New Study Shows Supplementation With Nutrition 21's Chromium May Help Protect the Brain From Damage Caused by Insulin-Induced Hypoglycemia

PURCHASE, NY--(Marketwire - Apr 20, 2011) - Nutrition 21, Inc. (OTCBB: NXXI), the developer and marketer of clinically substantiated ingredients for dietary supplements, foods and beverages, and animal nutrition, today announced the results of a preclinical study showing its chromium histidinate helps protect the brain from damage caused by hypoglycemia (or very low blood sugar) induced by a high dose of insulin. The results of the study titled "Chromium Histidinate Reduces Brain Damage caused by Insulin-induced Hypoglycemia" were presented last week at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Hypoglycemia occurs when blood glucose levels become abnormally low; causing an inadequate supply of glucose to the brain that can result in impaired cognitive function, unconsciousness, brain damage or even death. Researchers at Firat University tested the ability of chromium histidinate to protect the brain against hypoglycemia caused by a high "overdose" of injected insulin. They found that rats fed chromium histidinate prior to the insulin injection had significantly less insulin-induced brain damage compared to the untreated control group.

Insulin-induced hypoglycemia is a significant safety concern in people who use insulin as a treatment of diabetes. "These study results showed that administration of chromium histidinate helped protect the brain from damage caused by an overdose of insulin," stated James Komorowski, Vice President, Research & Development at Nutrition 21, Inc. The results of this study provide evidence to support further evaluation of the use of Nutrition 21's patented chromium as an adjunctive treatment to insulin. "A reduction in the incidence and/or severity of insulin-induced hypoglycemia would have significant value to people with diabetes who use insulin on a daily basis," added Mr. Komorowski.

About Nutrition 21
Nutrition 21, Inc. (OTCBB: NXXI), headquartered in Purchase, NY, is a nutritional bioscience company and holds over 70 issued and pending patents for dietary supplement ingredients, including chromium picolinate, and combinations of chromium compounds with other ingredients. Its products are sold to leading dietary supplement, functional food and beverage, and animal nutrition manufacturers. For more information please visit http://www.nutrition21.com.

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