In addition to supporting bone health, vitamin D plays an important role maintaining cardiovascular health and immune function, and promoting an overall sense of well-being.

Vitamin D is a steroid vitamin, a group of fat-soluble pro-hormones that are best known for the role they play in supporting bone health and aiding in the absorption of calcium and phosphate from the gastrointestinal tract. However, a growing body of research highlights its important role in supporting other body systems, including cardiovascular and blood sugar balance as well as increasing musculoskeletal strength, neurological and immune function enabled by its ability to target over 200 different genes throughout the body. At the same time, deficiency and insufficiency of this important nutrient has reached epidemic proportions around the world, making the achievement of optimal levels extremely important to overall health.
Known as the sunshine vitamin, one of the key roles of vitamin D is maintaining serum calcium and phosphorous balance. The body makes vitamin D by converting vitamin D2 to D3, or cholecalciferol, when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D supplements come in two forms, D2 and D3. Studies have found vitamin D3 is the preferable form, as it has been found to maintain active vitamin D levels for a longer period of time.

BENEFITS
Vitamin D is most widely known as the sunshine vitamin because the body is able to make vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D plays an important role in supporting bone health, maintaining cardiovascular function and immune function, and promoting an overall sense of well-being.

Vitamin D is available in two different forms, D2 and D3. Vitamin D3 is the preferable form as it has been found to maintain vitamin D levels in the body for a longer period of time when compared to vitamin D2.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has numerous biological functions. Vitamin C helps towards collagen formation for many body tissues including skin, gums, teeth and cartilage found in joints. It enhances the absorption of iron in the body, is involved in energy metabolism, and contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has numerous biological functions. Vitamin C helps towards collagen formation for many body tissues including skin, gums, teeth and cartilage found in joints. It enhances the absorption of iron in the body, is involved in energy metabolism, and contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Vitamin C is the required coenzyme for two groups of enzymes that catalyze the crosslinking of collagen fibers - lysyl hydroxylases and prolyl hydroxylases. Vitamin C is essential for normal wound healing and capillary health. It also participates in the biosynthesis of carnitine, serotonin, and certain other neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine. Vitamin C is a water-soluble, chain-breaking antioxidant that reacts directly with superoxide, hydroxyl radicals, and singlet oxygen. Vitamin C interacts with glutathione and alpha-lipoic acid, and regenerates Vitamin E.

Bioflavonoids (also called flavonoids) are a class of phytochemicals that are potent antioxidants, which scavenge many potentially damaging free radicals. Another aspect of the antioxidant properties of bioflavonoids is their synergy with Vitamin C. The bitter tasting flavanones hesperidin and naringin, from the white albedo layer of citrus peels, have been shown to extend the nutritional functions of Vitamin C. Bioflavonoids are also capable of binding to metal ions, which prevents these metals from acting as catalysts in the body to enhance free radical production.

Powdered Opti Vitamin C
A well designed effervescent powder can allow a large dose of ingredients to be taken in a single serving. The organic food acid combines with the carbonate source to form potassium, sodium, calcium or magnesium salts of the acid, and buffers the solution to a normal pH, so it is easy on the stomach. Clinical studies performed on a variety of effervescent products demonstrate that the ingredients penetrate the blood stream within as little as 15 minutes.

Opti Zinc includes highly absorbed zinc, the second-most abundant trace mineral in the body, for a variety of protocols.

Zinc is an essential trace mineral important to many functions of human health. It plays a role in maintaining cellular metabolism and gene expression. Zinc is critical to a diverse group of physiological processes, such as immune function, insulin signaling, tissue repair, vision and neuro-transmission. It is second only to iron in worldwide incidence of deficiency, impacting 2 billion people in developing nations. Due to the wide range of functions regulated by zinc, deficiency, or even marginal deficiency, can have serious health implications. Zinc is fundamental to the activity of over 100 enzymes and supports immune function, protein synthesis, tissue growth, DNA synthesis and cell division. During pregnancy, infancy and childhood, the body needs zinc for proper growth and development. Zinc also helps tissue repair and is important for adequate functioning of the senses of taste and smell. Daily intake of zinc is necessary to maintain adequate levels within the body because the body has no specialized zinc storage system. Reacted Zinc provides 54 mg of highly-absorbed zinc, ideally formulated using the amino acid chelate form of zinc (zinc glycinate) for enhanced absorption, optimal utilization and gastrointestinal comfort. Supplementing the right form of zinc is key to maintaining healthy levels within the body and compliance to a supplement regimen. Opti Zinc plays a crucial role in boosting immune function, maintaining healthy tissue growth, and increasing the antioxidant reserves that protect the body from free radical damage.

Opti Quercetin supports liver function in a number of ways. It has been shown to ameliorate alcohol-induced fatty liver, reduce liver damage, and normalize liver enzyme activity. It may help reduce the effect of toxins, such as pesticides, on the liver.

Opti Quercetin reduces the effects of histamine in the body and may help stabilize mast cells. Weng and colleagues favorably compared quercetin to the pharmaceutical drug cromolyn (a mast-cell stabilizer). They found that both agents inhibited secretion of histamine, prostaglandins, & leukotrienes. Opti Quercetin  was more effective than cromolyn at reducing inflammation. Also, quercetin was better at preventing symptoms, while cromolyn can only be used acutely or it rapidly loses its effect. In another study, quercetin reduced allergic eye symptoms caused by pollen.

This flavonoid also demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in men with chronic prostatitis. Opti Quercetin may reduce inflammation by inhibiting production of enzymes that produce inflammatory cytokines. It has shown anti-inflammatory properties in patients with coronary artery disease, for example reducing inflammatory agents like NF-kB, interleukins, and TNF-alpha. Because of its anti-inflammatory effects, quercetin may hold some application in helping patients with arthritis.

As far as immune support, a study revealed that Opti Quercetin reduces respiratory tract infection rates among athletes. Animal models of autoimmunity showed that quercetin exhibited immune modulating effects.

Opti Quercetin supports liver function in a number of ways. It has been shown to ameliorate alcohol-induced fatty liver, reduce liver damage, and normalize liver enzyme activity. It may help reduce the effect of toxins, such as pesticides, on the liver. Opti Quercetin is an excellent antioxidant and potent scavenger of reactive oxygen species.

Opti Quercetin dihydrate by Nutritional Frontiers contains 250 mg per capsule and is generally dosed at 1 capsule twice a day, or as directed by your healthcare practitioner.