Pop pills, cure ills

With recent vitamin scare stories and a confusing array of products on the market, how do you know which and how many supplements to take without self-prescribing and wasting money? Moreover, do we need to take supplements anyway? Surely a well-balanced diet should be enough?

That's something of an oxymoron, says nutritionist Patrick Holford. 'Mass agriculture has produced foods with a lower vitamin and mineral content. The result is that foods do not contain a fraction of the nutrients they used to,' he says.

A lack of essential nutrients can affect your immune system, sleep, sex-drive and digestion, as well as your bone and nerve functions. When balances are redressed, Holford has seen improvements in energy levels, immune response, mental health and even IQ levels.

Optimum health

Holford argues that RDA (recommended daily allowance) guidelines are enough to prevent serious diseases such as scurvy but not enough to provide optimum health.

At his Institute for Optimum Nutrition, RDA has been replaced by Sona (suggested optimum nutrient allowances) and extensive research has been done to find out exactly how much of a vitamin you need so that your immune system is running at its best.

In the case of Vitamin C, in 38 studies where 1,000mg of the vitamin was administered (about 16 times the RDA), 37 showed fewer colds, a shorter duration and less severe symptoms. 'We still recommend that you take the RDA but it is not necessarily the amount that will give you the most efficiency,' says Holford.

The other problem with RDA is that it is a blanket prescription for the entire population when in fact we are all unique with vastly different nutritional requirements.

The Institute for Optimum Nutrition has found that genetic make-up means some people need 20 times the amount of optimum nutrients than others. Add to this your diet, lifestyle (how much stress you are under, if you live in a polluted city, if you smoke), family history and whether you are prone to colds and infections and you have your own unique profile.

Armed with this knowledge, how do you find out what you should be taking and how much?

A tailored programme is offered by Total Being, who send off a sample of your hair to a lab in the States and test it for mineral deficiencies. A consultation with a nutritionist explains the report and a three-month supply of personalised vitamins and minerals follows.

Having tried it - two months of popping ten pills a day - I can say that I no longer have energy dips, mood swings or sugar cravings and my skin has improved. It's not the cheapest programme available, though it claims to include high-grade vitamins that would cost you the equivalent in a health-food shop.

DIY nutrition

Other options include the detailed questionnaire in The Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford (Piatkus Books, £12.99) or on the Web at www.mynutrition.co.uk, both of which work out your ideal intake and how to turn it into a supplement programme.

Or you can see a nutritionist who will conduct a lifestyle survey and decide if you need blood, hair and urine tests before recommending supplements.

But Sarah Schenker, dietician at the British Nutrition Foundation, believes that supplements aren't necessary if you are eating a wellbalanced diet that includes five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and a variety of food groups.

'To say supplements are necessary for basic health is untrue,' she says.