Exhibit 99.1


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Contact:  Harvey Kamil                           Carl Hymans
          NBTY, Inc.                             G.S. Schwartz & Co.
          President and CFO                      212-725-4500
          631-244-2020                           carlh@schwartz.com

                NBTY COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF REXALL SUNDOWN

BOHEMIA, N.Y. - July 25, 2003 - NBTY, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBTY) (www.NBTY.com), a
leading manufacturer and marketer of nutritional supplements today
announced it has completed the acquisition of Rexall Sundown, Inc.
("Rexall") from Royal Numico, N.V. for $250 million in cash. The
acquisition was financed by a new senior credit facility consisting of $275
million in term loans and $100 million in a revolving credit agreement.

ABOUT NBTY
NBTY is a leading vertically integrated U.S. manufacturer and distributor
of a broad line of high-quality, value-priced nutritional supplements in
the United States and throughout the world. The Company markets more than
1,100 products under several brands, including Nature's Bounty(R), Vitamin
World(R), Puritan's Pride(R), Holland & Barrett(R), Nutrition
Headquarters(R), American Health(R), Nutrition Warehouse(R) and GNC
(UK)(R).

This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to our
financial condition, results of operations and business. All of these
forward-looking statements, which can be identified by the use of
terminology such as "subject to," "believe," "expects," "may," "will,"
"should," "can," or "anticipates," or the negative thereof, or variations
thereon, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy which,
although believed to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain. Factors which
may materially affect such forward-looking statements include: (i) slow or
negative growth in the nutritional supplement industry; (ii) interruption
of business or negative impact on sales and earnings due to acts of war,
terrorism, bio-terrorism, civil unrest or disruption of mail service; (iii)
adverse publicity regarding the consumption of nutritional supplements;
(iv) inability to retain customers of companies (or mailing lists) recently
acquired; (v) increased competition; (vi) increased costs; (vii) loss or
retirement of key members of management; (viii) increases in the cost of
borrowings and unavailability of additional debt or equity capital; (ix)
unavailability of, or inability to consummate, advantageous acquisitions in
the future, including those that may be subject to bankruptcy approval or
the inability of the Company (as defined below) to integrate acquisitions
into the mainstream of its business; (x) changes in general worldwide
economic and political conditions in the markets in which the Company may
compete from time to time; (xi) the inability of the Company to gain and/or
hold market share of its wholesale and retail customers; (xii) loss or
reduction in ephedra sales; (xiii) unavailability of electricity in certain
geographical areas; (xiv) exposure to and expense of defending and
resolving, product liability claims and other litigation; (xv) the ability
of the Company to successfully implement its business strategy; (xvi) the
inability of the Company to manage its retail, wholesale, manufacturing and
other operations efficiently; (xvii) consumer acceptance of the Company's
products; (xviii) the inability of the Company to renew leases on its
retail locations; (xix) inability of the Company's retail stores to attain
or maintain profitability; (xx) the absence of clinical trials for many of
the Company's products; (xxi) sales and earnings volatility and/or trends;
(xxii) the effect on Company sales of the rapidly changing nature of the
Internet and on-line commerce; (xxiii) fluctuations in foreign currencies,
and more particularly the British Pound; (xxiv) import-export controls on
sales to foreign countries; (xxv) the inability of the Company to secure
favorable new sites for, and delays in opening, new retail locations;
(xxvi) introduction of new federal, state, local or foreign legislation or
regulation or adverse determinations by regulators, and more particularly
the Food Supplements Directive and the Traditional Herbal Medicinal
Products Directive in Europe; (xxvii) the mix of the Company's products and
the profit margins thereon; (xxviii) the availability and pricing of raw
materials; (xxix) risk factors discussed in the Company's filings with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"); and (xxx) other
factors beyond the Company's control.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements. The Company cannot guarantee future results, trends, events,
levels of activity, performance or achievements. The Company does not
undertake and specifically declines any obligation to update, republish or
revise forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after
the date hereof or to reflect the occurrences of unanticipated events.