Starting out in 1972 as a modest kitchen-table enterprise in Provo, Utah, Nature's Sunshine Products has matured into one of the fastest growing businesses in the health industry.

There are many reasons for Nature's Sunshine's success. Cutting-edge quality assurance guarantees that NSP's herbal products are the standard of the industry. A highly motivated sales force proudly presents these top-quality products to the world, which in general has become increasingly receptive toward natural health philosophies that incorporate a program of nutritional supplementation.

NSP's success can also be directly attributed to a company-wide philosophy of putting personalized customer service above all other concerns.

The Nature's Sunshine philosophy:

Throughout history, health care trends and fads have risen and receded like tides of the ocean. However, along the way some undeniable truths have emerged. Perhaps the most important of these is the notion that food plays a significant role in the human condition.

Mankind must have always understood -- at least at some level -- the importance of supplementing the diet with particular foods when health becomes a concern. Stone and papyrus records dating back to 4,000 B.C. extol the virtues of special foods in relation to certain health conditions. In the Orient, food has been a standard part of health care procedure for more than 5,000 years.

According to Irwin Zimen, M.D., a professor of medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) College of Medicine, "The use of food as a drug had always been important until the modern drug industry arose in the 19th century."

Indeed, prior to World War II many herbs were listed side-by-side with chemical drugs in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia, the official listing of accepted medicines. Even now, nearly 50% of the most commonly used and prescribed drugs are either derived from a plant source or contain chemical imitations of a plant compound.

Only recently has society scoffed at relying upon nutrition as a means to improve health. For several decades in this century, people believed that laboratories and man-made materials -- not nature -- were the source of all necessary answers.

Times have changed. Today science tells us that most of the chronic illnesses people face can be traced to lifestyle and diet. It tells us, too, that what we eat and breathe and how we live affects how we feel and how our bodies function.

Nature's Sunshine was established on the premise that natural foods -- herbs, in particular -- are beneficial for health. It has always been NSP's goal to make herbs available in the purest, most effective form possible. As NSP matured, its list of product offerings grew to include vitamins, minerals, Chinese formulations, homeopathic remedies and other health-related items. Nevertheless, the company's focus remains constant - promoting and supporting optimal health through quality nutritional supplements.