Usana commits millions to micronutrient research
with Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute, by
committing financially to assess the role of vitamins, minerals,
and antioxidants in promoting health and preventing disease.
The dietary supplement manufacturer will contribute $500,000 yearly to the institute over the course of ten years. The Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) is a Centers of Excellence for Research on Complementary and Alternative Medicine that has been researching micronutrition and disease. "The partnership between LPI and Usana will significantly enhance the institute's research mission, enabling our scientists to better understand the role antioxidants, phytochemicals, and other nutrients play in human health,"​ said Balz Frei, director of the Linus Pauling Institute. LPI's major areas of research have included heart disease, cancer, aging and neurological diseases. The institute's specific research has looked into the link between: antioxidants and metals in atherosclerosis; vitamin E metabolism and function; oxidative stress, antioxidants, and mitochondrial dysfunction in aging; cancer chemoprevention by phytochemicals in tea and vegetables; zinc and antioxidants in prostate cancer; novel biological functions of vitamin C; as well as antioxidants and gene expression in diabetes. LPI relies heavily on donations to meet its research mission and the dietary supplement industry is one such potential source of funding.
