USANA Vitamin D Product

Vitamin D is necessary for normal bone mineralisation and growth, maintenance of muscle strength and coordination, cardiovascular health, and robust and balanced immune function.

Vitamin D is unique among vitamins working more like a hormone at the level of our DNA. Vitamin D has been estimated to regulate somewhere between 200-300 genes and likely why vitamin D has been linked to so many health outcomes. Despite its importance, a significant portion of the population is deficient in Vitamin D.

Vitamin D – Summary

• Vitamin D promotes a healthy, balanced immune system through regulation and differentiation of immune system cells.
• Vitamin D supports the development and maintenance of bones and teeth by helping with the absorption and use of calcium.*
• Healthy Vitamin D levels play a key part of minimizing age-associated bone loss.
• You can absorb Vitamin D naturally through foods such as fatty fish, egg yolks, and fortified cereals. Your body can also naturally absorb Vitamin D through skin exposure to sunlight. The more skin you expose, the more Vitamin D will be produced.
• Vitamin D deficiency is most directly related to poor bone health, including rickets and osteomalacia.
• In NZ only one-third are getting adequate amounts of Vitamin D daily. USANA’s Vitamin D supplement is formulated with a high level of vitamin D to help prevent deficiency by ensuring you get adequate amounts throughout the entire year.

The Science of USANA Vitamin D

Vitamin D promotes a healthy, balanced immune system through its key role in regulation and differentiation of immune system cells. It also has been linked to healthy endothelial function, which is important for cardiovascular health. And, it also helps maintain normal functioning of the nervous system.

In addition, recent research has shown the following:

• Vitamin D may play a role in keeping our lungs healthy, with higher concentrations of vitamin D resulting in positive effects on lung function and health.*

• Vitamin D may play a role in helping elderly people maintain lean muscle mass.*

• Healthy vitamin D levels are a key part of minimizing age-associated bone loss.

• Vitamin D supports the development and maintenance of bones and teeth by helping in the absorption and use of calcium.*

Calcium is the major structural element of bones and teeth. Your body needs several nutrients in order for calcium to be absorbed and used properly. Two of these nutrients are vitamin D and vitamin K. Vitamin D increases absorption of calcium from the small intestine so the body receives maximum benefit, while vitamin K helps make sure calcium builds up in the bones and not in soft tissues. Adequate calcium and vitamin D throughout life, as part of a well-balanced diet, may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Natural Sources of Vitamin D

Food

There is a very small amount of vitamin D in a few foods, which makes it almost impossible to get the levels you need from food alone. However, some foods that include vitamin D are fatty fish, egg yolks, orange juice, and some cereals.

Sun Exposure

Every time we expose our bare skin to direct sunlight, we use ultraviolet B (UVB) rays to produce vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Sunlight can be a tricky thing, though, because too much can be a bad thing. You need to monitor how much sun exposure is needed for healthy vitamin D levels. The amount of vitamin D you actually absorb from sunlight differs depending on the time of day and year, where you live, and the color of your skin. The more skin you expose to the sun, the more vitamin D is produced. So those winter rays don’t necessarily produce the same amount of vitamin D that summer rays do.

There are two main factors that determine how much Vitamin D your body will produce when exposed to sunlight:

Time of Day and Year

During the fall and winter months, the sun is at an angle that causes the atmosphere to lessen the amount of UVB rays that pass through. The same process occurs during the early and later parts of each day.

You can test this simply by looking at the length of your shadow when standing outside. If your shadow is longer than you are tall, not as many UVB rays are reaching your body, so you’re not producing as much vitamin D. This means that the closer to midday you are, the more UVB rays your body is getting. Have you ever noticed that in the winter months, your shadow is longer than you are for most of the day, but in summer, it is much shorter during the midday hours?

Where You Live

Take a look at a globe and find the equator. The further away you are from it means you are living in a location that makes it harder for your body to use sunlight to make vitamin D. Once again, this is because sunlight is hitting the atmosphere at more of an angle, blocking out more UVB rays, especially during the winter season.

USANA Health Sciences

Vitamin supplements should not replace a balanced diet.
USE ONLY AS DIRECTED. ALWAYS READ THE LABEL.
IF SYMPTOMS PERSIST SEE YOUR HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER.