The women who spend a fortune popping TEN types of vitamins a day
But doctors warn they’re wasting money – and risking their health
EVeRY day alexa Mullane, lines up an impressive collection of bottles and jars and begins counting out and swallowing a handful of capsules and tablets. alexa, 34, is as fit as a fiddle, and just one of a growing number of british women who take a cocktail of vitamins, minerals and nutrient supplements in the belief that they will keep them healthy and looking young.
‘I spend £189.60 a month on supplements,’ says the managing director from North London. ‘that’s almost £2,500 a year. It sounds like a lot of money, but I feel they’re vital to my health and wellbeing. the combination of supplements I take give me energy and help to keep me healthy and looking my best.
‘I never take a day off sick and I put that down to my daily supplements.’
the trend for taking lots of different dietary supplements started in the U.S. several years ago and has been embraced by a series of a-list celebrities.
Last year actress Jennifer aniston revealed to People Magazine she has ‘a healthy bag of vitamins’ including vitamin C, basic omegas and a hair supplement. She’s also spoken of a collagen powder she adds to her morning shakes that she says strengthens her nails and gives her a glow.
Singer Katy Perry admits taking a whopping 26 supplements a day and has posted pictures of her impressive intake on social media. Now the habit is catching on in the UK.
according to reports, british supplement sales rose to an estimated £421 million last year, with around two thirds of the UK population admitting they took supplements in 2016 — a massive 63 per cent increase on the previous year.
alexa Mullane takes at least ten different supplements a day, starting with a probiotic capsule to boost the healthy bacteria in her gut. then she has a protein shake with Maca powder (Maca is a Peruvian root vegetable, rich in b vitamins and vitamins C and e), for its protective and anti ageing antioxidant properties.
this is followed by her lunchtime regime of a hyaluronic acid capsule for plumper, youthful looking skin, a multivitamin for hair, skin and nails, a bonestrengthening calcium supplement, a ‘ super green’ capsule packed with spirulina, wheatgrass, spinach, kale and beetroot, a vitamin C supplement, and an omega 3 capsule for joint health.
‘I have a busy lifestyle, so my diet is not always as varied as it should be, so some of my supplements fill those nutritional gaps. My supplements are also insurance for a longer and healthier life,’ says alexa.
dietitian dr Frankie Phillips from the british dietetic association says that while there’s a case for taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement to fill in any gaps in nutrition she doesn’t recommend taking lots of extra supplements without seeking professional advice first.
dr Phillips worries that people who combine a lot of different supplements, such as the fashion for ‘bespoke’ vitamin and mineral formulas for hair, nails, skin and menopause, for example, could unwittingly be taking way above the recommended daily dose of some nutrients. Some combina- tions such as vitamin C with iron can be helpful but other combinations can interfere with each other and lead to excessive nutrients which are intended to be taken in tiny doses. DR PHILLIPS says: ‘Fat soluble vitamins, like vitamins a, e, d and K are a worry as, if taken in large doses over many months, they can build up in the body. taking too much vitamin a over a long period is thought to weaken bones and cause hair loss. exceeding the recommended daily amount of vitamin d — important for bone strength — over time can damage the kidneys and heart.’
dr Phillips advises checking exactly what is in your supple-- ments and ensuring the total amounts of the vitamins and minerals in them don’t exceed the Rda — recommended daily allowance for your age and sex (Rdas can be found at nhs.com).
but with health claims being made about various nutrients in the media every day, the pull of the supplement bottle can be hard to resist.
teacher Monica troughton, 64, lives in Leamington Spa with her husband david, an artist. She has two grown-up daughters and a 13- year- old granddaughter. Monica takes up to 14 different types of supplement a day, costing £120 a month: ‘I’m surprised I don’t rattle,’ she says.
‘I’ve always taken a multivitamin and eaten well, but I didn’t start taking supplements until I hit my 40s, when I started taking vitamin e. I’m sure my supplement regime was the reason I sailed through the menopause. these days I take plant sterols to help lower my cholesterol. I also take magnesium to strengthen my bones and help me sleep, a 65-plus multivitamin and a skin, hair and nails supplement.
‘then there’s niacin, ginkgo for memory, protective antioxidant co-enzyme Q10, zinc for wellbeing, iodine-rich sea kelp to manage my weight, vitamin d for bones, and vitamin C to boost my immunity.’
Monica isn’t worried about possible overdoses. ‘I’m careful about what I take and review my regime every three months. we should all be more responsible for our health.’
Interestingly, some people feel that supplements can also have an impact on their mental health as well as physical wellbeing. Kate Verney, 56, from Ross-on-wye, spends £ 112 a month on supplements and says the effect has been so positive on her physical and mental wellbeing, that she has run up debts to pay for them rather than go without.
a complementary therapist, she lives with Simon, her partner of 11 years, and has a 28-year- old daughter and 30-year- old step son. She says: ‘I lost my mother last year and had been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. I was completely exhausted mentally and physically.
‘My GP offered me thyroxin, but I didn’t want to take medication so I saw a nutritional therapist instead. She said my thyroid condition could be linked to adrenal burn out, and improving my gut health could help. Her tailor-made supplement regime has given me more energy and helped me feel myself again.
‘I haven’t been earning much lately so I’m broke. I pay for my supplements on my credit cards as I feel they are essential for my health and wellbeing.’
dr Clare Morrison, a GP at online pharmacy and doctor service Medexpress is concerned that people with serious or ongoing health concerns can sometimes see supplements as an alternative to medication.
‘I’ve seen a rise in the number of patients at my surgery who rely on nutritional supplements rather than medication. when it comes to serious illnesses, this can be an unwise path. Supplements can be useful. but it’s a trend that can be taken too far.
‘Some vitamins and minerals interact negatively with life-saving medication and in some cases, could even make a health problem worse.’