Brain Health

The vitamin supplements that you will need to take will depend on your circumstances.

Although supplements should never be used in place of a healthy, balanced diet, they can support you if you’ve realised you’re lacking in certain nutrients and you’re working on making positive changes to your diet.

There are also some vitamins that the NHS recommend for certain people — for example, the NHS recommends that you take a vitamin D supplement during the winter months when the weather is less sunny.

Another recommendation is folic acid for women who are trying to get pregnant or are in the first months of pregnancy.

There are 8 B vitamins in total, but the ones you might recognise the most are biotin, folate (folic acid) and vitamin B12.

You can also take a vitamin B complex which includes all of the recommended doses of all 8 in a single supplement.

Vitamin B impacts your energy levels, brain function, metabolism, and is especially important for pregnant and breastfeeding women as it aids fetal development and can reduce the risk of birth defects.

Taking vitamin B is important for older men, too, as it can increase testosterone levels which are thought to naturally decrease with age.

Vitamin supplements can be effective at treating deficiencies in certain nutrients when you’re not getting enough of them from your diet or lifestyle.

Your diet should always be the first place you look to for your vitamin intake, but if you find that you’re struggling to get enough of a certain nutrient, vitamin supplements could help you get back on track.

When choosing your vitamin supplements, we’d recommend asking your doctor or pharmacist for advice that’s tailored to you.

They can help you to assess your lifestyle and nutritional needs and make sure these are met through a balanced diet with food supplements to back up your intake if you need them.