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Up to 70% of UK adults don't get enough magnesium. Here's what it does, who needs it most, and how to choose between the different forms — including why Magnesium+B6 stands out.
Introduction
Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body. It regulates nerve function, muscle contraction, blood glucose metabolism, blood pressure, protein synthesis, bone density, DNA repair — and plays a central role in the nervous system's ability to manage stress and support sleep.
Despite this extraordinary breadth of function, surveys consistently show that a large proportion of UK adults consume less than the recommended daily intake (300mg for men, 270mg for women). The National Diet and Nutrition Survey found insufficient magnesium intakes in significant portions of the UK adult population, with particular deficiency risk in older adults, people under chronic stress, and those with high processed food intake.
The result is a mineral that is simultaneously essential and widely deficient — yet rarely discussed by GPs until deficiency becomes clinically significant.
Why magnesium deficiency is hard to detect:
Because most magnesium is stored intracellularly (in cells and bones, not in the bloodstream), standard serum magnesium tests are an insensitive marker of true body stores. Blood levels can appear normal even when tissue magnesium is low. This is why clinical symptoms — sleep problems, muscle cramps, fatigue, anxiety — are often a better guide than a blood test alone.
St. John's Wort has 29 clinical trials behind it. This evidence-based guide covers what it does, what it doesn't, and the critical drug interactions to know before taking it.
St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is one of the most clinically researched plant-based supplements in the world. It has been prescribed by doctors in Germany and several other European countries for mild-to-moderate depression for decades, and remains a licensed herbal medicine in the UK — available over the counter in pharmacies and health food shops.
Yet it is also a supplement surrounded by significant misunderstanding. Some people dismiss it as a placebo; others take it without knowing about the serious medication interactions it can cause. Both approaches are mistaken. This guide cuts through both extremes.
Hot flushes, mood changes, poor sleep — a science-backed guide to the menopause supplements with the strongest evidence. What works, what's less clear, and how to test systematically.
Introduction
Menopause is a natural biological transition, but for many women it involves significant and sometimes disruptive symptoms. The most common — hot flushes, night sweats, mood changes, sleep disruption, joint pain, and changes to skin and hair — can affect quality of life for months or years before and after the final menstrual period.
While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) remains the most effective medical treatment for vasomotor symptoms, not all women are suitable candidates, and many prefer to explore natural approaches first — or alongside conventional treatment.
This guide reviews the evidence for the most commonly used supplements for menopause support in the UK, with an honest assessment of what the research supports and where the evidence remains mixed.
A note on NHS guidance:
The NHS acknowledges that some herbal remedies 'may help with some menopause symptoms', while also noting that this is not consistently supported by scientific evidence and that dose and duration of benefit are unclear. This reflects genuine scientific uncertainty — which is why an evidence-based, individual approach to testing supplements matters more than following blanket recommendations in either direction.
If you've ever stood in a pharmacy staring at rows of fish oil capsules — all looking roughly the same, all claiming the same benefits — you are not alone. Omega-3 is one of the UK's most purchased supplements, yet most buyers choose based on price or packaging alone, without knowing what they are actually comparing.
This guide will help you cut through that confusion. We'll cover what omega-3 fatty acids are, what the clinical evidence genuinely supports, what to look for on the label, and how to avoid the most common mistakes when buying fish oil in the UK.
Key takeaway:
The number on the front of the bottle — '1000mg Fish Oil' — tells you almost nothing useful. What matters is the EPA and DHA content inside that capsule. We explain why below.