Description
Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, which is present in many foods. Vitamin A is very important for normal vision, immune system and reproduction. It is now known that beta-carotene is the primary precursor for Vitamin A in humans. Unived’s Vitamin A assures that the daily requirement of vitamin A is met. It provides 5400mcg (9000 I.U.) of natural and more bioavailable beta-carotene along with organic spirulina powder which is the richest source of carotenoids. It is also packed with piperine which enhances the absorption of beta-carotene for complete utilisation.
As beta-carotene is a potent antioxidant it has varied applications in life. Unived’s Natural Beta-Carotene can be used by all adults looking forward to maintain healthy vitamin A levels for better vision, improving immunity, protection of cells from free radical damage, protection from infection or healthy growth and development.
Unived’s Natural Beta-Carotene (vitamin A) supplement is natural more bioavailable form of beta-carotene with additional carotenoids from spirulina and enhanced absorption by piperine, contains no harmful chemicals or additives.
IS IT NECESSARY?
Your immune system is a process of checks and balances that help fight and protect the body from disease and illness. It is possible to naturally boost your immune system – and easier than you probably think. If you are lacking vitamin A, a supplement could help support your immune system. Not all diets are sufficient to meet daily requirements of vitamin A, especially people on restricted diets or elderly population or people with certain physiological conditions or impaired vision may have low serum vitamin A levels.
Therefore, to strengthen body’s growth and functions it is necessary to take a supplement like Unived’s Natural Beta-Carotene to ensure that your body has a good reserve of this micronutrient at all times.
WHAT’S INSIDE
- Natural Beta Carotene
- Organic Spirulina Powder
- Piper nigrum Extract
MODE OF ACTION
Vitamin A
it is a micronutrient that is crucial for maintaining vision, promoting growth and development, and protecting epithelium and mucus integrity in the body. New physiological functions of vitamin A have been identified in addition to its role in vision, namely its role in immune defense reducing morbidity of measles, of respiratory infections[1]
- VitA is known as an anti-inflammation vitamin because of its critical role in enhancing immune function[ii].
- VitA is involved in the development of the immune system and plays regulatory roles in cellular immune responses and humoral immune processes2.
- Helps maintain structural and functional integrity of mucosal cells in innate barriers (e.g., skin, respiratory tract, etc.)2.
- Important for normal functioning of innate immune cells (e.g., NK cells, macrophages, neutrophils)2.
- Necessary for proper functioning of T and B lymphocytes and thus for generation of antibody responses to antigen2.
- Involved in development and differentiation of Th1 and Th2 cells and supports Th2 anti-inflammatory response2.
- In the eye vitamin A has a specific, highly complex function in dark vision1.
- Extensive animal studies have shown that vitamin A is required for normal growth and development1.
- Another function of vitamin A, often called the antiinfective vitamin, is protection against infections1.
- Based on the analyses of biomarkers for oxidative damage (e.g. malondialdehyde, isoprostanes, 8-oxo-guanosine), antioxidant properties of b-carotene have also been studied in humans, although with conflicting results[iii].
- b-carotene is an efficient singlet oxygen quencher and prevents the formation of singlet oxygen by quenching excited triplet sensitizers3.
Spirulina
Spirulina seems to be one of the best solutions for the simple production of a high-quality food supplement. It has 50%- 70% of protein content with 47% of essential amino acids[iv]. It is also a very good source of gamma lipoic acid 40% of the lipid content i.e. 7%4.
- Beta-carotene accounts for 80% of the carotenoids present in spirulina4
- Spirulina contains b-carotene, b-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin as major carotenoids[v].
- Spirulina platensis strain pacifica contains the highest levels of b carotene and zeaxanthin5.
- The carotenoid fraction of Spirulina was 346 mg/100 grams and consisted of 52% b-carotene, 21% zeaxanthin, 10% echinenone, 6% beta-cryptoxanthin, 5% 3’-hydroxyechinenone, and 7% unidentified carotenoids5.
- The cell walls of spirulina consist of glucosamines and muramic acid associated with peptides. Although not digestible, these walls are fragile and make the cell content readily accessible to digestive enzymes; this is a major advantage in comparison to organisms with cellulosic cell walls (i.e. yeasts, chlorella)4.
