PURCHASE, NY, September 11, 2008 – Nutrition 21, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXXI), the developer and marketer of nutritional supplements under the Iceland Health Chromax^®, and Diabetes Essentials^™ brands that help consumers manage blood sugar levels, improve cardiovascular health, enhance memory and reduce chronic joint pain, reported today that study results released by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) support the safety of short-term and long-term use of Chromium Picolinate. Multiple safety studies were performed in animals, including a two-year study using daily doses of chromium picolinate equivalent to 50,000 times the common human dose found in supplements. Results of the studies can be viewed at the NTP website at: http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=BD466797-123F-7908-7B4627379E1CE3E6

Michael A. Zeher, president and chief executive officer of Nutrition 21, commented, "We are pleased with the conclusions of the NTP studies. Over the years Chromax chromium picolinate has proven to be an efficacious compound in assisting consumers to safely and proactively attain, and maintain, healthy blood glucose levels, carbohydrate metabolism, and body composition. Chromax chromium picolinate is used as a nutritional ingredient in a wide variety of dietary supplements and functional food and beverage products from leading manufacturing companies. The results of these highly credible studies build upon the extensive database of safety data behind our products, and help provide retailers and consumers with the added confidence they need to initially buy our product and to become loyal repeat customers."

"The results from the NTP studies are very significant in that chromium picolinate did not cause any dose-related safety issues, even when used at extremely high doses taken over prolonged periods of time," stated toxicology expert Dr. Ron Slesinski, PhD., DABT, past President of the Regulatory and Safety Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology. "I believe that the safety profile of chromium picolinate is firmly established by the results of these independent studies."

James Komorowski, M.S., vice president – technical services and scientific affairs for Nutrition 21, concluded, "No other form of nutritional chromium on the market today has been as thoroughly tested as Chromax chromium picolinate. We believe that these results validate our operational philosophy of combining high quality science and ground-breaking technology to develop superior nutritional products."

About The National Toxicology Program
The National Toxicology Program is an interagency program established in 1978 by the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, which today is known as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program was created as a cooperative effort to coordinate toxicology testing programs within the federal government, strengthen the science base in toxicology, develop and validate improved testing methods, and provide information about potentially toxic chemicals to health, regulatory, and research agencies, scientific and medical communities, and the public. The NTP is headquartered at the NIEHS, for additional information visit http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/

About Nutrition 21
Nutrition 21, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXXI), headquartered in Purchase, NY, is a nutritional bioscience company and the maker of chromium picolinate-based and omega-3 fish oil-based supplements with health benefits substantiated by clinical research. Nutrition 21 holds more than 30 patents for nutrition products and uses. Nutrition 21’s portfolio of health and wellness brands include: Chromax®,  Core4Life Advanced Memory Formula™, Diabetes Essentials™, Iceland Health® Maximum Strength Omega-3 and Iceland Health® Joint Relief. The company also manufactures private label supplements and ingredients for third parties. Nutrition 21 distributes its products nationally through more than 29,000 major food, drug and super center retailers as well as internationally.  For more information please visit http://www.nutrition21.com.
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