Which supplements should I take?

Eating a balanced, varied diet is the best way of getting your vitamins and minerals. Having said that, certain nutrients are sometimes in short supply, so you may wish to consider taking the following supplements:

 MULTIVITAMINS

Multivitamins that provide approximately 100% of the nutrient reference value (NRV) for most vitamins and minerals are unlikely to do any harm, and may be a convenient insurance against deficient intakes, as long as you stick to the recommended dose. However, there is no evidence that taking high doses improves health.  VITAMIN D

Public Health England recommends taking a 10mcg vitamin D supplement between October and March to maintain good immunity and safeguard against deficiency. However, if you spend a lot of time indoors and don’t get much exposure to the sun, you may benefit from taking a supplement all year round.

 OMEGA-3S

Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) play an important role in brain, eye and heart health. If you don’t eat oily fish such as salmon and mackerel regularly, consider taking a 1,000mg fish oil supplement, or a vegan omega-3 supplement made from algae oil.

 IRON

Low levels of iron are common, and can cause persistent tiredness, lack of energy and shortness of breath. If you are experiencing these symptoms, discuss this with your doctor, who can carry out a simple blood test and will prescribe supplements if you need them. However, taking iron supplements unnecessarily could harm your health.

 VITAMIN B12

As vitamin B12 is not found in plant foods, vegans will need to get their daily quota from B12-fortified foods (eg, yeast extract and non-dairy milks) or supplements. The Vegan Society recommends taking either a 10mcg supplement daily, or 2,000mcg weekly.