USANA Usanimals Review – 11 Things You Must Know Before Buying

This review is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure factually accurate information.

With strict editorial sourcing guidelines, we only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, when research is available, medically peer-reviewed studies. Note that an extensive list with all used Sources is available at the end of the review.

The information in our reviews is NOT intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.

2 Comments

USANA Usanimals is a balanced multivitamin supplement that supports healthy growth and development in children 2-12 years of age. This multivitamin comes in circular tablets with animal shape prints. They have a fruity smell and taste good, so it’s enjoyable for them.

Usanimals don’t contain artificial flavors and sweeteners, but they include many inactive ingredients (see below).

Because USANA is an MLM company, they have thousands of associates promoting their product online. A simple search on Google will reveal hundreds of such blogs advertising and praising USANA products.

But is this multivitamin really that good for your child?

Overview

Studies show that many children don’t get the nutrition they require from their diets. Less than 25% eat the recommended five servings or more of vegetables and fruits per day. And sufficient amounts of critical nutrients – like magnesium, Vitamin B6, calcium, and zinc – are missing from their diets. Vitamin D and Vitamins C are also often deficient.

Usanimals is advertised as an easy-to-eat chewables multivitamin stamped with fun animal shapes that provides excellent nutritional support for growing children 2-12 years of age. 

According to USANA, this multivitamin supplement was specially formulated to include all necessary vitamins for healthy immune function support, cognitive function, strong bones and teeth, and increased energy levels.

Who Makes It?

Usanimals is made by USANA, a Utah-based company that produces various nutritional products, skincare products, and dietary supplements. 

Although USANA is an MLM (multi-level marketing company) – a type of business that’s not always seen well by media and consumers, USANA’s products sell really well in 20+ countries where the company has developed an extensive network of independent wholesalers (referred to as “associates”).

USANA product lines, most of which are manufactured at the company’s West Valley City facility, include USANA Nutritionals (Optimizers, Cellsentials, and digestion/detox nutritional supplements), Sensé & Celavive personal care (hair & body care products, skin treatment, and skincare), and USANA Diet & Energy (protein bars, reset meal replacement shakes, and Rev3 energy drinks).

The company is also known for its line of Omega-3 supplements (read our extensive BiOmega review).

USANA contact information:

  • Phone: 1-888-950-9595, available between 6:30 AM and 9:00 PM MST
  • Email: customerservice@usanainc.com
  • Address: 3838 West Parkway Boulevard, Salt Lake City, UT 84120
  • Fax: 1-800-289-8081

Usanimals Ingredients

Usanimals includes the following active ingredients per serving (1 tablet):

  • Vitamin D (as Cholecalciferol) 200 IU
  • Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid and Sodium Ascorbate) 125 mg
  • Chromium (as Polynicotinate) 25 µg
  • Beta Carotene (as Provitamin A) 1.5 mg
  • Vitamin E (as D-Alpha Tocopheryl Succinate) 50 IU
  • Folic Acid 200 µg
  • Vitamin B2 (as Riboflavin) 1.25 mg
  • Vitamin B1 (as Thiamine Mononitrate) 1.25 mg
  • Niacin 10 mg
  • Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride) 1.25 mg
  • Biotin 75 µg
  • Inositol 15 mg
  • Vitamin B12 (as Cyanocobalamin) 6 µg
  • Calcium (Carbonate) 75 mg
  • Pantothenic Acid 5 mg
  • Manganese (Gluconate) 0.5 mg
  • PolyenylphosphatidylCholine (Soy Lecithin) 25 mg
  • Iodine (Potassium Iodine) 50 µg
  • Magnesium (Citrate, HVP Chelate, and Oxide) 25 mg
  • Copper (Citrate) 0.5 mg
  • Zinc (HVP Chelate) 5 mg
  • Selenium (HVP Chelate) 15 µg
  • Vanadium (Citrate) 5 µg
  • Silicon (HVP Chelate) 1 mg
  • Molybdenum (HVP Chelate) 12.5 µg
  • Antioxidant Phytonutrient Complex (blackberry, cranberry, raspberry, and wild blueberry powders) 40 mg
  • Soy Lecithin (with PolyenylphosphatidylCholine) 25 mg

Inactive ingredients include crystalline fructose, evaporated cane syrup, natural wild berry flavor, hydrolyzed rice protein, ascorbyl palmitate, dextrose, soy lecithin, modified cellulose, xylitol, citric acid, dextrin, malic acid, sodium CMC, calcium silicate, salt, stevia, and sodium citrate.

