SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jeffrey Bland, PhD, Chief Science Officer for Metagenics, Inc., a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company dedicated to reducing chronic illness and improving health, has been selected for the New Hope Natural Media 2012 Hall of Legends, honoring 13 individuals who have made unique and significant contributions to the development of the natural products industry. Dr. Bland is being honored for his career achievements and groundbreaking work in the field of nutrigenomics—the study of the effects of foods and food constituents on gene expression—and his leadership in the growing specialty of lifestyle medicine, helping people make lifestyle changes to promote lifelong health and avoid chronic illness.
“I am very proud to be recognized in New Hope's Hall of Legends,” said Dr. Bland. “I strongly believe in the power of functional medicine and the effects of nutritional and therapeutic lifestyle approaches to reverse chronic illness. The products being developed from nutrigenomic research discoveries are now becoming widely adopted to improve health and fight chronic disease.”
Considered the “Father of Functional Medicine,” Dr. Bland has been an internationally recognized leader in the nutritional medicine field for over 30 years. A nutritional biochemist, he is a prominent researcher and educator for the clinical applications of nutrigenomics.
Dr. Bland currently serves as the Chief Science Officer for Metagenics, Inc. and is the president of Metagenics’ wholly owned subsidiary, MetaProteomics, LLC, a nutrigenomics research center. His scientific team has published more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals and been awarded more than 50 international or domestic patents. Dr. Bland and his team also identified selective kinase response modulators (SKRMs), nutritional substances that help to restore healthy cell signal transduction to genes, favorably affect gene expression and aid in reversing chronic illness development.
Their research is the foundation for Metagenics' industry-leading products and programs that reduce chronic illness and improve health. A recent multicenter clinical trial, published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, showed that a program consisting of a breakthrough medical food combined with a low-glycemic, Mediterranean-style diet is almost twice as effective as this diet alone for lowering risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S.
In addition to lecturing on nutrigenomics around the world, Dr. Bland leads and shapes hundreds of educational programs offered through Metagenics University, including the certification programs for FirstLine Therapy® (FLT), a personalized lifestyle program that offers a practical system for implementing therapeutic lifestyle changes in clinical practice.
Dr. Bland will be inducted into the Hall of Legends on March 8th in conjunction with the annual NutrAward reception at 5:30 p.m. at the Anaheim Hilton in California during Natural Products Expo West.
About Metagenics, Inc.
Metagenics, Inc. (www.metagenics.com) is a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company focused on reversing chronic illness and improving health. Founded in 1983, Metagenics serves more than 75,000 healthcare providers worldwide through premium quality, science-based medical foods, nutritional formulas, and lifestyle therapy programs to help their patients achieve a lifetime of good health. Metagenics’ scientific staff—among the largest in the nutrigenomics industry—has published more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has been awarded more than 50 international or domestic patents. The company’s educational arm, Metagenics University, collaborates with renowned medical experts to annually deliver more than 200 events designed to help healthcare professionals stay on the leading edge of lifestyle medicine and incorporate nutrition into their clinical practice.
Metagenics maintains its corporate headquarters in San Clemente, CA; R&D headquarters in Gig Harbor, WA; and operating subsidiaries in Brussels, Belgium and Brisbane, Australia.