Related functions performed by vitamin C include regenerating vitamin E to its active state, promoting iron absorption in the intestines by keeping iron in its reduced form, and participation in DNA transcription and protein synthesis regulation.
- Vitamin D
- A unique property of vitamin D is that it functions very much like a hormone. Its target tissues include the kidneys, intestines, and bones, where it helps regulate calcium and phosphorus homeostasis.
- Vitamin D is an essential component of bone health in both children and adults. Without vitamin D, bones do not calcify properly, leading to the condition known as "rickets." Vitamin D also plays an important role in tooth development.
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin E, unlike other vitamins, is not a cofactor in the function of specific enzyme systems. Rather, it is a potent antioxidant that protects cells and tissues from oxidative damage induced by free radicals. D-alpha tocopherol is one of eight natural forms of vitamin E, and it is the form shown to have the greatest nutritional and biological value, in part because the body preferentially retains it.
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin K is an essential cofactor for enzymatic activity. It assists in the enzymatic carboxylation of glutamic acid, an amino acid found in most proteins. This carboxylation occurs after the amino acid has been incorporated into the protein chain. The added carboxyl (-COOH) groups provide a site at which calcium can bind to the protein. Through the above activity, vitamin K is involved in converting an inactive precursor of prothrombin (blood coagulation factor II) into biologically active prothrombin.
- Zinc
- Zinc is a cofactor for more than 300 enzymes needed for cell function in the eyes, kidneys, muscles, skin, and bones. As a component of metalloenzymes, zinc provides structural integrity to the enzyme and/or participates directly in the reaction at the catalytic site.
In order for us to take care of our love ones, we must first take care of ourselves. All of these vitamins, minerals, & antioxidants are present in USANA's Essentials™ so our bodies can receive the basic nutrition it needs. Don't you think your body deserves to be treated good? :)
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