Amway Botanical Research Center – The Story of Carl Rehnborg in Shanghai, China

Nutrilite Founder Carl Rehnborg lived and worked in Shanghai, China for 12 years, from 1915 to 1927. During his time there, he discovered that cattle fed on alfalfa were healthier. Additionally, while he was travelling through the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, he found that local farmers would mix the tender leaves of alfalfa into rice flour to make pancakes (jianbing), which they consumed to prevent discomfort from the summer heat.

Carl Rehnborg was greatly inspired by traditional Chinese herbal wisdom. After a series of observations and experiments, he believed that plants contained thousands of important elements beneficial to the human body. Upon returning to the United States, Carl Rehnborg was determined to explore the nutritional secrets of several plants, including alfalfa and parsley. In 1934, he developed North America's first multivitamin and mineral supplement.

Carl Rehnborg’s experiences in Shanghai had a profound impact on his research in nutrition. In the upcoming Amway Botanical Research Center Trip 2025, you will follow in Carl Rehnborg’s footsteps and learn how Nutrilite combines traditional Chinese herbal concepts with scientific research to provide the highest quality, purest, and safest nutritional supplements.