- Helps in the neutralization of the free radicals generated by irradiation. This rapid neutralisation is thought to be primarily due to beta-carotene4.
- The absence of retinol (free Vitamin A) rules out a possible risk of overdose, as beta-carotene, unlike Vitamin A, is not cumulatively toxic4.
- Clinical studies have also shown excellent utilisation of spirulina carotenoids in humans4.
BIOENHANCER: Piperine
Bioenhancers are molecules, which do not possess drug activity of their own at the dose used but promote and augment the biological activity or bioavailability or the uptake of drugs in combination therapy[vi].
- A double-blind crossover study involving human subjects was studied for the effectiveness of an extract from the fruit of black pepper, consisting of a minimum of 98.0% pure alkaloid piperine, for its ability to improve serum response of beta carotene during oral supplementation[vii].
- Piperine interacts with the metabolic enzymes and slows down the metabolism and biodegradation of drugs7, increases blood supply to the gastrointestinal tract7 and enteric vessels as a result of local vasodilatation7, forms complex with drugs and help them reach the target site rather than spread out non – specifically7.
- Supplementation with beta carotene plus piperine for 14-days produced a 60% greater increase in area under the serum beta-carotene curve (AUC) as compared to beta-carotene plus placebo7.
- Dietary piperine increased the uptake of β-carotene by 147%7.
WHY UNIVED’S BETA-CAROTENE (VITAMIN A)
SUPERIOR SOURCE OF VITAMIN A
Vitamin A requirements are mostly met by carotenoids. When compared to Natural β-carotene from D. salina, Natural β-carotene from B. trispora:
- Has higher pro-vitamin A activity due to a higher content of trans-isomers[viii]
- Is more clean-label with much lower chances of contamination, and is not affected by external environmental factors since processing is carried out in an enclosed reactor8.
- Is more suitable for a variety of delivery systems and provides uniformity & consistency, since it is obtained from pure β-carotene crystals and not oleoresin8.
- Is more sustainable8.
SPIRULINA IS A RICH SOURCE OF CAROTENOIDS
Spirulina contains the highest levels of beta-carotene and zeaxanthin. Beta-carotene accounts for 80% of the carotenoids present in spirulina4. Its cell walls are fragile and the cell content is easily available to digestive enzymes thus it is easily digestible and utilized by humans. Such a profusion of therapeutic applications is bound to leave spirulina with the image of a miracle potion. The fact remains that a simple natural food supplement like ours, endowed with the riches of spirulina, could well improve a good number of pathological conditions.
PIPERINE AS BIOENHANCER
Unived’s Natural Beta-Carotene (Vitamin A) contains Piper nigrum Extract providing 20% piperine, which is known to enhance the uptake of beta-carotene. Results suggest that piperine may alter the ultra structure and permeability characteristics of intestines and could form a food based strategy to possibly reduce vitamin A deficiency.
REFERENCES
[1] Helga jerster, “Vitamin A- functions, dietary requirements and safety in humans”, Internat. J. Vit. Nutr. Res. 67 (1997), Hogrefe and Huber publisher.
[ii] Silvia Maggini, et al, “Immune Function and Micronutrient Requirements Change over the Life Course”, Nutrients 2018, 10, 1531; doi:10.3390/nu10101531
[iii] Tilman Grune, et. al., “Supplement: β-Carotene is an important vitamin A source for humans”, American Society for Nutrition 2010.
[iv] Jacques Falquet, “The Nutritional Aspects Of Spirulina”, Antenna Technologies
[v] R. Todd Lorenz, “A Review of Spirulina as a Carotenoid and Vitamin Source for Cultured Shrimp”, Spirulina Pacifica Technical Bulletin #050 Revision Date: November 30, 1998
[vi] Shailendra Wadhwa, et. al., “Bioavailability Enhancement by Piperine: A Review”, Asian Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences; 04 (36); 2014,1-8.
[vii] Shankaranarayanan Jeyakodi, et. al., “Beta Carotene -Therapeutic Potential and Strategies to Enhance Its Bioavailability” Nutri Food Sci Int J 7(4): NFSIJ.MS.ID.555716 (2018)
[viii] “Bio-Gen Extract: Introduction”, © Bio-gen Extracts Pvt. Ltd.
