Now, how many people have MS?

How many people’s MS get better, who are not taking this vitamin mix?

How many people with MS who are taking this vitamin mix are getting better?

Any idea?

Because of today’s hectic lifestyles and diets that are far from
balanced, it is very difficult to obtain the essential nutrients from
food alone. In addition, daily stress, environmental pollutants, and
unrefined foods are bombarding us with free radicals and have further
increased the need for supplementation.

USANA has expanded the meaning of “essential” micro nutrition to
include more ingredients than just those with an established RDA.
Formulated to not only prevent deficiency diseases, the USANA
Essentials provide the necessary micronutrients to maintain optimal
health and energy levels that everyone, at every age, needs every day. The Essentials also contain trace minerals, mixed carotenoids,
bioflavanoids, and other phytochemicals and antioxidants to provide a
full arsenal of compounds to help protect against the daily exposure
to free radicals.

USANA continually reviews all the available scientific literature to
insure the micronutrients present in our Essentials formulas are
balanced to work together. While much is still not known about all the
interactions that occur with nutrients in our bodies, USANA continues
to keep abreast of the latest research to insure up-to-date
formulations. USANA takes extra steps to guarantee that only the
highest quality ingredients with dependable levels of potency pass
rigorous quality controls at every step of the manufacturing process.

Again, to be useful, all nutrients must be of high quality and bioavailable. Poor disintegration means poor bioavailability of the nutrients.

PROFLAVANOL 90 is a key weapon in our Antioxidant arsenal. USANA uses the highest quality grape seed extract. Coupled with their exclusive formulation, POLY C, the strong free radical scavengers in PROFLAVANOL 90 provide you with an important tool in the quest for lifelong good health. Together these ingredients provide significantly better protection against the oxidative modification of low density lipoproteins (LDL) than would be predicted from the sum of their individual effects. Not only do proanthocyanidins neutralize free radicals themselves, they conserve and regenerate vitamins C and E.

I had a lot of inflammation in my legs before I started these supplements. The Proflavanol 90 has brought my inflammation under control. And because MS is an autoimmune disease this Proflavanol 90 helps boost my immune system too. I don’t get colds and I do not get a yearly flu shot.

The CoQuinone 30 was given to me for the energy that I lack from my disease. It consist of Coenzyme 10 and ALPHA LIPOIC ACID.
As we age, the ability to absorb and synthesize CoQ10 diminishes and the amount of CoQ10 retained in tissues decreases. In addition, CoQ10 may be depleted by several other factors, including overall nutritional status, levels of the B vitamins, folate, vitamin C, and selenium. CoQ10 levels in tissue may also be lowered by some drugs, including the cholesterol-lowering statins, and excessive exercise or environmental stresses such as illness and extreme weather.

My MS is affected a great deal with extreme heat and extreme cold. I am not affected by these extreme conditions while I am on this product now.

The energy that every cell needs to function is produced through a complex process in the mitochondria, an organelle within the cell, often called the cellular powerhouse. Cells store energy in a molecule called adenosine-5-triphosphate, or ATP. CoQ10 is an essential part of the electron transport chain used to make ATP. Thus ATP is synthesized and used by every cell in the body. Cells with the highest energy demands, such as in the heart, contain the highest levels of CoQ10. CoQ10 has been studied for years in the U.S., Europe, and Japan for its role in producing cellular energy and re-energizing the heart and other muscles. Several human clinical trials demonstrate maintenance of good heart function. A byproduct of energy production in the mitochondria is the formation of damaging free radicals. Nature has designed a molecule in CoQ10 that is remarkable because it not only assists in ATP production; it also cleans up the free radicals that are produced during that process. As an antioxidant, it rivals vitamins E and C. In addition, CoQ10 helps to regenerate and recycle vitamin E and works in concert with other antioxidants to protect against the damaging effects of free radicals.

Now for the BiOmega that I take.
In spite of clear benefits, health authorities have warned us to limit our intake of certain species of fish due to concern about potential contaminants. Manufactured in a state-of-the art facility, USANA’s BiOmega is virtually free of contaminants, which are eliminated through a double-molecular distillation process that ensures the highest possible purity. Through this process, heavy metals, PCBs, pesticides, and organic residues are effectively eliminated. Also free of trans- fatty acids, each capsule contains 2 mg of mixed natural tocopherols to minimize oxidation of the omega-3 fatty acids and maintain product quality during storage. In short, BiOmega is one of the purest, highest quality products available on the market today.

