LEHI, Utah, Oct. 7, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. (Nasdaq:NATR), a leading natural health and wellness company engaged in the manufacture and direct sale of premium-quality nutritional and personal care products, today announced that Ingrum Bankston, M.D., of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has joined Nature's Sunshine Products' ("NSP") Medical and Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Bankston is a board-certified urologist and practicing surgeon. As part of his affiliation with this board, Dr. Bankston will team with Dr. Luis Pacheco, Dr. Sang Geon Kim, Dr. William J. Keller, Dr. Nigel Gericke and others to assist with research activities, educate and train NSP and Synergy distributors, and speak at various company events.
"We have already benefitted from Dr. Bankston's research with our cutting-edge Equolibrium product and look forward to a continuing relationship with him in this advisory capacity," said Gregory L. Probert, Nature's Sunshine Products' Chairman and CEO.
Dr. Matt Tripp, NSP's Chief Scientific Officer, added, "Dr. Bankston's work surrounding the introduction of Equolibrium this spring was invaluable. He shared with us remarkable findings after using Equolibrium with his male patients in his practice and helped us better understand exactly how the product performs. I'm pleased that we will continue to work together in the future."
Dr. Bankston is a practicing physician at the Tuscaloosa Urology Center. He currently serves as the Assistant Clinical Professor for the Department of Surgery at the University of Alabama and has served as President of the Alabama Urological Association since 2006.
Dr. Bankston received his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he also completed his undergraduate degree. He completed his internship in general surgery at the Ochsner Foundation in Louisiana and did his residency work at the UAB Division of Urology.
"I believe in the work Nature's Sunshine Products is doing," Bankston said. "I can see the dedication their distributors have to natural health, and I applaud their efforts at learning and sharing what they know. I believe we can really impact the men's health market with Equolibrium and other innovative products in the future, and I look forward to being a part of that success."
About Nature's Sunshine Products
Nature's Sunshine Products (Nasdaq:NATR), a leading natural health and wellness company, markets and distributes nutritional and personal care products through a global direct sales force of over 680,000 independent Managers, Distributors and customers in more than 40 countries. Nature's Sunshine manufactures most of its products through its own state-of-the-art facilities to ensure its products continue to set the standard for the highest quality, safety and efficacy on the market today. The Company has three reportable business segments that are divided based on the characteristics of their Distributor base, similarities in compensation plans, as well as the internal organization of NSP's officers and their responsibilities (NSP Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe; NSP Russia, Central and Eastern Europe; and Synergy WorldWide). The Company also supports health and wellness for children around the world through its partnership with the Sunshine Heroes Foundation. Additional information about the Company can be obtained at its website, www.naturessunshine.com.