A Good Range of Important Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamin B Complex: Usanimals contains a carefully proportioned complex of Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B7 (Biotin), Vitamin B9 (Folate), and Vitamin B12. Studies showed that B-Vitamins may support normal growth & development and healthy energy metabolism.

Vitamin A (as Beta-carotene): Beta-carotene is converted to Vitamin A in the body as needed so the child can get all the benefits of Vitamin A – a powerful antioxidant, supports skin, eyes, and the proper function of the immune system.

Vitamin K: Alongside calcium, Vitamin K helps promote healthy bones. It also supports calcium-binding throughout the body and normal blood clotting.

Vitamin D: Even though the body can produce its own Vitamin D – with help from the sun – many children don’t get enough of this vitamin. The “sunshine vitamin” helps your body absorb and use phosphorus and calcium – two essential minerals and play an indispensable role in maintaining a healthy immune function and supporting bone health.

Vitamin C: This essential vitamin has powerful antioxidant properties beneficial to maintaining good health and healthy immune function. It’s also vital to synthesizing collagen – a type of connective tissue necessary for healthy skin, muscles, teeth, bones, and blood vessels.

Vitamin E: This potent antioxidant vitamin is key to cellular health. It helps out with immunity by supporting healthy immune function and defends against free-radical damage. 

Magnesium: This essential mineral is a cofactor (a helper) in more than 300 enzyme systems. So, magnesium helps support good health throughout the body. It supports several important aspects of children’s health:

  • The normal development of bones and teeth;
  • Healthy metabolism and energy;
  • Muscle and nerve function;
  • Tissue formation.

Calcium: It’s the most abundant mineral in the body and tightly regulated by the human body. That’s why a healthy diet combined with physical activity is so essential for proper growth, especially in children. While calcium is not hard to get from diet alone, Usanimals still contain a fair amount of milk calcium (calcium carbonate) because it is crucial for developing strong bones and teeth.

Iodine: This essential trace mineral is crucial to one of your child’s most critical glands – the thyroid.

Usanimals Review – Pros & Cons

Pros

  • A balanced formula that includes many important vitamins and minerals for child growth;
  • Chewable, stamped tablets kids will love;
  • Good overall reviews and testimonials;
  • It can also be used by adults who hate taking large multivitamin tablets.

Cons

  • Lots of additives listed under the “Other ingredients” section;
  • An average formulation in terms of complexity; it includes nothing else besides vitamins and several minerals;
  • Impartial product reviews are hard to find due to the USANA business model that encourages sellers and resellers to heavily promote products online.

How Much Does Usanimals Cost?

One bottle of Usanimals (56 tablets / 56 servings) costs $18.65. However, the final cost may vary greatly depending on where you buy it. Big retailers like Amazon may offer significant discounts and extra benefits like free shipping or a money-back guarantee.

Where To Buy Usanimals?

You can purchase Usanimals from the official USANA website or various online stores like eBay, Walmart, and Amazon

Because USANA is an MLM company, the supplement is also available in many local stores and a wide range of dedicated websites owned by USANA’s distributors.

Customer Testimonials

Well, I didn’t eat them, but the kids hated them. The taste I heard was absolutely horrible. Aside from that, they are massive. My 6 year old hated them for […] Read full review

I love these kid vitamins. If you start them young, they will love them too. My daughter loves the taste of them, but I also never gave her the sugar first vitamins so she […] Read full review

My kids like the taste, excited to take one every day, and despite the price, USANA has never let me down on quality. Hard to see how […] Read full review

Usanimals Side Effects & Warnings

Multivitamins are generally safe when taken as recommended. 

However, getting too much of specific vitamins and minerals is certainly possible. For that, we don’t recommend using more than one multivitamin supplement at once. 

For instance, an excess of zinc or Vitamin C could cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, and nausea. 

Above recommended amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, or Vitamin K can cause some serious adverse effects, including vomiting, easy bruising or bleeding, pale skin, loss of appetite, peeling skin, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, hair loss, muscle or joint pain, severe headache, weight loss, blood in your urine, changes in menstrual periods, severe back pain, and tingly feeling in or around your mouth.

Similar Products

Before we conclude our USANA Usanimals review, let’s take a quick look over several other similar multivitamin products that may represent a good alternative for those who are not convinced by the benefits of this formulation.

Kids Formula, made by SmartyPants, is one of the best selling multivitamin supplements for children. With over 17,000 reviews and an average rating of 4.6 stars, this multivitamin supplement offers a more complex formula that includes small amounts of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. SmartyPants Kids Formula is formulated for children 4 years of age and older.

