HOW TO CHOOSE A MULTIVITAMIN

LOOK for a multivitamin and mineral supplement that contains vitamin D (ideally 10mcg); 30-50mcg selenium; 140mcg iodine; vitamin B12; and iron, as these are the nutrients we are most likely to be deficient in, says Margaret Rayman, professor of nutritional medicine at the University of Surrey. READ THE LABEL: No two multivitamins will contain the same combination of nutrients, so it is a good idea to read the label to check the contents — it could just as easily contain three or four key vitamins or 20 or more compounds.

The ingredients used can also vary — there are both natural and synthetic sources, and some options are more bioavailable or easier for the body to absorb (more on this in tomorrow’s pullout in The Mail on Sunday). All multivitamins will also include excipients, the inactive compounds that stabilise the active ingredients (so they don’t go off), and fillers which help to create the shape and form of the pill or gummy.

Look out for lactose and artificial sweeteners which can cause tummy upsets in some people. MATCH YOUR AGE: Public health nutritionist Emma Derbyshire recommends choosing a multivitamin formulated for your stage of life (e.g. children, pregnancy or over-50s) which contain different doses of each nutrient.

‘Children require lower doses of vitamins, for instance, and in pregnancy you’ll need higher folic acid and lower vitamin A,’ she says.