Bastyr University Receives Thousands From Vitamin Settlement

SEATTLE--Bastyr University announced it received $219,000 in research funding when Washington state's attorney general's office distributed close to $5.8 million to different state universities, government agencies and nonprofits to fund new health and nutrition programs. The money came from a national settlement after companies such as Hoffman LaRoche, BASF and Aventis were fined for allegedly fixing vitamin prices worldwide. (For more on the settlement, visit www.naturalproductsinsider.com/hotnews/0ah16124224.html.)

Bastyr is using its award to fund two research projects headed by university faculty. Sheryl Berman, Ph.D., and Diane Spicer received approximately $91,000 for a year-long project titled, "Examination of safety, viability and speciation of Lactobacillus dietary supplements in the state of Washington." Berman and Spicer will test random samples of the probiotic, looking to see if the organisms listed on the label are present and viable, as well as if there are any harmful bacteria.

"As part of the natural medicine community, we're very concerned about this issue, and we believe we have the best resources to undertake a study of this kind," Berman said.

Gowsala Sivam, Ph.D., also received an award totaling $128,000 for "Standardization of nutritional/herbal supplements using HPLC [High Pressure Liquid Chromatograph]." Sivam will investigate supplements being distributed by the Bastyr Center for Natural Health through HPLC in addition to a new electro-chemical detection system known as a coulometric array detector.

"[T]o be able to conduct this sophisticated scientific evaluation is a major step forward in assuring the highest quality to the consumer," Sivam said.

Bastyr (www.bastyr.edu) was not the only one to receive a windfall from the settlement. The largest sum of money--totaling $1.5 million--went to the Spokane-based Washington State University Foundation. Monies went to research projects that included investigating if 2,000 mg/d of vitamin C decreases the risk of kidney stones and the possibility of plant-based estrogenic compounds benefiting menopausal symptoms. The university also received the largest grant of $.8 million to promote community-based approaches to improving nutrition and physical activity.

Other award beneficiaries included the Boys & Girls Clubs of Pierce County, the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Inland Northwest and Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Washington.