Naomi Yhapp 29, Peterborough, office manager and musician
"I take supplements because of my hectic lifestyle. I don't always eat the most healthy foods, I eat erratically and I definitely don't get enough sleep. I used to take St John's Wort to help me stay emotionally balanced and get me through the stressful periods in my life, and also because I got quite emotional during my monthlies. But my aunt, who's trained in nutrition, told me that it's not good to take in high doses for a long period of time, so now I take a vitamin B complex. It definitely makes a difference. When I don't take it, I'm more likely to be snappy or want to cry.
"My omega-3 fish oils are for my heart, circulation and especially my brain. I started taking them because I heard they're good for concentration - and I really need help with that. I also take odourless garlic capsules for my heart. I realised the importance of looking after it when my dad had a heart attack earlier this year.
"I take soya lecithin to help my body break down fat faster and chromium picolinate to stop cravings for carbs. I also take vitamin E to keep my skin, hair and nails in good condition."For my immune system, I take 500mg of vitamin C and 15mg of zinc a day. I started the zinc recently because I burnt my arm quite badly, and I wanted to help it heal.
"Finally, there's my super-chunky multivitamin formulated for women, Solgar Female Multiple, which has loads of all the usual vitamins and minerals plus plant extracts, including citrus bioflavanoids, retinol palmitate, vitamin K, silica, inositol and molybdenum. I think it gives me loads of energy."
Typical day:
Breakfast: Bran flakes, water.
Lunch: Veggie lasagne, a hot sandwich, soup and a roll or pasta.
Dinner: Cooked meal with my boyfriend, for example fish and vegetables. Microwave pizza if I'm on my own.
Snacks: Sugary sweets in the afternoon
Drinks: A very occasional glass of wine. Lots of green and herbal teas and water.
Exercise: Walking to work, half an hour a day. Dancing once a week when I'm out. Swimming once a week.
Supplements: Vitamin B Complex, 10mg thiamin, 15mg riboflavin, 25mg niacin, 10mg B6, 400iu folic acid, 25iu B12, 0.1mg biotin, 100mg pantothenic acid, 250mg choline, 50mg PABA Solgar Female Multiple Advanced Phytonutrient Multiple Vitamin Mineral Formula for Women Two a day, Omega-3 fish oils 1,000mg a day, Soya lecithin 2400mg a day, Chromium picolinate 500iu a day, Vitamin E 200iu a day, Vitamin C 500mg a day, Zinc 15mg a day, Garlic 2mg a day
Expert's verdict: "Naomi's diet is light on fruit, vegetables and dairy produce. Her vitamin B complex supplement is a moderately high dose and the Solgar supplement is very high dose (up to the limits set by the Health Food Manufacturers' Federation), so overall she has an unnecessarily high dose of vitamins, and should not be taking the separate vitamin E as well. In fact, there is recent evidence that high-dose vitamin E supplements 'increase the risk of death'. Fish oils may be a good idea and garlic may be beneficial; there is little evidence that chromium picolinate or soya lecithin have any beneficial effects."
Dom Collier 37, London, website editor
"I was always an enthusiastic pill popper - I've given it all up now - as well as a smoker and drinker. I now exercise regularly and eat well.
"I started taking supplements when I stopped taking recreational drugs. The first thing I did was buy some that claimed to get you high naturally. They did, but not in a good way, and they were also surprisingly expensive.
"Now I take a load of supplements. My standard intake always includes at least one highstrength multivitamin/mineral. I'm also fond of ginseng and ginkgo biloba for brain health and energy levels, though someone told me recently that ginseng is carcinogenic."
At 37, I'm painfully aware that I'm no longer a young man and my knees are often stiff and sore after exercise. I tried glucosamine for this but it didn't work. Now I take high-strength cod liver oil and they're less painful.
"I recently started taking a supplement called Neurozan. It contains lecithin and trace minerals and is supposed to help with your brain circulation too. I think it works, especially for my short-term memory. Which is good as Iwant to be alert at night; I'm doing a full-time job as well as writing a kind of self-help book on how to design and build your own god.
"There aren't any side-effects from taking all these supplements, except fluorescent orange urine if I overdo it. I'm not too bothered in any case - it works for me."
Typical day:
Breakfast: Super-healthy hand-crafted muesli.
Lunch: Soup and salad.
Dinner: Proper meal, mostly vegetarian.
Snacks: Rarely - sometimes chocolate.
Drinks: A pint of water every hour. Half a bottle of wine. At least four cups of coffee.
Exercise: Swim three or four times a week for half an hour. Run two or three times a week for half an hour.
Supplements: Multivitamin and mineral with 100% RDA Ginkgo biloba 120mg a day, Ginseng 550mg a day, Neurozan Two a day, Cod liver oil 1,000mg a day
Expert's verdict: "Dom's diet looks good, but a pint of water an hour is excessive. While he probably doesn't need the multivitamin supplement, it will do no harm, but the Neurozan also provides fairly large amounts of the same vitamins. There is not much evidence that lecithin is beneficial (although some studies have suggested it helps some patients with Alzheimer's disease). There isn't much proof that gingko biloba and ginseng have any beneficial effects either, but both contain a wide variety of biologically active compounds - not all of which have been proven to be harmless. There is evidence that cod liver oil relieves the inflammation (and therefore pain) from arthritis."
