Apart from GNC (megabucks) has anyone found any quality brands of supplements in this market?

No.

I have vitamin C, aspirin, and Tylenol sent from the US. The cost of shipping a years supply is less than $70USD and well worth it.

If you carefully check the labels, you will see most Chinese 100mg tablets contain a lot less of what ever you think you are buying.

I did a cost analysis November, 2011.

Brand - Cost Yuan - Cost USD - Cost/mg USD

A (US) ——- 239 - $39.05 - $0.00087
B (Chinese) -108 - $17.64 - $0.01496
C (Chinese) -198 - $32.34 - $0.00674
D(US Costco)-214 - $35.00 - $0.00007

Note, I am estimating the cost of the Costco Cs, I think they were about $32 in 2006.

Another way of looking at it: How many bottles are needed to equal the US Costco vitamin C and what is the cost？

Brand A — 11 bottles, $434
Brand B - 424 bottles, $7,486
Brand C - 105 bottles, $3.386

The best joke is that Brands B, C and the Costco vitamin C are all made in China.

Unless it's made overseas and has a label in English, forget it.

If you want supplements buy them either back home (or get them shipped to China) or go to Bangkok or Hong Kong.

There is a supplement store near my home in Xi Shan district which has similar items found in GNC. This place is called DNC. I purchased some echinacea a few months back. The label is in English.

Some supplements sold in China are labelled as made in the USA. And some really are.

With Chinese supplements, you need to check two places on the label. Quite clearly the tab size in mg. But, usually, in small print is the exact content of each tab. There you will find what is in the tab. Some Vitamin C, 100mg tabs have less than 12mg vitamin C.

Don't be surprised if the numbers don't calculate. You might see, in big bold numbers "1000mg" on the lablel front. But there are 100 tabs at 100mg each so I can't figure out where they get 1000mg.

In the US, FDA labeling requires a 100mg vitamin C tab to have 100mg of vitamin C plus whatever the use for binder and preservative. China seems to allow 100mg total weight and the C content is reduced by binder, filler and who knows what.

That is what worries me: 100mg tab with <12mg C means 88mg of something else. What is it? What can it be? We know what they will put in to baby formula.

Medical peptides for post-ops, sold without a prescription, should be ok? Ive seen them in pharmacies and even supermarkets.

Natures Bounty Brand is sold in the downtown Carrefour. Its imported, labeled and stamped.