Vitamin use to counter poor diet
poor eating habits, suggests a new report.
The average Briton spends £5.19 a month on vitamin and mineral supplements but the Health Supplements Information Service report attempts to understand the motivations for this high use of supplements.
It gathered data published in the last three years, including the findings of a BRMB survey this year that found that 65 per cent of people take vitamins because they know their diets are not always as good as they should be.
And government data from 2003 appear to back this up. On average men only eat 2.7 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. This decreases further in the 19-24 age group, with only 4 per cent of women and virtually no men consuming the recommended five a day of fruit and vegetables.
Further, at least one in three men are not getting the recommended levels of zinc, magnesium, or calcium, beeded for fertility, heart health and bone health, suggests the report.
The contrast in vitamin use and eating habits is also highlighted in financial spend: the vitamin and minerals market is currently worth £318 million a year, according to IRI data, but the crisps and snacks and confectionery industries are worth £2.2 billion and £4.87 billion per annum respectively, notes the report.
More than a third also take vitamins so they can stay on top of a hectic lifestyle.