Anoop Grewal 59, Staffordshire, managing director
"I had a triple heart bypass just over three years ago and after that I made a lot of changes to my life. I'd had angina, and the blocked arteries were caused by 'good living'. Now I eat well - hardly any red meat and no eggs, but lots of fish, lentils and vegetables cooked in a little olive oil.
"The doctor prescribes me statins for my cholesterol levels and aspirin to thin my blood. After my bypass, I started taking garlic for that too; it was recommended by my friend who's a homeopathic doctor.
"I've also been taking Siberian ginseng every day for three years. I saw a programme on television that recommended it as a pick-meup. I've noticed a little bit of a difference.
"I take cod liver oil, too and I have done for over five years. I started because I had a pain in one knee, maybe because I used to play football when I was young, or maybe it's just old age. Anyway, my friend recommended it and after four months of taking it there was no pain.
"A couple of years ago, I went to India for a month, and forgot to take my supplements. After a while I really noticed the difference; I felt weaker and especially noticed that my knee was stiffer."
Typical day
Breakfast: Grapefruit juice, wholemeal toast or porridge, fruit.
Lunch: Chapati or sandwich.
Dinner: Low-fat vegetable and chicken curries.
Snacks: I eat fresh ginger like chocolate.
Drinks: Two pints and a whisky on a Friday and Saturday.
Exercise: One hour's brisk walking a day.
Supplements: Garlic capsules 2mg a day, Siberian Ginseng 600mg a day, Cod liver oil 550mg a day
Expert's verdict: "Anoop has made very sensible adjustments to his diet, which looks adequate and healthy. The cod liver oil will relieve the inflammation of arthritis in his knee. There is little evidence that ginseng is beneficial, but it does contain many biologically active ingredients. He should tell his doctor about the supplements he is taking - the cod liver oil and garlic act in the same way as the aspirin he has been prescribed, so there is a risk of overdoing the thinning of the blood. Also, some of the active compounds in ginseng may affect the activity of his statin drugs."
Susie Ellis 48, Beckenham, Kent, natural health advisor
"I'm a great believer in natural health; I avoided giving antibiotics to my children and have always used homeopathy. I eat a fully vegetarian, mostly raw diet, and I don't eat before noon, as that is when the body is still in its elimination period.
"My main supplement is a multinutrient called Maximol Solutions from Neways. It's an organic liquid formula, containing vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids and trace elements designed to be easily absorbed into the body.
"I also take Revenol, a complex antioxidant formula that contains pine bark extract, grapeseed extract, curcuminoids and ginkgo biloba, and vitamins C and E. I believe antioxidants are vital in the fight against damaging free radicals, which you could describe as the rusting of the body. This is my way of protecting against the effects of ageing.
"I started running, and training for the Flora 5k run last summer, so I thought I'd try an extract of the cordyceps mushroom called Ming Gold that's supposed to be good for stamina and help strengthen your lungs. Thiswas trialled by Chinese female athletes some years ago - they took it while they were training for the Olympics, and running marathons in the Himalayas.
"Six months ago, I had a boil under my arm, so I began taking Hawaiian noni juice, which is extracted from the nutrient-loaded Noni fruit. It's amazing stuff; it's said to be antitumour, anti-viral and antibacterial. It's an adaptogen, which means it works where the body needs it most. I took three cupfuls and the boil totally disappeared. Now I take a small amount every day."
Typical day
Breakfast: One cup of coffee.
Lunch: Banana and organic cows' milk or goats' milk yoghurt.
Dinner: Usually raw and consisting of a big salad made from lots of vegetables such as avocado, onion, garlic, beetroot, tomatoes and spinach, and all varieties of rice. I don't eat meat. If I do eat cooked food, it's Indian.
Snacks: Vegetables and fruit, rice or corn cakes or Ryvita.
Drinks: At least two litres of water, an occasional vodka and pineapple juice.
Exercise: Visit the gym once or twice a week for an hour each time. Swim once a week forhalf an hour. I also walk everywhere and have just acquired a bicycle.
Supplements: Neways Multivitamin 15ml per day, Revenol One or two tablets a day, Noni juice 15ml to 30ml a day, Ming gold One or two a day
Expert's verdict
"Susie's diet is adequate, but there is no advantage to eating raw, rather than cooked food. She doesn't need two litres of water a day - the fruit and vegetables will provide a lot ofwater anyway. She probably doesn't need two different vitamin and mineral supplements, but she will need the vitamin B12 in the Maximol, as her diet contains very little. She doesn't need any more vitamin C and both supplements contain a variety of concentrated plant antioxidants of the same sort as she is already getting in large amounts from her high intake of fruit and vegetables. The cordyceps mushroom extract contains a variety of biologically active compounds, not all of which are known to be harmless. There is little evidence that noni juice has any beneficial effects, although a great many claims are made for it."
