From "Tears of the Times" to "A Breeding Ground for Deception": A History of the Rise and Fall of the Health Supplement Industry - natural stress relief with acupuncture

From "Tears of the Times" to "A Breeding Ground for Deception": A History of the Rise and Fall of the Health Supplement Industry pet therapy for natural stress relief Prefacenatural stress reduction for athletes yoga practices for stress relief The spring breeze of reform and opening-up blew across the land of China, bringing not only economic growth, but also ignited people's desire for a better life. As material life gradually became more affluent, people's pursuit of health became increasingly intense

From "Tears of the Times" to "A Breeding Ground for Deception": A History of the Rise and Fall of the Health Supplement Industry

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Preface

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The spring breeze of reform and opening-up blew across the land of China, bringing not only economic growth, but also ignited people's desire for a better life. As material life gradually became more affluent, people's pursuit of health became increasingly intense. With the slogan "Prevent disease, safeguard health," an industry that focuses on health and disease prevention - the health supplement industry - emerged.

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From the "San Zhu Oral Liquid" in the early 1990s to "Brain Gold" in the millennium, and later "Life No. 1" and "Ant Force God," a variety of health supplements claiming to treat intractable diseases took the stage, sweeping the country. Television commercials were ubiquitous, and various beautifully packaged products lined the shelves, making the health supplement industry a "hot potato" in the market. However, as time passed, the once-glorious health supplement industry gradually faded from people's sight, leaving behind a trail of feathers and endless sighs. What did these former "star products" experience? What lessons can we learn from the stories behind them?

Brain Gold: From "Gift for Gifting" to "Tears of the Times"

When it comes to Brain Gold, many people will have a classic image in mind: an elderly couple, wearing round glasses, dancing to a catchy tune, singing the catchy advertising slogan: "Don't accept gifts for the festival this year, accept only Brain Gold." This advertising slogan, along with the brainwashing melody, was deeply etched in the minds of generations, making Brain Gold the undisputed "top-tier" in an era without short videos or the internet.

The success of Brain Gold largely attributed to its precise market positioning and clever marketing strategies. At that time, with the aging of China's population, people's concerns about the health of senior citizens were growing. Brain Gold, under the banner of "improving sleep quality and enhancing physical fitness," catered to people's desire for a long and healthy life. Its "gift for gifting" positioning also hit the nail on the head in terms of Chinese people's emphasis on human interaction.

In 2000, Brain Gold's sales exceeded 1.3 billion yuan, making it the leader in the health supplement industry. Its advertising evolved from simple brainwashing to more exaggerated claims of "longevity." However, the backlash from excessive marketing followed. As people experienced advertising fatigue and questioned the effectiveness of health supplements, Brain Gold's commercials became the top of the list of "China's 10 Most Vulgar Advertisements" in the eyes of the public.

In 2005, the state issued the "Regulations on the Administration of Registration of Health Foods," clearly stating that health supplements can only regulate bodily functions and do not have the ability to treat diseases. Brain Gold's exaggerated marketing had to be toned down, but it did not change its "profit-driven" nature. In 2007, to boost sales, Brain Gold printed "contains gold bricks" on its packaging, falsely claiming that it was "made by Lao Fengxiang and with a purity of 99.9%." This was blatant deception, ultimately leading to a collective lawsuit by consumers, putting Brain Gold on the front page.

In 2008, the court ruled that Brain Gold's advertising contained false claims, ordering it to stop broadcasting. The commercials that once brainwashed countless people gradually faded from people's sight as time went on. Brain Gold's sales continued to decline, and its parent company, Giant Company, rarely released sales figures for Brain Gold. The once "king" eventually "fell from grace," becoming "tears of the times."

San Zhu Oral Liquid: From "Benefiting All Mankind" to a Warning of "Implosion"

Before Brain Gold, another health supplement brand achieved even more brilliant results: San Zhu Oral Liquid. It achieved annual sales of 8 billion yuan in the early 1990s, becoming a "myth" in the health supplement industry at the time.