USANA’s BiOmega is produced from cold-water, deep-sea fish oil and contains a balanced, highly concentrated daily dose of two important omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are the biosynthetic precursors of a family of compounds called eicosanoids (prostaglandins, thromboxins, and leucotriens). These compounds are hormone-like substances that help retain normal health processes in our bodies. It is important to maintain an appropriate balance of omega-3 and omega-6 in the diet as these two substances work together to promote health. Yet despite the clear health benefits associated with omega-3 fatty acids, dietary surveys indicate that most of us do not obtain enough omega-3 fatty acids from our diets. In 2002, the American Heart Association issued new guidance on fish and fish oil consumption, because results of large-scale epidemiological studies and randomized controlled studies showed that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil support cardiovascular health.

In addition to the heart health benefits, studies have shown omega-3 fatty acids, in the form of fish oil supplements, to be effective in supporting healthy joints, promoting optimal neural development and function, and maintaining good bone health. Finally, DHA is also an important structural component of the retina and is, therefore, essential for eye development and growth.

Lastly I take their Active Calcium. It is a comprehensive aid in the maintenance of healthy bones, helps reduce risk of osteoporosis, maintains optimal function of many body processes, contains nutrients essential to normal nerve conduction, muscle contraction, and blood clotting. USANA’s Active Calcium is enhanced with boron and vitamin K. Boron reduces calcium excretion and increases deposition of calcium in the bone. Vitamin K influences the level of osteocalcin in the bone-forming cells and thus the rate of mineralization of bone. One of the things that MS does is it deteriorates the myelin sheath around my nerves. I have been told the Active Calcium along with the other four supplements, helps in slowing down the progression of this process.

I picked these products mainly because of all the research my daughter did after the recomendations of the products by my Occupational Therapist and then Dr. Ray Strand MD. One of the most overwhelming pieces of evidence for the Essentials came from the book “The Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements” by a biochemist named Lyle MacWilliam,Bsc, MSc, FP.

This biochemist gave 33 companies out of 1500 a five star rating (highest rating) for what they had in them and the potential effects in preventing degenerative diseases. However, he did not stop there, he went to the 33 companies and asked all 33 of them to put their products through an independent third-party testing of their products and only 4 companies agreed to the testing. Usana was one of them. This biochemist now promotes the four companies as “The Best of The Best”. His book has had 4 revisions I believe in the last 7 years and has become the leading authority for consumers who want to find a good vitamin. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn the science behind vitamins, supplements and cellular nutrition.

Now that I have stayed up way too late for me, I hope this answers your questions Mr. Webster.

What USANA products did you use that helped you with your MS?

Why did you pick these USANA products?

My apologies for not answering you but I did not see a question in your comments. If you really want to know there are no pharmaceutical drugs in the Usana Products. There are only vitamins, minerals, nutrients, micronutrients, phytonutrients, antioxidants and herbal extracts. Usana is one of the few companies that reveal what is actually in their products. That is why they are in the Physician Desk Reference book that doctors use. They are not synthetic ingredients either and most of all they are bioavailable which means they absorb completely in our bodies.

As I mentioned before, 90% of all the vitamins (the ones you say you can find cheaper) do not even absorb in our bodies. So they are useless.

We need to regulate supplements in this country so the Centrum takers don’t waste their money thinking they are protecting their health (I was one of them for years, along with many other kinds of vitamins). Learn about the RDA levels and why they are misleading here in the U. S. Learn about how cozy the pharmaceutical industry is with the FDA and how drug overdose and drug interaction is the third leading cause of death in this country. Did you know that they pharmaceutical industry does not have to validate their research (regarding what certain drugs can do for us or the side effects) to the FDA?

I feel that I am informed and what I do not know my daughter knows. She teaches medical professionals and seniors about these products. The cost of the medication for MS patients can range from $700 -$1300 a month. My cost for the Essentials is $39.95/mo and I take three other supplements (from Usana) that a MD doctor prescribed specifically for my MS that costs another $101. So I spend around $140/mo to feel better than I have felt in years. I am also starting to walk with a cane again.

Mr. Webster these supplements did not alleviate my MS. It was explained by my doctor that it was simply slowing the progression of my MS down by addressing the health of my cells. We no longer can get the nutrition our cells need to ward off disease because our foods are devoid of that nutrition they once had in it. I am already in a” diseased state but they can definitely help people that are not in a diseased state, avoid any degenerated diseases all together.

