87% of Brits don’t understand how vitamins affect the body

A third of Brits don’t know what vitamins they need while only 13% think they have a good understanding of how they affect the body.

This comes from research by tea brand Tetley, which is launching a new range of vitamin-infused squashes.

87% of 2,000 UK adults who responded to its survey said they knew “little to nothing” about vitamins in relation to health, despite 37% taking a daily supplement to support their immune system, and 21% to reduce fatigue.

30% even said they thought they had suffered from a health issue due to a lack of certain vitamins or minerals; just 17% said they believe they currently get their RDA (recommended daily allowance) from their diet.

The research also found that 19% of Brits avoid taking supplements because they don’t like the feeling of taking tablets, and 24% said they were too expensive to take on a daily basis.

Tetley linked these answers to the 31% of respondents who said they had specifically chosen food or drink items enriched with vitamins and minerals in the last month as an alternative method of getting their essential RDAs.

Rob Hobson, a registered nutritionist who worked with Tetley on formulating Super Squash said: “Understanding the benefits associated with certain nutrients can help people to personalise their health. A good example is Vitamin D, which is associated with bone health and immunity.

“65% of people surveyed didn’t realise you cannot get sufficient levels from diet alone, and while people may have known sunshine is important, they hadn’t considered supplementing when there’s lack of it. Understanding the benefits can help people manage their health concerns.”