Hands up if you’ve taken a vitamin or other supplement in the last week. The UK vitamin and supplements market was worth an estimated £520 million in 2022, so I’m guessing quite a few of us are popping those pills each day.

And while the majority of the products on the market are generic, research shows there’s a growing trend for personalised vitamin and mineral supplements, driven by an increased desire for tailored solutions to wellness (think fitness trackers, but for nutrition). 

Taking targeted supplements is not an entirely new concept – we’ve been sold a variety of pre- and post-natal vitamins, for example, for decades, as it’s widely accepted that the needs of a pregnant woman differ from those of a non-pregnant woman. And while a balanced, healthy diet is undoubtedly the best way of ensuring we are meeting our nutritional needs, there’s a strong argument that tailored supplementation has an important role to play.

“It used to be said you can get everything you need from a healthy balanced diet,” says Dr Adam Carey, chief medical officer for Indi Supplements. “In 20 years, I have rarely met anyone who has managed to achieve this goal – most of us will need some support some of the time.”

We asked the experts if these products work and if they’re worth it.