Endowment
The C. F. Rehnborg Chair in Preventive Medicine was endowed in 1989 with contributions from the Rehnborg family, Amway Corporation, and the Nutrilite Foundation and is intended to perpetuate the memory and ideals of Carl F. Rehnborg by helping to encourage and advance the study of disease prevention at Stanford. Carl F. Rehnborg first became interested in nutrition when he lived and worked in China from 1915 to 1927, where he observed widespread malnutrition and conceived the idea of a plant-based supplement to fortify the diet. In 1934 Carl produced what was believed to be the very first multivitamin/multimineral dietary supplement introduced into the world marketplace. A year before Mr. Rehnborg's death in 1973, Nutrilite Products, Inc. was acquired by the Amway Corporation of Ada, Michigan, which was founded by former Nutrilite distributors Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel. Today, Alticor Inc., parent company of Amway Corporation, Quixtar Inc., and Access Business Group, continues to market NUTRILITE® supplements and nutritional foods around the world through its Amway and Quixtar affiliates. Mr. Rehnborg's son, Carl Samuel, received a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Stanford in 1958 and a Ph.D.in biophysics from the University of California at Berkeley. He is currently the president of the Nutrilite Health Institute, which continues the company's strong interest in research in the prevention of disease and in health promotion, particularly through improving nutrition and fitness.
Press Release from Quixtar:
Quixtar Celebrates Nutrilite Founder's Induction to Wellness Revolution Hall of Fame
The Late Carl F. Rehnborg Honored as a Pioneer in the History of Nutrition
[Quixtar News: Feb. 8, 2007] The late Carl F. Rehnborg, inventor of the first multivitamin/multimineral food supplement in North America and one of the pioneers of multilevel marketing, will be inducted into the Wellness Revolution Hall of Fame during ceremonies today in Las Vegas. Rehnborg was the founder of NUTRILITE. NUTRILITE® is the world's leading brand of vitamin, mineral, and dietary supplements, based on 2005 sales. Nutrilite products are sold exclusively by Quixtar Independent Business Owners throughout North America.
“I am thrilled that my father is being recognized for his role in helping people achieve optimal health,” says Dr. Sam Rehnborg, President of the NUTRILITE Health Institute and Carl’s son. “History has proven that the link my father made between nutrition and good health is undeniable. He would be honored to be included with so many other esteemed health pioneers in the Wellness Revolution Hall of Fame. And he would be amazed that the supplement he created more than 70 years ago remains a top-selling product around the world.”
Invention out of Necessity
While living in China in the early 1920s, Carl Rehnborg noticed, amid unforgettable malnutrition and disease, an important connection between the foods people ate and their overall health. In farming communities, where fresh fruits and vegetables were plentiful, people were much healthier overall. In the cities, where diets included far more sugar, salt, and fat, Carl noted that there were many more instances of critical diseases, such as scurvy and beriberi.
During political unrest in Shanghai, Carl was isolated in a protected enclave where he conceived the idea of using nutritional elements missing from the typical diet as a way to improve overall health. Carl supplemented his meager diet with soups from what was available: local herbs, grasses, and vegetables, along with rusty nails (for iron), and lime stone and ground-up animal bones (for calcium). Months later, Carl and his friends who ate the nutrient-rich broth emerged from their enclave much healthier than those who had eaten only army rations.
Returning to the United States, Carl set up a small laboratory and began experiments using different plant varieties. He developed a way to dry and concentrate these plants while still preserving their important nutrients. Ultimately, Carl Rehnborg created a formulation containing alfalfa, watercress, and parsley, which became the first multivitamin/multimineral supplement sold in North America. This supplement, later named NUTRILITE DOUBLE X® multivitamin/multimineral/phytonutrient, remains the flagship product of the NUTRILITE brand today.
A New Business Model
Carl began selling his new supplement person to person, through word-of-mouth referrals. When some of these early customers began referring new customers to Carl, he suggested they sell the product themselves, rewarding them with discounts on their purchases. Just as Carl had created the first multivitamin/multimineral supplement sold in North America, he also pioneered an early multi-level marketing system – and a revolutionary new business model still in use today.
Carl F. Rehnborg passed away in 1973 at the age of 86. His grandson, Rod Rehnborg, will be accepting this award on his grandfather’s behalf. Rehnborg will be recognized for his contributions in a ceremony at Parker Seminars annual event on Wednesday, February 7, at the Las Vegas Hilton.
The Wellness Revolution
Professor Paul Zane Pilzer coined the term "Wellness Revolutionary" in his 2002 award-winning book The Wellness Revolution (Wiley Press).The Wellness Revolution Hall of Fame was founded to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to wellness — changing our world for the better one person or patient at a time. The members of the Hall of Fame have helped tens of millions of people lead happier, healthier and longer lives.
Others to be inducted include Tod Cooperman, M.D., founder of consumerlab.com; Steve Demos, founder of SILK Soymilk; Fabrizio Mancini, D.C., president of Parker College of Chiropractic and Parker Seminars; and J.I. Rodale, founder of Rodale Press (Men's Health, Prevention ); among others.
About NUTRILITE
NUTRILITE is so committed to total quality control of its plant concentrates from seed to tablet, it’s the only global vitamin and mineral brand to grow, harvest, and process plants on its own certified organic farms, located in California, Washington, Mexico, and Brazil.
The NUTRILITE Health Institute is a worldwide collaboration of experts dedicated to helping people achieve optimal health through research, education and practical solutions. The hub of the NHI is the NHI Center for Optimal Health, located in Buena Park, California, a world-class facility bringing together science, nutrition, fitness, research and people for a personal, interactive, educational and inspirational experience focused on health and the NUTRILITE brand.
For more information on NUTRILITE products, history, farming and manufacturing practices, visit Nutrilite at
www.nutrilite.com. To order NUTRILITE products, visit
www.quixtar.com.
©2007 Quixtar. All rights reserved.
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