NOVEMBER 1, 2022 – UNLOCKED EDITION –
Heads up—celebrate ‘World Vitamin D Day’ Nov. 2 by sharing science-based information
World Vitamin D Day is Nov. 2, as recognized by the Vitamin D Society, and there’s a lot to share about this essential nutrient—tomorrow and beyond.
What they’re saying: Since 2009, the Vitamin D Society, a Canadian organization, has celebrated World Vitamin D Day on Nov. 2 to highlight the health benefits of vitamin D and the importance of having optimal vitamin D levels of between 100–150 nmol/L (Canada) or 40-60 ng/ml (USA).
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November is the month that Canadians’ vitamin D levels rapidly decline due to reduced sun exposure. More than 93% of Canadians do not meet this vitamin D level, according to the Vitamin D Society.
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With the U.S. ending daylight saving time this week, Nov. 6, many Americans are likely to get less sun exposure, as well.
CRN encourages members to share content about vitamin D for #WorldVitaminDDay and offers these resources from the CRN Foundation for consideration in addition to the Vitamin D Society’s toolkit:
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The Vitamin D & Me! consumer-friendly website offers easy-to-digest summaries of research on vitamin D and COVID-19, and videos from experts such as Michael Holick, M.D., one of the Vitamin D Society’s scientific advisors.
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The Supplements to Savings economic report with a chapter discussing how calcium and vitamin D supplementation can improve quality of life and reduce health care costs associated with osteoporotic fractures—and easy-to-share social media graphics.
Go deeper: The Vitamin D Society is a Canadian non-profit group organized to increase awareness of the many health conditions strongly linked to vitamin D deficiency; encourage people to be proactive in protecting their health and have their vitamin D levels tested annually; and help fund valuable vitamin D research.
New RCT adds to science on probiotics, gut health
CRN member BIO-CAT Microbials recently published a paper on their new OPTIBIOME™ probiotic strain, Bacillus subtilis BS50, in the journal Gut Microbes. With contributions from CRN associate member Biofortis Inc., the randomized controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated benefits addressing gastrointestinal symptoms after just six weeks of daily probiotic supplementation.
“Results from this first-in-human study of the probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis BS50 demonstrate that daily supplementation at 2 × 109 CFU/day increased the proportion of participants showing improvement in the composite score for bloating, burping, and flatulence, compared to placebo,” noted researchers from BIO-CAT and Biofortis. “BS50 also improved the individual symptoms of bloating and burping across the 6 weeks of daily probiotic supplementation.”
By the numbers: Data from the 2022 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements shows 16% of supplement users take a probiotic. The survey noted their top reasons as:
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GI support: 61%
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General health: 56%
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Immune health: 44%
Probiotics have the ability to improve quality of life and reduce loss of productivity associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as noted in the "Probiotics, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Productivity" chapter of the CRN Foundation's Supplements to Savings report.
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Access shareable social media graphics and download a PDF one-pager on cost savings associated with reduced loss of productivity from taking probiotics supplements.
Go all in: CRN’s “Probiotics: What’s Inside is Alive” presents educational content for retailers on labeling probiotic identity, quantity, and viability; and storage and handling practices in addition to consumer content including tips on making smart probiotic purchasing decisions and finding reliable information about these products.
Sens. Durbin and Cassidy lead pathway for INFORM Consumers Act
CRN signaled support for the inclusion of the INFORM Consumers Act in the Senate version of the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). CRN sent a letter to Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) thanking them for their leadership on this issue.
As previously reported, the bipartisan legislation, similar to the bill signed into law in California, requires online marketplaces to verify information from third-party vendors.
What’s next: Further action on the legislation is expected after Congress reconvenes following the elections.
Join the Government Relations Committee via our self-service portal to participate in virtual meetings and receive updates via email and the CRN Connect app.
See past editions of the CRN Daily Supplement