Exhibit 99.1

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

NBTY ANNOUNCES SALES RESULTS FOR JANUARY 2004

BOHEMIA, N.Y. – February 9, 2004 - NBTY, Inc. (NYSE: NTY) (www.NBTY.com), a leading manufacturer and marketer of nutritional supplements, today announced its sales results for the month of January 2004 in conjunction with an analyst meeting taking place today at the Company’s offices on Long Island, New York.

For the month of January 2004, sales increased 64% to $150 million from $91 million for the month of January 2003, an increase of $59 million. Sales results by segment are as follows:

SALES

(Unaudited)

FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY

(In Millions)

	2004		2003		% Increase

Wholesale/ US Nutrition	$	66	$	25	163	%

US Retail / Vitamin World	$	20	$	18	9	%

European Retail / Holland & Barrett / GNC UK	$	42	$	30	40	%

Direct Response / Puritan’s Pride	$	22	$	18	23	%

Total	$	150	$	91	64	%

ABOUT NBTY

NBTY is a leading vertically integrated 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 approximately 1,500 products under several brands, including Nature’s Bountyâ, Vitamin Worldâ, Puritan’s Prideâ, Holland & Barrettâ, Rexallâ, Sundownâ, MET-Rx®, WORLDWIDE Sport Nutrition®, American Healthâ, GNC (UK)â and DeTuinen®.

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 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 NBTY to integrate acquisitions into the mainstream of its business; (x) changes in general worldwide economic and political conditions in the markets in which NBTY may compete from time to time; (xi) the inability of NBTY to gain and/or hold market share of its wholesale and/or retail customers anywhere in the world; (xii) unavailability of electricity in certain geographical areas; (xiii) the inability of NBTY to obtain and/or renew insurance; (xiv) exposure to and expense of defending and resolving, product liability claims and other litigation; (xv) the ability of NBTY to successfully implement its business strategy; (xvi) the inability of NBTY to manage its retail, wholesale, manufacturing and other operations efficiently; (xvii) consumer acceptance of NBTY’s products; (xviii) the inability of NBTY to renew leases on its retail locations; (xix) inability of NBTY’s retail stores to attain or maintain profitability; (xx) the absence of clinical trials for many of NBTY’s products; (xxi) sales and earnings volatility and/or trends; (xxii) the efficacy of NBTY’s Internet and on-line sales and marketing; (xxiii) fluctuations in foreign currencies, including the British Pound; (xxiv) import-export controls on sales to foreign countries; (xxv) the inability of NBTY 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 anywhere in the world (including the banning of products) and more particularly the Food Supplements Directive and the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive in Europe; (xxvii) the mix of NBTY’s products and the profit margins thereon; (xxviii) the availability and pricing of raw materials; (xxix) risk factors discussed in NBTY’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; and (xxx) other factors beyond NBTY’s control.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. NBTY cannot guarantee future results, trends, events, levels of activity, performance or achievements. NBTY 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.

DELAWARE		11-2228617
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

90 Orville Drive Bohemia, New York		11716
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

(631) 567-9500
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Dated: February 10, 2004
	NBTY, INC.


	By:	/s/ Harvey Kamil
		Harvey Kamil
		President and Chief Financial Officer

FORM 8-K

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 9, 2004

SIGNATURES

By:

/s/ Harvey Kamil

ABOUT NBTY