Four in five Brits are completely clueless when it comes to their vitamin health.
A mere 13% of Brits think they have a good grasp of vitamins and their importance in a healthy diet. And 87% confess they know little to nothing about vitamins and how they affect the body.
Despite this lack of knowledge around the subject, 82% understand that sensible management of vitamins and minerals in our diets is important for maintaining good health, demonstrated by the fact that two in three Brits are taking some kind of supplement on a daily basis.
Thirty per cent even believe they have experienced a health issue that was caused by a lack of certain vitamins or minerals.
We uncovered that 19% of people avoid vitamin supplements because they don’t like taking tablets, and 24% say vitamin supplements are too expensive to incorporate into their daily lives.
As a result, we can see the increase in popularity of fortified food and beverages as three in four prefer to get their vitamin intake from food and drink rather than tablets or supplements.
And, in fact, 31% have chosen an item of food or drink in the last month specifically because it was fortified with vitamins and minerals.
Cassie Shuttlewood from Tetley Super Squash, who commissioned the study, said: “We can clearly see that despite lots of talk on the subject, the UK still doesn’t really know how to vitamin-up, and different ways of finding how to best consume what’s good for you are needed."
"Which is why we have launched Super Squash, as it’s time squash got smart to help people achieve their RDA of vitamins with benefits ranging from immune system support to helping to reduce tiredness and fatigue, more easily. We’ve boosted the UK with our Super Teas, and now its time to help people in a fresh format."
“With more and more people wanting to take the additional vitamins they need through their diet, functional food and drink with added vitamins has become a major trend. It has to be about ease of consumption to match increased levels of awareness to make a real difference.”
And with only 17% believing they regularly get their five a day in their current diet, vitamin supplements in some form are increasingly important for UK health - especially if you understand the right ones for your own needs.
Nutritionist and author of Detox Kitchen Bible, Rob Hobson, says: “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 whilst 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.”
He continues: “Until now people have been relying on supplements but now drinks are another interesting delivery method especially for those who don’t like taking tablets.”
The study also asked Brits to consider the reasons why they supplement their diet with vitamins.
A healthy immune system was key for 37% of respondents, who take vitamins to ensure they remain strong against illness.
Twenty one per cent take a mixture of vitamins to combat fatigue and tiredness in their day-to-day lives.
And one in seven are concerned with maintaining healthy bones and teeth through the use of supplements within their diet.
To help the UK increase its understanding and intake of what they need, Tetley is running a specially created series of events, the Tetley Super Squash Sessions, to educate the public on the benefits of the new way to enjoy taking vitamins.Taking place in London on the 22nd and 23rdJune, the one stop shop for vitamin health will feature The Immunity café run by Rob Hobson, dishing out practical advice on vitamin health, and a series of high energy HIIT sessions, run by social media influencers, The Soul Sisters.
