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“Diet and Optimum Health” conference includes public session on prescription for health

September 8, 2015

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Linus Pauling Institute will present its eighth biennial conference on “Diet and Optimum Health” on Sept. 9-12 at Oregon State University, attracting an international audience of experts in fields such as nutrition, preventive medicine, oncology, gerontology and public health.

In addition to the professional conference, a free public session will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 9-11 a.m., at the CH2M Hill Alumni Center on the OSU campus. It will feature Balz Frei, professor and director of the Linus Pauling Institute, and Tory Hagen, the Helen P. Rumbel Professor for Healthy Aging Research at OSU. They will explore diet, micronutrient needs, health and longevity.

“In our public session, we’ll outline what we call the LPI prescription for health, which covers micronutrient issues but also broader aspects of healthy living, such as exercise, lifestyle, and environmental health,” Frei said.

“We’re increasingly working not just toward a longer lifespan, but what we call ‘healthspan’ – the opportunity to have generally good health, cognition and activity levels for almost the totality of your life,” Frei said. “This is where we explore issues such as the differences between nutrient deficiency and adequacy for optimal health, the importance of weight management and physical exercise, and other topics.”

Experts at the Centers for Disease Control now estimate that health is primarily determined by factors that are related to, and often can be influenced by individuals, Frei said, including diet; healthy lifestyles such as weight control, exercise and avoidance of smoking; and social and environmental quality.

Inadequate attention to these issues has been a primary cause of many of the chronic diseases that kill millions, researchers say, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurodegenerative disease.

During the three-day professional conference, experts from around the world will discuss some of their latest findings on such topics as vitamin E roles in development and health; extending healthspan; the effects of inflammation; maintaining cognitive function; and the impact of the Western diet on gut health.

A special session will celebrate the life and work of George Bailey, an OSU biochemist who did pioneering work in cancer chemoprevention.

More information on the conference, agenda, speakers and registration can be obtained online at http://bit.ly/1NdsBfz

About the Linus Pauling Institute:  The Linus Pauling Institute at OSU is a world leader in the study of micronutrients and their role in promoting optimum health or preventing and treating disease. Major areas of research include heart disease, cancer, aging and neurodegenerative disease.

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