Organic & Natural Health Association hosted its second consumer retail educational program on April 23 in partnership with Syracuse, New York, health food store, Natur-Tyme. More than 1,200 consumers attended and upwards of 65,000 viewed the content via Facebook Live broadcast.

For the 17th year, Natur-Tyme hosted its popular annual spring health fair at the New York state fairgrounds and this year partnered with Organic & Natural Health to secure a keynote speaker lineup including three-time New York Times best-selling author, Dr. Joseph Mercola, as well as internal and integrative medicine specialist, Dr. Dana Cohen; naturopathic and functional medicine doctor, Geo Espinosa, ND; and pharmacist, author and media personality known to consumers nationwide as “The Herbal Pharmacist,” David Foreman, RPh.  

Organic & Natural Health’s retail membership program, called “The Power of Nutrients,” is a unique program in the natural products industry and a key component to its mission that allows the organization to directly connect with consumers who are interested in learning how to live a healthy lifestyle. Its first retail event was held on Oct. 1, 2016 in partnership with Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins, the 45-year-old California-based health food store, and featured keynote speeches from Mercola, clinical pharmacist and board certified clinical nutritionist, James LaValle, R.Ph., CCN, and executive director of GrassrootsHealth, Carole Baggerly.

“We are committed to the consumer, and getting the latest health information in their hands,” said Karen Howard, CEO and executive director of Organic & Natural Health. “It’s one of the key programs that differentiates us from other trade organizations in the natural products industry.”

Organic & Natural Health’s “The Power of Nutrients” retail membership program aligns with its consumer driven nutrient awareness campaign that will focus this year on the health benefits of omega-3 DHA and EPA. Organic & Natural Health’s Scientific Advisory Board will bring consumer attention to research backing the health benefits of omega-3s and the importance of self-testing, showing consumers how to use the omega-3 index to determine adequate levels of DHA and EPA in the bloodstream.

The advisory board is led by Mercola and members include: Cohen, Espinosa, Foreman, LaValle, Dr. Kecia Gaither, Dr. Dennis Goodman, Dr. Christine Horner, Dr. Michael Murray, N.D., and Dr. Ken Redcross. These experts will encourage consumers to participate in Organic & Natural Health’s international population-based nutrient field trials led by its research partner, GrassrootsHealth, in order to scientifically prove how specific nutrients have a direct impact on disease prevention. The self-testing kit, which can be purchased at www.nutrientpower.org, is unique in that it will test for both omega-3 and vitamin D levels. The program is in partnership with member organizations Aker BioMarine and Natural Partners’ NP Script, its online patient dispensary that will enroll practitioners into the program concurrent to Organic & Natural Health’s consumer awareness campaign to encourage individual participation.

Organic & Natural Health’s membership has grown by 160% in less than two years since the original 11 founding members joined in 2014. New members include: American Grassfed Association, Barrington Nutritionals, CV Sciences, Cypress Ingredients, Natural Partners, Neptune Wellness Solutions, SourceOne Global Partners; and affiliate members: Amin Talati Upadhye, Informa Exhibitions and Ingredient Identity. 

“Our membership growth is due to the immediate and positive impact we are having in the industry for consumer education, research and advocacy,” said Ms. Howard. “We have fervent focus on these initiatives.”