Compared to Brain Gold's simple brainwashing, San Zhu Oral Liquid's advertising was more "high-end." It disguised commercials as talk shows, inviting "experts" in white coats and "ordinary consumers" to speak on camera, using authority and perceived effectiveness to win over hearts. This "talk show style advertising" pioneered Chinese health supplement advertising and laid the foundation for countless similar commercials that followed.

At the time, China's rural population made up the vast majority of the total population. San Zhu Oral Liquid targeted the vast rural market. To expand its influence, San Zhu Oral Liquid painted its slogans on the streets and alleys of rural areas, leveraging word-of-mouth to quickly capture the rural market.

However, the "implosion" of San Zhu Oral Liquid came very quickly. In 1996, an elderly man died from "San Zhu drug high-protein allergy" after taking San Zhu Oral Liquid. This incident quickly drew public attention, exposing the true nature of San Zhu Oral Liquid. The once-exaggerated claims ultimately became the "straw that broke the camel's back" for San Zhu.

In 1998, due to a significant decline in sales, San Zhu Oral Liquid was forced to cease production, and the team of 160,000 was laid off by 150,000. The once "benefiting all mankind" San Zhu Oral Liquid ultimately ended in tragedy, becoming a classic case of excessive marketing in the health supplement industry.

Life No. 1: From "Improving Memory" to the Embarrassment of "Uselessness"

If Brain Gold and San Zhu Oral Liquid targeted the elderly population, then Life No. 1 set its sights on school-aged youth. On the packaging of Life No. 1, there was a handsome young boy with a halo on his head, and the slogan was "Improve memory, supplement brain nutrition." In the era of "national college entrance exam," Life No. 1 quickly captured a large share of the health supplement market upon its launch, becoming a childhood memory for a generation.

However, the actual effect of Life No. 1 was far from the advertised claims. The nutritional ingredient listed on Life No. 1, American EN-SURE, was actually a smoothie, containing high levels of protein and calories. It could help teenagers gain weight, but had no other special effects. The taurine in it was a main ingredient in Red Bull and energy drinks, only helping people to boost their energy in the short term, with no clinically proven effect on memory or intelligence.

Life No. 1 also contained "deep-sea animal extract," which is the commonly known fish oil. Harvard University research shows that if a person consumes 150g of fish per week, there is no need to deliberately supplement fish oil. In other words, fish oil has no positive effect on brain development or memory.

As for the other ingredients in Life No. 1, either they were nonexistent or had no effect. In short, Life No. 1 can only supplement some elements needed for the growth and development of teenagers, and it does not have the effect of improving memory and providing brain nutrition as advertised.

Many people who took Life No. 1 during their youth recall that it didn't bring them any "superpowers," and some even attribute their premature puberty and weight gain in their youth to Life No. 1. While Life No. 1 never experienced a "death" event like San Zhu Oral Liquid, its "uselessness" also led to declining sales year after year.

Ant Force God: From "Miraculous Ants" to the Tragedy of a "Ponzi Scheme"

When it comes to Ant Force God, many people may be unfamiliar, but everyone should remember the scene in the TV series "Liu Laogen" where Fan Wei, playing "Medicine Box," promotes his medicine. In the TV series, the health supplement Fan Wei promotes is called "Dali Wan," which, like Ant Force God, claims to be made from a substance extracted from ants.

To raise its profile, Ant Force God invited Zhao Benshan and Fan Wei, two top stars in the Spring Festival Gala at the time, to film a sketch promoting it. Although the sketch didn't directly mention the effectiveness of Ant Force God, the acting skills of these two veteran artists left a deep impression on people.

As Ant Force God grew, its founder, Wang Fengyou, began to be unsatisfied with the profits from selling the product. He created a Ponzi scheme, luring a large number of farmers into it. Ant Force God promoted that its main raw material was ants. Wang Fengyou encouraged farmers to raise ants and offered to buy them back at a high price, even providing ant breeds. Some farmers believed it was true, thinking it was a good opportunity to make a fortune, and flocked to raise ants.

However, Wang Fengyou didn't actually buy the ants back. He only collected a guarantee of 10,000 yuan from farmers under the guise of "providing ant breeds" and then absconded with the money. Eventually, the true face of Ant Force God was exposed - its product didn't actually contain any "ant ingredients," but was mixed with large amounts of "Viagra" and starch. 

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