Almost half of adults in Britain take vitamins every day and we spend more on supplements than painkillers. This spring, the government will discuss whether to fortify flour with folic acid. The aim of the proposal is to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida by increasing folate intake in pregnant women.
Graihagh Jackson looks at the history of vitamins with Dr Salim Al-Gailani from the University of Cambridge, discusses the forthcoming government debate with Linia Patel, a nutritionist and spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Association, and questions whether we really need to be popping these pills at all.
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