Thursday March 31, 8:00 am ET- Alex Schauss Ph.D. to Discuss Role of Oil Palm Trunk Fiber as aPotential Functional Food

SAN DIEGO, March 31 -- New research surrounding oil palm trunk fiber willbe presented as part of a panel presentation entitled "Dietary Fiber,Fruits, Vegetables and Grains I" at the Federation of American Societiesfor Experimental Biology (FASEB) conference on Monday, April 4, 2005 from10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the San Diego Convention Center, Room 7B. AlexSchauss Ph.D., will spearhead discussion surrounding the role of oil palmtrunk fiber as a potential functional food and highlight the fiber'snumerous health benefits, including its ability to promote glucosemetabolism in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Gene Spiller Ph.D., aworld-renowned fiber expert, will be moderating this panel which coversthe wide-ranging role fiber plays in health and wellness. Other panelmembers include James Anderson MD, Peter Ellis Ph.D., Karen Lapsley Ph.D.,Monica Spiller M.S. and John W. Finley Ph.D.

"Oil palm trunk fiber is a relatively new ingredient that is showingstrong promise in its ability to promote glucose metabolism and managehealthy cholesterol levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes," statedSchauss. "Given the growing epidemic of diabetes, considerable resourcesshould be spent determining the safety and efficacy of oil palm trunkfiber in managing symptoms associated with this disease."

Oil palm trunk fiber is extracted from the oil palm, a tree indigenous toWest Africa. Oil palm trunk fiber, oats, barley, beans, fruit, psylliumand some vegetables contain significant amounts of both water-soluble andwater-insoluble fiber, and are the most desirable sources of solublefiber. Currently, the National Cancer Institute recommends individualsconsume 20 to 30 grams of dietary fiber per day.

Oil palm trunk fiber is superior to other forms of fiber not only becauseof its ratio of soluble and insoluble fiber, but its ability to survivecolonic fermentation, increase fecal bulk and maintain its capacity toretain water. Additionally, it has unique antioxidant properties due toits unusually high in-vitro oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC)value. Oil palm trunk fiber helps in managing and lowering risk ofdiabetes, colon cancer, heart disease, obesity and constipation anddiarrhea. The properties of this fiber may make it a valuable addition tofoods and dietary supplements.

Alexander G. Schauss Ph.D., is director of natural and medicinal productsresearch for the American Institute for Biosocial and Medical Research,Inc. in Tacoma, Washington, where he has been the lead scientist for 25years. A former Professor of Natural Products Research and AssociateProfessor of Research at two academic institutions, he is currentlyadjunct research professor of botanical medicine at the National Collegeof Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. He has served on several NIHadvisory councils, been a reviewer of botanical monographs for the USPharmacopeia Convention (USP) and the International BibliographicInformation on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS) database maintained through aninteragency partnership with the Food and Nutrition Information Center,National Agricultural Library, NIH Office of Dietary Supplements and theU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Schauss has studied nutrition andbotanical medicine for over 30 years. He has been the author/co-author ofmore than a 100 scientific papers in a diverse range of journals, and recently completed histwelfth book, on the subject of intra-abdominal obesity in males. Schaussearned his undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees at the Universityof New Mexico at Albuquerque and California Coast University in Santa Ana,respectively.

SUKHE International, based out of Selangor Daru Ehsan, Malaysia is fundingthe ongoing research surrounding oil palm trunk fiber. The companydevelops and supplies dietary supplements and ingredients derived from oilpalm trees, including oil palm trunk fiber. SUKHE International uses apatented process for extracting the trunk fiber, which allows the companyto produce oil palm trunk fiber of the highest quality and purity.

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) is acoalition of independent Member Societies that serve the interests ofbiomedical and life scientists, particularly those related to publicpolicy issues. FASEB facilitates coalition activities among MemberSocieties and disseminates information on biological research throughscientific conferences and publications. The mission of FASEB is toenhance the ability of biomedical and life scientists to improve, throughtheir research, the health, well-being and productivity of all people. Formore information visit www.faseb.org.