Our Bodies Are Composed of Trillions of Cells

Without cells, we wouldn’t exist! They are basically the building blocks of all living things. Our bodies are composed of trillions of different types of cells that have varying functions within the body. Cells provide structure for the body, absorb the nutrients from the foods we eat and then convert those nutrients into energy. They also carry out specialised functions and are able to reproduce themselves.

Free Radicals (The Bad Guys)

When cells use oxygen they naturally generate free radicals (by-products) which can damage important cellular components – such as the cell membrane – or macromolecules like DNA. But it’s not just internal processes that generate free radicals, external factors such as environmental pollutants, radiation, cigarette smoke, poor diet, certain drugs and pesticides and ozone, too.

The damage resulting from healthy cells being attacked by free radicals can lead to mutation, impaired function, and even cell death. Then comes oxidative stress, which is the result of too many free radicals and too much cell damage. Studies over a few decades have found that oxidative stress can lead to a whole host of diseases and is associated with aging.

Antioxidants (The Good Guys)

When free radicals wage war on our healthy cells, the bodies defence system of antioxidants kicks in to keep free radicals in check and minimise potential damage.

Although there are several enzyme systems within the body that scavenge free radicals, the principle micronutrient (vitamin/mineral) antioxidants are 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.

Why Do We Need Nutritional Supplements?

Simply put, in order to be healthy, our cells need to be nourished. How do we stay healthy and nourish our cells? By eating a diet which includes a wide variety of foods from all the food groups –Breads and cereals, vegetables, fruit, dairy and meat or meat alternatives.

And let’s be honest, most of us don’t eat the perfect diet – at least not all of the time. We get busy with work, family, school… the list goes on. Sometimes we skip meals and sometimes we grab the closest sugary or salty snack to satisfy our hunger and call it a day. And this is exactly where nutritional supplements can help and fill any nutritional gaps.

CellSentials (The Helpers)

The CellSentials are USANA’s flagship nutritional supplement: a combination of USANA Vita-Antioxidant and Core Minerals products. The InCelligence Complex supports your cells in the production of endogenous antioxidants – the type of antioxidants that are produced by your own cells – to protect against free radicals. Pretty cool, huh?

Formulated to not only help prevent nutritional deficiency, the CellSentials provide the necessary vitamins and minerals to retain optimal health and energy levels that everyone needs every day. The CellSentials also contain carotenoids, bioflavonoids, and other phytochemicals and antioxidants to provide a full arsenal of compounds to help protect against daily exposure to free radicals.

The Science of InCelligence^®

USANA InCelligence is building on our past knowledge of nutritional science and taking it a step further. The nutrients in the InCelligence Complex supports your cells in the production of endogenous antioxidants – the type of antioxidants that are produced by your own cells, not from food or supplements and their effects are hundreds of times more powerful – to protect cells against free radicals.

InCelligence sends messages that tap into your cells’ natural protective and renewal abilities. Signalling your cells to optimise these powerful responses—instead of waiting for outside stimuli—makes your cells more adaptable.

It’s like strength training for your cells. This proactive approach helps build cellular resilience and optimise longevity of cellular function. That’s how InCelligence empowers your body to meet your unique health needs, unlocking your unparalleled ability to personalise vibrant health from within.

InCelligence’s powerful nutrients complex also communicate with your cells to enhance their natural renewal response. This purification process removes the harmful by-products of cellular-energy creation, which is key to the health of your cells.

The Science of InCelligence® is a dramatic step forward in nutritional science—pushing the frontiers of cellular nutrition and expanding the horizons of personalised health.

Vitamin supplements should not replace a balanced diet. Use only as directed. Always read the label.

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Free radicals have an undisputed reputation for destroying things. They didn’t choose that path, it chose them. To understand what free radicals are you have to first understand the structure of a cell. And then grasp the idea that cells are made up of many different types of molecules. Each tiny molecule has electrons on the outside and those electrons crave balance. Now in rare cases some chemical reactions give rise to an odd unpaired electron or free radical. This lonely electron naturally seeks balance and attacks the nearest molecule it can find, causing a negative cascading effect. Can you see how this could pose a significant problem?

Back to antioxidants. What antioxidants do is they fight against oxidative stress and the formation of these unruly free radicals, thus helping you maintain cellular health. This whole defensive process never stops and is constantly occurring within our bodies.

Our bodies source two types of antioxidants for protection, dietary antioxidants and endogenous antioxidants. But what is the difference you ask? Dietary or exogenous antioxidants come from your external environment, while more powerful endogenous antioxidants are produced inside your body.

Dr. Mark Brown, USANA’s Executive Director of laboratory research, has spent years developing products and helping others better understand the roles antioxidants play in our health.

In the video below, Mark provides a succinct overview of antioxidants and why he believes certain targeted antioxidants that react with molecules inside your body to provide cellular protection are superior to “blanket protection” you might get from external sources.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlfOlCcfb6s

“We’re trying to stimulate the production of molecules within your own cells,” Mark says. “That’s the endogenous protection we’re looking for.”

This more natural approach to antioxidant defense is an example of what USANA strives to achieve throughout all its products. Taking large quantities of exogenous antioxidants is not a good idea, so a smarter more healthy solution is required. Remember, everything in moderation!

“One of the best antioxidant molecules that comes to mind is BHT. BHT is a preservative that’s used in food a lot. A lot of people understand that consuming a lot of BHT is not good for you. But if what we really wanted to do was give you the maximum antioxidant protection, we would give you spoonfuls of BHT. I don’t think anybody thinks that’s a good idea so what we look at are botanical antioxidants.”

Ingesting certain botanical antioxidants helps allow your body to process and create antioxidants itself, rather than receive antioxidants and then apply them to free radicals. This ensures optimal cellular protection and makes sure your body is actively undertaking its natural processes to its fullest capacity. – USANA scientists are focusing on leveraging the body’s natural intelligence to create optimal health. Sounds good, right? That’s only the beginning. The rest will be revealed on August 25 when USANA unlocks a new era of nutritional science at the 2016 International Convention.

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