Una Ashdown 38, London, fashion designer
"I'm usually pretty good during the week: I take my supplements, eat well and exercise. But my weekends are rule-free. In fact I even leave my supplements at work as that's the only place I remember them.
"At breakfast, I take Osteocare, a supplement with calcium and other nutrients for my bones. I started to think about warding off osteoporosis when I chipped a tooth a year ago. I don't like many dairy foods and I was a vegetarian for 20 years so I think I probably need extra help.
"I take my other vitamins with lunch. My first pill is Antoxplus - an antioxidant formula with grapeseed extract, aloe vera, alpha lipoic acid, NADH and amino acids. It's supposed to help you absorb the nutrients from your food; not a bad idea when you're eating healthily. I also take a general multivitamin and mineral formula, it has a little bit of everything so it can't be doing me any harm.
"I've had symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome for the past couple of years. I'm on prescription drugs - mebeverine hydrochloride - but I also take an aloe vera capsule with my lunch. I'm usually so rushed, I hope it might help my food go down a little better. My last pill is my favourite- hemp seed oil. It's the most nutritious oil available, with all the omega oils in the right proportions.
"People say, 'My god, Una, you're a walking chemist.' But then last winter I didn't catch all the colds they had."
Typical day
Breakfast: Yoghurt and fruit or yoghurt and muesli.
Lunch: Soup and salad, or sandwich, or leftovers from evening meal.
Dinner: Fish and vegetables, ready meals, roast chicken or vegetable pasta.
Snacks: Chocolate, croissants and biscuits at the weekend only.
Drinks: Tea and coffee very rarely. Lots of rooibos tea and dandelion coffee. At least a litre of water a day. Alcohol two or three times a week - usually a glass of wine. Up to a bottle of wine one evening a week.
Exercise: Cycle for an hour a day. One and a half hour martial arts (santoro) class a week.
Supplements: Osteocare Two a day, Antox Plus Two a day, Hemp seed oil 300mg, Aloe vera 330mg
Expert's verdict
"Una's diet looks good. But I don't think she needs to drink as much as a litre of water a day. Rooibos tea is a good source of potentially protective antioxidants. Antox Plus is a mixture of antioxidants from plant sources such as grape skin that are likely to be protective against cancer and heart disease. It also contains aloe vera, so she probably doesn't need to take that as a supplement as well - there is little evidence that aloe vera has any beneficial effects anyway. Osteocare contains calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, so is likely to be a useful protection against the development of osteoporosis. Hemp seed oil is a good source of essential fatty acids, but she is unlikely to need it, given her diet."
Robert Ade 19, St Albans, hairdresser
"I started taking supplements when I moved out of home last year. I was smoking and I knew I wasn't eating properly so I began taking a high-strength multivitamin and mineral called Holland & Barrett Timed Release Super One. It's timed release, so you absorb the nutrients throughout the day.
"A few months ago, I had to have an operation to close a hole in my lung, and take five weeks off work. I couldn't use one of my arms at all as my chest was taped up and full of stitches. Because I'm quite thin, I felt as if I could see my arm wasting away. That's made me much more conscious of my health, and realise how important it is to eat properly and exercise and take supplements.
"I'm training to be a hairdresser, so I take cod liver oil to keep my joints supple. Some of the older stylists really suffer from arthritis in their hands, I can only imagine it's because they use them so much and make repetitive movements. I'd like to prevent such problems before they happen.
"I have to bend over at work a lot, and I don't want to end up with a bad back, so I tried Pilates and started to see a physio for amassage once a week. I'm not a health freak, I just like to look after myself. "If I get a cold, I also take vitamin C and echinacea. My mum used to give it to me."
Typical day
Breakfast: Croissant on the way to work, beans on toast or a bacon sarnie.
Lunch: Big tuna or chicken salad sandwich. Or a big salad nicoise, or scrambled egg and smoked salmon or pasta. Sometimes crisps.
Dinner: Meat and veg or an oven pizza.
Snacks: None.
Drinks: Glass of wine or a beer when I'm in. Six pints of lager when I'm out two nights a week.
Exercise: Football one evening a week.
Supplements: Holland & Barrett Timed Release Super One Tablets One a day, Cod liver oil 1,000mg a day, Echinacea Capsules taken following directions given when needed, Vitamin C 1,000mg a day when needed.
Expert's verdict
"Robert's diet doesn't look too bad, and he doesn't need a high-dose vitamin supplement. There is some evidence that if you have a cold, vitamin C eases the symptoms, but there is little evidence that echinacea helps. Like all herbal remedies, it contains biologically active compounds not all of which are known to be harmless. There is evidence that cod liver oil helps to ease the inflammation of arthritis, but it may not prevent its development. However, its omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial in preventing heart disease and stroke."
· David Bender is a senior lecturer at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at University College London
