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PORTLAND - Health-conscious consumers can learn about some of the latest scientific findings on natural prevention and therapies for heart disease, cancer, aging, weight control and other topics during a free public forum on Saturday, May 24, at the Hilton Hotel in Portland.

The presentation will conclude a three-day meeting of some of the world's leading experts on natural approaches to the treatment and prevention of disease in a professional conference, Diet and Optimum Health, which is being sponsored by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.

The public session will begin at 8:15 a.m. and ends at noon, and includes a free continental breakfast. The topics and speakers include:

• "Which Foods, How Much, How Often - To Prevent Cancer?" by Lenore Arab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;
• "Evaluation of Botanicals and Dietary Supplement Therapy in Cancer Patients," David Heber, UCLA School of Medicine;
• "A New Role for Diet in Reducing the Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease," Penny Kris-Etherton, Pennsylvania State University;
• "The Role of Diet, Exercise and Behavior Modification in the Treatment of Obesity," John Foreyt, Baylor College of Medicine;
• "Fruit Polyphenolics and Brain Aging: Nutritional Interventions Targeting Age-related Neuronal and Behavior Deficits," Jim Joseph, Tufts University.

"Some of the most prominent scientists in the field of diet and health will speak at this conference," said Balz Frei, professor and director of OSU's Linus Pauling Institute. "It has become evident that the most prevalent and deadly diseases in the U.S. and other Western countries are largely preventable by life-style modifications, especially diet, and these researchers will be discussing many of the newest findings."

Studies suggest that about 70 percent of colon cancer and stroke, 80 percent of heart disease, and 90 percent of type 2 diabetes are potentially preventable by appropriate diet, abstention from tobacco use, regular exercise and a healthy weight, Frei said.

Experts from OSU, Harvard Medical School, the University of Southern California, UCLA, the University of Washington, Stanford Medical Center, Ohio State University, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and other prestigious institutions will make professional presentations at the conference.

Among the topics they will discuss are new approaches to neurodegenerative diseases, therapeutic implications of vitamin C, use of antioxidants in Alzheimer's disease and stroke, the biology of aging, cancer chemoprotection, protection against cataracts and other eye diseases, natural approaches to diabetes, and other issues. The conference will also feature an awards ceremony on Friday, May 23, to announce the recipient of the 2003 Linus Pauling Institute Prize for Health Research. The award, one of the largest in the field of human health research, includes a $50,000 honorarium.

The Linus Pauling Institute at OSU is a national leader in exploring the prevention and treatment of human disease by vitamins, micronutrients and phytochemicals, and the role of oxidative and nitrative stress and antioxidants in human health and disease.

More information about the conference, topics, presenters, and registration for the professional sessions can be found on the web at http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/conf2003/Conference.html.