Key Summary
- Dr Carrie Ruxton writes about the importance of supplements.
- She is commenting on a book by Xand van Tulleken, published in September 2026.
- She highlights that Vitamin D supplements are vital considering the climate and food habits of people in the UK.
Dr Carrie Ruxton, a registered dietitian with the Health and Food Supplements Information Service (HSIS), has said that a well-balanced diet can still benefit from targeted supplementation to cover nutrient gaps.
She said this in response to the book “Make Me Well: The Truth About the Wellness Industry, Supplements, and Personalised Health” by Xand van Tulleken, where he has criticised the use of supplements and attacked the wellness industry.
Ruxton wrote on the PAGB website, “A healthy, varied diet should always come first. But presenting vitamin and mineral supplements as unnecessary or dangerous ignores both the evidence on how people in Britain actually eat and the fact that supplements sold in the UK and European Union are regulated.”
Vitamin D
“Vitamin D is the clearest example of why a simplistic ‘food is always enough’ message doesn’t work,” Ruxton said.
She noted that only few foods naturally contain significant vitamin D, and in the UK sunlight is insufficient during autumn and winter.
Therefore, the government has recommended that everyone considers a daily vitamin D supplement during colder months.
The latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2019–2023), highlights substantial gaps, especially among teenagers, women and older adults.
For some nutrients, intakes in certain groups fall persistently below the Lower Reference Nutrient Intake (LRNI) – the level likely to meet the needs of only the lowest 3% of the population.
A third of women and girls don’t meet even the minimum daily iron recommendation and one in ten are iron deficient – this is in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, which is funded by the UK government.
Ruxton is clear that this does not mean every supplement in the market suits every individual, or that higher doses are inherently better.
She advises consumers to:
- Buy from reputable retailers
- Follow label directions
- Avoid stacking multiple high-dose products
- Seek professional advice if pregnant, taking prescription medicines or managing a chronic condition
Claims about disease prevention
While commenting on van Tulleken’s charge that the supplements industry makes misleading disease-prevention claims, Ruxton says this misrepresents the current legal position.
For two decades, it has been illegal in the UK and EU to claim that a dietary supplement can treat, cure or prevent disease.
Reputable brands do not breach these rules while marketing their products, she adds.
Ruxton concluded, “The food supplement industry in the UK is regulated to ensure safety of ingredients and legality of marketing claims. That is a good thing and gives people the reassurance they need that their daily nutrient top-up is a worthwhile part of their diet.”
