SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. and DETROIT, Mar 30, 2009 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) —-Health Enhancement Products, Inc. (OTCBB:HEPI) has awarded a grant to the Department of Nutrition and Food Science to conduct a study to confirm the therapeutic effects of its ProAlgaZyme (PAZ: undefined, undefined, undefined%) bioactive compound in reducing LDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein, a protein found in the blood in response to inflammation.

Wayne State University ranks among the nation’s top 50 public universities engaged in basic and applied biomedical research. The Department of Nutrition and Food Science conducts research in obesity and diabetes, body weight management, lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, nutrition and cancer, oxidative stress, diet and aging, gene expression, metabolomics, food safety and food bacteria.

The study will isolate the various bioactive components and later test for significant changes in LDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein. Upon completion of the study, Wayne State will publish a scientific paper describing the final results, as well as the means and methods employed, to be authored by the principal investigator, Dr. Smiti Gupta, associate professor of nutrition and food at WSU.

Once the study is accepted by HEPI, the Company will investigate further trials with an aim toward garnering a share of the nutraceutical and functional food market. In what economists consider a disastrous year for business in general, nutraceutical and functional food marketers are experiencing real growth. In the EU and U.S. combined, functional food sales grew at an adjusted 30% annualized rate in 2008, and 2009 appears to be on track to repeat the strong sales volume. According to Euromonitor International Data, the global health and wellness market has surged past the $570 billion mark in 2008, with functional representing the fastest growing segment at $152 billion annualized.

“As a food additive or performance enhancer, PAZ will likely boost the beneficial aspects of functional foods, supplements, sports drinks and composite nutraceuticals,” states John Gorman, the company’s sales director. “We see PAZ as having great potential for improving the health of Americans and those seeking wellness everywhere.”

About Wayne State University

Wayne State University is one of the nation’s pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting, ranking in the top 50 R&D expenditures of all public universities by the National Science Foundation. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world.

About Health Enhancement Products, Inc.

Health Enhancement Products, Inc. is a nutraceutical company engaged in the development of a dietary supplement product using only pure, all-natural ingredients. The Company’s premier product is ProAlgaZyme (PAZ: undefined, undefined, undefined%), a liquid product drawn from living algae grown in purified water. The water in which the algae is grown is drawn off, filtered and bottled as ProAlgaZyme.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for any historical information, the matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, including the timing of completion of a trial, actual future clinical trial results being different than the results the company has obtained to date, and the company’s ability to secure funding. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned that such statements are not guarantees of future performance and those actual results or developments may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or otherwise.