SALT LAKE CITY, Oct 29, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- USANA Health Sciences, Inc. announced today that a third-party clinical study led by Dr. David Greene at Australian Catholic University (ACU National) found that use of USANA's Active Calcium(TM) Chewable supplement improves bone health in young girls.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved 20 pairs of identical twin girls, ages 9-12 years old, who were randomly assigned to receive USANA's Active Calcium Chewable or a matching placebo. The results of the study found that after six months of supplementation, Active Calcium Chewable improved measures of bone mineral content, bone mineral density, and bone strength in these girls.

"We are delighted with the results of the ACU National study," said Dr. Tim Wood, USANA's Executive Vice President of Research and Development. "These results confirm the findings of a similar 2003 clinical trial conducted at the University of Utah. The ACU National study design, in which one twin received Active Calcium Chewable while her sister received the placebo, goes a step further and factors out genetic influences."

Results of the ACU National study are particularly significant, because young women accumulate bone mass most rapidly during adolescence, and ideal skeletal development can only be achieved when dietary intakes of calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium are optimal during this period. Dr. Greene of ACU National said maximizing bone during the growing years was essential to offsetting the effects of osteoporosis in later life.

"It is estimated that only 10 to 25 percent of children and teens get adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D," said Dr. Christine Wood. "My own experience as a pediatrician confirms this when I question my patients about their calcium intakes. Parents and teens need to understand the potential long-term risks of chronic calcium and vitamin D deficiency during adolescence. We can't turn back the clock as these children age into adults." Dr. Christine Wood is an expert in nutritional medicine for children and speaks on healthy lifestyles to parents worldwide. She is also a member of USANA's Scientific Advisory Council.

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About USANA

USANA Health Sciences develops and manufactures high-quality nutritionals, personal care, energy and weight management products that are sold directly to Preferred Customers and Associates throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Mexico, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

About ACU National

Australian Catholic University (ACU National) -- established as Australia's only Catholic, national, publicly funded university -- is open to all. The University empowers its students and staff with a strong sense of social responsibility and concern for the moral and ethical dimensions of their study and their professional and personal lives. Please visit www.acu.edu.au for more information.