Fifty Years of Trusting the Leaf

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Nature’s Way thrives on bringing wellness to the world

For half a century, wellness-wise consumers have used Nature’s Way dietary supplements to help them live healthier lives. When the company’s journey began in 1969, Americans were beginning to think differently about “health foods,” and tentatively embracing herbal solutions to improve their vitality.

That embrace is full-hearted these days, largely because of the dedication and effort that quality-driven supplement makers like Nature’s Way have poured into the creation of innovative, effective, and pure nutritional products. On the leading edge of creativity, the Green Bay, Wisconsin-based company is one of the most technologically advanced supplement manufacturers in the country.

It is a company motivated by trust, integrity, and above all, love. When founder Tom Murdock desperately searched for a way to improve his wife’s health after relying on conventional options without success, he took a leap of faith by turning to the traditional Native American knowledge of the healing power of plants. As a result, his wife’s health improved and she lived another 25 years — and has improved the quality of life for millions, all while setting uncompromising standards for the industry.

Today their roster includes over 500 premium nutritional products, including single herbs and herbal extracts, homeopathic remedies, vitamins, minerals, and specialty formulas. In addition to Nature’s Way branded items, their line includes Alive! daily multivitamins, Fortify probiotics, NutraVege™ vegetarian Omega-3 supplements, and Sambucus immune support*.

In addition to holding the NSF International third party GMP certification, Nature’s Way holds a host of certifications from respected industry groups, including the Non-GMO Project, Quality Assurance International, and the Orthodox Union Kosher Association. The industry leader is the first to participate in the TRU-ID™ testing and validation program to guarantee the authenticity of their herbal products through DNA biotechnology.

Chris Oswald, DC, manages and creates the firm’s educational content, helping to support new product innovation and consumer education. The chiropractor and clinical nutritionist had Nature’s Way on his radar for years before joining the firm in 2017.

“We harness the power of nature and layer in traditional health practices to bring our customers the best of both worlds, and we use our high expectations of quality and training to create incredible products,” he explained.

“For me it's all about helping patients. One-on-one, I can only help so many people. … I now have a much broader expanse of the number of people I can help and whose health I can improve. Internally, I help put as much power as I can into making sure that the products we create have the right research to support what we want them to do, are well tolerated, and that provide real world solutions for consumers who interact with any variety of our products. It’s super fun and very rewarding.”

Going Where They Grow the Best

The use of indigenous botanicals is central to Nature’s Way. “We travel to the countries and continents where herbs have always thrived. Indigenous regions where the conditions are right and where generations of growers and harvesters have preserved and shared their knowledge and practices over time,” Oswald said. “We think this is the only way to bring you the purest botanicals possible. The way to ensure quality without compromise. Our way of helping you live healthier every day — the way nature intended.”

While the company’s core business is centered in North American markets, they also leverage a global distribution network. “We have a team that works with partners in other countries to distribute the right mix of products in Asia or Africa or wherever in the world we want to be. We are always exploring how we can take what we are best at, manufacturing high quality supplements, and get them in the hands of people around the world.”

As consumer demand for nutritional supplements has strengthened, the way to reach those consumers has changed dramatically. “When I started as a clinician, people that were accessing all of these herbs knew what they did. They knew what ashwagandha did. They knew what milk thistle did,” Oswald recalled. (Ashwagandha is prized for the ability to reduce stress, and milk thistle supports liver health.)

“Now we've hit this inflection point where people say, ‘I know herbs, I trust herbs as a solution for me, but I don't know what ashwagandha does.’ Our packaging works to call out that benefit more than you see on the ingredient list, or what’s based on the label hierarchy. … That's more important these days because people are looking for something to reduce their stress. They don't care what it is; they just want to trust that it works. That kind of consumer attitude has certainly shifted.”

Trust, from Ashwagandha to Zinc

"Recently we've made some pretty significant investments in our manufacturing capabilities,” Oswald continued. “Nature’s Way is always striving to contribute less waste and recycle all we can. Over the last several years we have diverted more than 70 percent of waste to recycling facilities. We know sustainability is a core value of our consumers and know we need to respect and care for the planet that provides the herbs we have been creating products with for 50 years. As part of our 50^th anniversary celebration we are excited to introduce new innovative packaging.”

In April, Nature’s Way unveiled square-shaped bottles made with 97 percent post-consumer recycled materials, made of old milk jugs — another example of the commitment to sustainability. The initiative is expected to reuse 350 tons of plastic annually and will be used on their herbal line, which also features fully recyclable bottles. One percent of Nature’s Way Ultra Pure sales are donated to environmental causes worldwide through One Percent for the Planet, an alliance of businesses committed to creating a healthier world.

“This year, we’re teaming up with Mandy Moore to celebrate our 50th year in business. Mandy is an accomplished actress, singer, and wellness advocate who has joined us to empower people to live healthier lives every day. We believe in bringing wellness to everyone. That’s a core value Mandy also shares. To mark our 50^th, we’ll be donating $50,000 to Vitamin Angels. This donation will help Vitamin Angels protect the health of millions of mothers and young children here and around the world,” he said.

“Another one of our statements that we like to share is, ‘Trust the leaf.’ When you see a product from Nature's Way you can trust that it's well tolerated and high quality. We've got something that provides the solution you are looking for, and you know that if it comes from Nature's Way you can trust it.”