What I did not tell you is that I have been on other vitamins way before Usana came along in 1992. None of them have done for me what the Usana products have done for me. I know it is hard to believe all this, but believe it. There is so much we all don’t know about supplements, cellular nutrition and oxidative stress but we better start learning or all degenerative diseases will continue to rise in this country and all of us will continue to get sick. I am sorry I went on too long but this stuff is too improtant not to get it.

Here are 5 crucial things that my daughter says must be considered when researching and choosing a high-quality nutritional supplement. There are only four companies out on the market today that can say they do all this and Usana is one of them. Usana is also the cheapest out of the four companies.

1. Know the Manufacturing Process. So many “off-the-shelf” supplements in the marketplace today have unknown manufacturing processes. Know the company you’re going to purchase from and how they produce the product you’re going to put in your body. Companies that voluntarily subject themselves to third-party audits, reviews, and strict testing of their manufacturing processes are generally the best ones to go for–they usually have high standards of integrity in their company. It is best to do a little investigating at the company’s website or call them directly.

2. Pharmaceutical Grade vs. RDA. Advances in nutritional science have led to the growing awareness of the need for optimal levels of nutrient intake as a means of long-term prevention of degenerative disease and optimal health. The vitamin/nutrient recommendations set by the RDA only address clinical symptoms and their nutritional recommendations are a base level for what we actually need for optimal health. These RDA recommendations may keep us from getting scurvy or rickets these days (the CDC doesn’t even keep track of the statistics of those deficiencies any more), but are not the appropriate levels for being proactive in preventing disease such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. RDA recommendations should not be considered the optimal levels for complete nutrition. For example, a major killer in America today is heart disease–and if we want to look at tackling the root cause of disease in this and many other conditions, we need to be taking optimal levels of vitamins and minerals for purposes of prevention and keeping our cells healthy.

In addition, the RDA looks at supplements like foods and they are not required to put in their bottles exactly what is on the label. Pharmaceutical-Grade supplements purchase pharmaceutical-grade raw materials and then follow pharmaceutical-grade Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) in producing their supplements. With pharmaceutical-grade supplements, you can be confident that the active ingredients and ingredients listed on the label will be the actual amounts in the bottle.

The government does not set a standard or require the manufacturers of nutritional supplements to follow these high-quality procedures; still, some nutritional companies put this extra effort into the manufacturing and Research & Development of their products to provide their customers with the assurance that they are getting what is on the label.

3. Bioavailability and Potency. Basically, how available it is for your body and is it actually potent enough to make a significant difference to the quality of your health (remember the RDA info above?). This aspect of quality is set by the U.S Pharmacopoeia (USP) standards. These government guidelines are in place to assure that consumer medications and supplement tablets are bioavailable to the body–meaning they dissolve properly and will be readily absorbed in the body. You would be surprised by the enormous amounts of vitamins/supplements that do not dissolve properly! If it’s not dissolving, your body most definitely can’t use and disperse the nutrients! Companies that use pharmaceutical-grade GMPs would be useless if they didn’t also abide by the USP standards for the dissolution of their tablets. It doesn’t matter what’s in a tablet if it doesn’t even dissolve.

4. Completeness and Balance. This is about making sure the nutrients work together in synergy, creating good absorption and interactions with each other. This aspect is probably the most difficult to understand because there are so many combinations of nutrients that are put together. A full supply of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants is crucial for disease prevention and keeping the cells of the body healthy and alive. So, basically, you most definitely want to make sure the company you choose understands and implements complete balance in their products. Some companies are claiming you can get all of the nutrients you need in one or two pills a day. It is impossible to cram all of the nutrients the body needs into one or two “super pills.”

5. Continued Research, Product Support, and Cost. After going through the first four steps, if you want to take it up a notch to really see who’s behind the product you’re putting in your body, ask yourself these questions in your investigative search: -Does the company invest significant time into extensive scientific operations, research and services, and stay at the forefront of nutritional science? (After all, research and science are always discovering new things.) -Is customer service and product support available from one company, or do you have to go through multiple companies for support?

And finally, although cost is a contributing factor for most of us, don’t be enticed by the cheapest product on the market. On the same note, many times the most expensive ones are not the best either. Take a good look at the company first and set it against the first 4 standards; and then see if the quality they offer is competitive to the market price.

Remember, this is your health you’re investing in. You can spend very cheaply on a product (and get just that–a very cheap low-quality product that does nothing for you); or you can invest a little more now in care and prevention and save a ton of money later.

You asked me, so I told you. I am sorry again that it was too long. I wish you the best and if you ever get sick I promise you will remember this blog and our conversation.