One of the questions I’m asked most often is which supplements to take. Particularly now, with the added factor of Covid-19, we all want to be in as good health as possible with a strong immune system to fight this virus. But it’s always been a world out there supplement-wise, so I asked pharmacist Shabir Daya, our long (very long) time, go-to expert at Victoria Health, for his recommendations. 

Little story about Shabir: I ‘recruited’ Shabir in tandem with Gill Sinclair, co-founder of this award-winning health and beauty website, when I was first Health Editor at the Mail on Sunday YOU magazine in the 1990s. We were searching for an online health and wellbeing resource to supply the best products and, very importantly, the company had to have an in-house pharmacist to support readers by answering their queries.

The (non-commercial) collaboration worked brilliantly. As the Editor mused at one point: ‘we used to get upset letters from readers and now they are all well and happy’. And Victoria Health remains our go-to for rock solid advice, as well as for the supplements we rely on ourselves. We value Shabir’s expertise hugely, and no less the matchless efficiency of Victoria Health.

So here are Shabir’s suggestions for supplements to take now (all of which you can find on VH):

MULTI-VITAMIN

Alive Ultra Women’s Energy Wholefood Plus/£24.99 for 60 tablets (two months supply). This is the one I take every day with breakfast; it’s a ‘whole food energiser’ with 26 fruits and vegetables plus botanical blends and is good value. Nutritionist Suzie Sawyer, who I trust completely, re-formulated this version for the UK market. There’s a formula for men, too: Alive Ultra Men’s Energy Wholefood Plus.

VITAMIN C

Liposomal Vitamin C, £39.99 for 30 sachets (1000mg each). Think of vitamin C as vital, particularly now in terms of boosting your immune system to fight infection. For more information on the power of vitamin C, read Flu Fighters by Patrick Holford/£9.99 at holfordirect.com, who recommends taking 500mg to 1g twice daily for general health and optimum immune function.

VITAMIN D

BetterYou DLux 3000Spray/£7.95 for 15 ml (100 doses). One squish in your cheek gives you a daily dose of this essential vitamin, which a significant number are deficient in. Everything I know about vitamin D and why we need it is here.

OMEGA-3 ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID

Lion Heart Pure Omega 3 Fish Oil/£28.50 for 120 capsules (30 days supply). Pure fish oil capsules that are small enough to take easily, with food, and won’t repeat on you. One of the most important supplements for body, brain and skin. My must-take for 35 years since the importance of Essential Fatty Acids was first recognised.

PROBIOTIC

Mega Probiotic ND/£19.50 for 60 capsules. A healthy balance of diverse gut bacteria is now acknowledged as the foundation of body and brain health; it’s also key for immune system functioning, as a huge proportion (estimated 70-80%) of your immune system is actually in your gut, according to experts.

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