Kids Multi + Probiotic, made by OLLY, could be another alternative for parents looking for a more complex multivitamin supplement for their children. For a flavored gummy multivitamin, OLLY Kids Multi + Probiotic contains very few inactive ingredients compared to other similar products that are just full of that stuff. 

Flintstones Complete, made by Flintstones Vitamins, is a chewable multivitamin supplement for children 2 years of age and older. Flintstones Vitamins has over 50 years of experience developing and producing flavored multivitamins for toddlers, children, and teens. It’s one of the most recommended brands of multivitamins by pediatricians in the United States.

Bottom Line

High-quality multivitamin supplements must include at least 13 vitamins and at least 16 minerals essential to general health – but in varying forms and amounts. However, “requirements” are a bit different when it comes to a supplement for children. 

While not including everything you usually see in a multivitamin supplement, USANA Usanimals still offers a balanced formula that may support healthy growth in children. 

Overall, this is not a wrong choice for parents looking for a tasty chewable multivitamin to replace the conventional large tablets kids refuse to take. The product is also free of harmful ingredients (preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colors, or binding agents), making it a preferable choice over cheaper gummy/chewable multivitamins for children.


Frequently Asked Questions

For children 24-47 months, the recommended daily dose is one (1) tablet. For children, 4 years and older, the recommended daily dose is two (2) tablets.

Yes, adults who have difficulty swallowing large tablets can take the Usanimals as an alternative to typical everyday multivitamins. The dosage for an adult is two (2) chewables per day.

The Usanimals are sweetened with fructose, evaporated cane syrup, natural wild berry syrup, xylitol, and stevia. All these are natural sweeteners.

Yes, this multivitamin is specially formulated for growing children 2-12 years of age.

Usanimals reviews on Amazon, as of February 2021, are very positive, with 91% of the users ranking this vitamin with four (4) stars or higher. Out of 100 customer reviews, here’s how this multivitamin supplement ranks: 

  • 5 star – 80%
  • 4 star – 11%
  • 3 star – 2%
  • 2 star – 4%
  • 1 star – 3%


Sources

  • USANA official website. Retrieved on February 4, 2021. [Source]
  • Hadi Hamishehkar, Farhad Ranjdoost, Parina Asgharian, Ata Mahmoodpoor, and Sarvin Sanaie –  Vitamins, Are They Safe? Published in December 2016. Retrieved on February 4, 20212020. [Source]
  • Aamer Imdad, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Christopher Sudfeld, Batool A. Haider, Robert E. Black, and Zulfiqar A. Bhutta – Impact of vitamin A supplementation on infant and childhood mortality. Published on April 13, 2011. Retrieved on February 4, 2021. [Source]
  • Vitamin A supplementation in infants and children 6–59 months of age. Who.int. Retrieved on February 4, 2021. [Source]
  • James J. DiNicolantonio, Jaikrit Bhutani, and James H. O’Keefe – The health benefits of vitamin K. Published on October 6, 2015. Retrieved on February 4, 2021. [Source]
  • Giuseppe Lippi and Massimo Franchini – Vitamin K in neonates: facts and myths. Published in January 2011. Retrieved on February 4, 2021. [Source]
  • The Benefits of Vitamin C: Why Your Child Needs It – Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved on February 4, 2021. [Source]
  • Silvia Maggini, Bayer S. Wenzlaff, and D. Hornig – Essential Role of Vitamin C and Zinc in Child Immunity and Health. Published in April 2010. Retrieved on February 4, 2021. [Source]
  • Farida El Baza, Heba Ahmed Al Shahawi, Sally Zahra, and Rana Ahmed Abdel Hakim – Magnesium supplementation in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Published in January 2016. Retrieved on February 4, 2021. [Source]
  • Mostafa Hemamy, Motahar Heidari-Beni, Gholamreza Askari, Mojgan Karahmadi, and Mohammadreza Maracy – Effect of Vitamin D and Magnesium Supplementation on Behavior Problems in Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Published on January 24, 2020. Retrieved on February 4, 2021. [Source]

You May Also Like

Comments

2 Comments. Leave new

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fill out this field
Fill out this field
Please enter a valid email address.
You need to agree with the terms to proceed

Healthy Origins 7-KETO DHEA Review – Is 7-KETO DHEA The Answer To Weight Loss?
Vitafusion MultiVites Review – A Multivitamin Supplement To Avoid?

Latest Reviews

Nootropics

Amino Acids

Herbal

Fatty Acids

Vitamins

Other

Menu
Send this to a friend