As the dreaded flu season threatens, preparedness is key to combat the disease.
Who would want to get bedridden for days, suffering from fever, chills, muscle pains, runny nose, severe headaches, nausea and vomiting? Of course, no one wants to use up sick leaves or worse get unpaid for work absences, or miss school days for an important lesson, or worse end up hospitalized with mounting medical expenses.
Influenza, or widely known as the “flu”, is always confused with other similar illnesses like the common cold. But it is a more severe infectious disease caused by the ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus. It can be transmitted through the air or contaminated surfaces, thereby infecting more people in less time.
Treatments range from medications and therapies, which either offer relief from the said symptoms or zero in on the disease itself through anti-viral medications.
However, new strains have emerged that have developed resistance to these medications or any known treatments.
These lead to seasonal epidemics or pandemics that spread worldwide and cause up to a quarter of a million deaths around the world.
The most serious, more recent pandemics that spread worldwide were the H1N1 strain that caused the Swine Flu, which initially spread across the US, Mexico in 2009, and the H5N1 serotype, which triggered the Avian or Bird Flu in 2004 that first spread across Asia.
With the threat of more new strains emerging and the uncertainty and risk involved in contracting the disease, preventive measures, such as loading up with vitamin C supplements and other nutritional solutions, are crucial.
These are important to strengthen the immune system, which helps the body fight or recover from the disease. But some offerings off the shelf prove ineffective and insufficient, leading to most takers still getting afflicted.
In this day and age, an enhanced, complete nutritional solution, such as a powerful mix of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, is necessary to effectively combat the flu.
Antioxidants and vitamins reinforce cells to prevent harmful effect of free radicals (oxidation) that lead to infection and serious diseases. Beta carotene helps maintain the integrity of all cell membranes, the digestive and respiratory systems. Vitamins B6, B12, and folate, on the other hand, are crucial in producing immune cells, and Vitamins E, D, and the mineral Zinc, which exhibits properties that effectively support immunity against diseases.
But one of the most important immune system enhancers is Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, which supports many other important functions in the body as an antioxidant, which helps address multiple diseases, and as an antihistamine, which treats allergies.
In addition, plant pigments called bioflavonoids provide natural ingredients to boost the immune system. Proanthocyanidins are a subclass of bioflavonoids found in blue and purple berries, purple grapes, and red wine, and they are available in relatively high concentrations in grape-seed extract.
USANA offers its Essentials, a combination offering the Mega Antioxidant, which is USANA’s daily vitamin and antioxidant supplement for adults, and Chelated Mineral, the daily mineral supplement for adults. Taken together in daily doses, USANA Essentials is one’s ideal weapon against the onslaught of the flu season.
In addition, USANA also provides a unique formulation of bioflavonoids supplement combines the highest quality grape-seed extract with free-radical quenching power of Vitamin C in Proflavanol C100. It brings together two of USANA’s most popular Nutritionals Proflavanol and Poly C into one advanced supplement using USANA’s innovative Nutritional Hybrid Technology, This state-of-the-art approach to formula design and manufacture features bi-layer tableting: the separation of various formula ingredients into two distinct tablet layers. Now, for the first time, previously distinct products can be joined into a single formula. Incompatible ingredients can be combined in a single tablet. And key nutritional ingredients can be visually highlighted in distinct tablet layers.
USANA’s Nutritional Hybrid Technology opens the door to accelerated innovation in supplement design and manufacture. Proudly, USANA is among the first in the supplement world to use Nutritional Hybrid Technology.
About USANA
Founded in 1992, USANA Health Sciences (NYSE: USNA) is a U.S.-based nutritional company that manufactures high-quality supplements and personal care, energy and weight-management products in its FDA-registered facility in Salt Lake City. USANA’s products, tested by NSF International and used by more than 600 professional athletes, are developed by the company’s award-winning team of scientists and sold directly to Preferred Customers and Associates in 18 international markets.
USANA is the No. 1 Rated Brand in Direct Sales Based on Customer Satisfaction in ConsumerLab.com’s 2013 Survey of Vitamin and Supplement Users. Named one of Outside magazine’s “Best Places to Work” for four consecutive years, USANA has received more than 100 state, national and international accolades, including Utah Best of State, Stevie Awards, Australian Business Awards, NutriSearch Editor’s Choice and others. Learn more about USANA (www.USANA.com) and the USANA True Health Foundation (www.USANAfoundation.org/), stay current with the official USANA blog (www.whatsupUSANA.com), like us on the USANA Facebook page (www.facebook.com/USANAhealthsciences), or follow USANA on Twitter (@USANAinc).