Vitamins are essential nutrients that the body needs to work properly. Government nutrition guidelines recommend that you should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day to get all the vitamins and minerals you need for optimum health.

The average fruit and vegetable intake in the UK is less than three a day, so most of us are missing that target. Even if you eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, you might not get the necessary amounts of vitamins because transporting fresh foods all over the world results in them being picked early, which reduces their vitamin content.

When you cannot guarantee a sufficient daily vitamin intake, Multi Vitamin supplements may help you to get your vitamins all in one tablet. By supplementing the diet with additional vitamins, Multi Vitamins can be valuable for those with dietary imbalances or different nutritional needs. Pregnant women and elderly people have different nutritional needs than other adults, and a Multi Vitamin supplement may be indicated by their GP. 30% of the population in developed countries take a daily vitamin food supplement.

Multi Vitamins supplements are a collection of many different essential vitamins and minerals required for growth, development and proper functioning of metabolism.

Most Multi Vitamin tablets consist of:

" Vitamin A. Also known as retinol, Vitamin A helps to maintain the health of skin and mucus linings, strengthens immunity and helps vision in dim light.

" Vitamin C. The most popular vitamin, Vitamin C enhances immunity and helps to minimize symptoms and duration of colds. It speeds wound healing, promotes healthy gums and helps to keep joints healthy. Vitamin C also offers protection against cancer and heart disease.

" Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps to strengthen the immune system and is essential for the maintenance of healthy bones.

" Vitamin E. A powerful antioxidant, Vitamin Et helps to protect skeletal muscle, blood cells, the nervous system and the retinas in the eyes from damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin E may even slow the aging process.

" Folic Acid. Folic Acid is a B Vitamin that is required for the formation of red blood cells.

" And Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12, essential for energy production, a healthy nervous system, for healthy skin, hair and nails and needed by the digestive system to absorb nutrients from food.

Multi Vitamins promote good health and help to prevent disease. Taking Multi Vitamins and mineral spa health supplements on a daily basis is a sensible insurance to make sure you get everything you need.