Now sales of vitamins overtake painkillers

HEALTH-mad Britons are buying more vitamins and mineral supplements than painkillers for the first time in years.

Taking tablets for protecting joints or helping to offset an unhealthy diet has become routine, and increasing numbers of people use them to fend off illness and the effects of ageing.

Sales of supplements and vitamins have risen 1.8 per cent in the past year to hit £362.7million, according to the market research firm IRI.

Separate analysis from researchers Kantar Worldpanel puts the market in even better shape, with sales up 5.9 per cent to £431.4million. By con- trast, sales of adult painkillers such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen were down 0.7 per cent to £361.6million over the year.

Many experts question whether the supplements are beneficial. But The Grocer trade magazine, which commissioned IRI’s research, said the pressure of coping with increasingly hectic lifestyles had fuelled demand.

Vitamin manufacturers are also tapping into the lucrative beauty market, with claims that supplements can slow the signs of ageing.

Products containing vitamin A and C are said to help protect the skin against sun damage or prevent the breakdown of collagen, the protein that gives skin its elasticity.

There may also be a guilt effect, with parents worried about their children’s diet trying to make up for the amount of junk food they eat by handing out vitamins.

The Department of Health recommends that all children from six months to five years are given vitamins A, C and D. But many parents appear to continue giving them pills as they get older. Sales of children’s multivitamins are up by 16.8 per cent, with adult ones up 7.4 per cent.

The Grocer said: ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but it seems Britons believe a daily dose of vitamins could have the same effect.’

Despite evidence that a balanced diet gives most people the nutrients they need, The Grocer said pills were the preferred source for many.

Analysts said the biggest growth in sales was at Superdrug, where they increased by 16.4 per cent.

A spokesman for Superdrug said: ‘Healthy living has become a big trend. We have seen customers consciously choosing to make healthy choices by incorporating vitamins into their daily routine.’

‘Healthy living has become a big trend’