ruity gums that make
your hair shine, fizzy
tablets that stop a
cold in its tracks and
moreish syrups to
boost energy when you’re burnt
out... these days, supermarket
supplement aisles look more
like wellness sweet shops.
It’s a market that’s booming.
According to research,* 59%
of Brits took vitamins, minerals
and supplements in 2018,
with 38% of women likely to
pop a pill every day.
But do we really need them?
Or are we pouring our money
into something that, at best,
is simply a placebo and, at
worst, is actually harming us?
Most experts agree that if you
already have enough of a
nutrient in your body, taking
extra via supplements cannot
add any health benefits. And
a US study† estimated that
23,000 patients a year
attended accident and
emergency departments after
suffering adverse events related
to dietary supplements between
2004 and 2013 – with one in
four being young adults aged
20 to 34. Plus, supplements
aren’t as strictly regulated as
medicines, meaning “a product
only has to contain a tiny
amount of a certain ingredient
to make a health claim about
it,” explains Simon White,
chief nutritional scientist at
supplement brand Lyma. “The
rest of the ingredients can be
cheap, and contain harmful
fillers to bulk out the product.”
More worryingly, they can also
clash with prescribed medicines.
But surely a £442 million UK
market isn’t built on nothing?
Are there times when you
should pop a pill? We spoke to
the experts to get the lowdown
on the most common ailments,
supplements, and more. ›move health
Psst...
Don’t forget to
consider consulting
a doctor or
pharmacist before
you start taking
a supplement.F
need a
for that?
More of us are buying and popping supplements in the UK than ever, but are they doing more harm than good? Amelia Jean Jones investigates
COSMOPOLITAN ·^33