The surprising supplements doctors take themselves

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Nearly half of all adults in Britain take vitamin and mineral supplements — yet 90 per cent
of these products are ‘invalidated’ and many ‘have no measurable benefits’, a former
adviser to the Government’s Committee on Safety of Medicines, Dr Paul Clayton, claimed
recently.

In fact, the conventional view is that it’s better to get your nutrients from food, by eating
healthily. But which supplements are worth taking?

We asked specialists from different fields of medicine to reveal the ones they take — and
why.

Open wide: We asked specialists from different fields of medicine to reveal what they take

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Professor Christopher Eden, 57, is a consultant urological surgeon at the Royal Surrey
County Hospital in Guildford.

I see a lot of patients — both men and women — with urinary tract infections, which can be
debilitating and painful, and can only be treated with antibiotics.

Professor Christopher Eden, 57, suggests

vitamin C to avoid getting urinary
infections

One of the key triggers for these

infections is alkaline urine, as this
environment is ideal for the bacteria to
thrive.

To avoid getting such infections, and

regardless of what I’m eating that day, I
take a 1g supplement of vitamin C daily.
(The recommended daily amount, or RDA,
is 40mg, which is equivalent to a large
orange.)

This amount of vitamin C makes the urine

mildly acidic and increases the levels of an antimicrobial protein called siderocalin, found
naturally in urine, which makes the environment less favourable to bad bacteria and
reduces the risk of infection.

MENOPAUSE GP: PROBIOTICS FOR HORMONE IMBALANCE

Louise Newson, 48, is a GP and menopause specialist based in Stratford-upon-Avon.

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Louise Newson, 48, insists there's a link
between a healthy gut and hormone
health

Most people don’t realise that there’s a

strong link between a healthy gut and
hormone health, as hormone receptors in
the gut help with the function of the
bowel.

Women going through the menopause or

perimenopause may get bowel symptoms
such as bloating which are due to
hormone imbalances affecting the
balance of gut bacteria. Probiotic (good
bacteria) supplements correct this
imbalance and are also linked to levels of
the brain chemical serotonin, which can improve mood. This is important during the
menopause.

I make sure I take a probiotic daily, specifically one with a high bacteria count including
Lactobacillus acidophilus. I look for one that has to be kept in the fridge, as this is a sign of
a quality product.

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON: COLLAGEN FOR PAIN

Professor Tony Kochhar, 45, is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at London Bridge

Hospital.

Professor Tony Kochhar, 45, takes

collagen to avoid foot pain caused by
tendonitis

Having taken statins for a couple of

years, I developed tendonitis,
inflammation in the foot, which caused
pain around the outside of it.

My GP told me to stop taking the statins,

which helped, and I now control my
condition with diet. I also take a
supplement of collagen (a natural protein
found in the tendons) to build up tendon
structure and reduce pain.

I take two 1,200mg collagen supplements

daily and it has really helped. Within two
weeks of starting them, my pain had gone.

ONCOLOGIST: VITAMIN D TO WARD OFF CANCER

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Dr Anne Rigg, 51, is a consultant oncologist at London Bridge Hospital.

Vitamin D is required for the general functioning of a healthy body — but the reason I take a
supplement is because low levels have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer,
though it’s not clear why.

Dr Anne Rigg, 51, takes vitamin D

because it can help to combat breast
cancer

One theory is that vitamin D may help

control normal breast cell growth and
may even stop breast cancer cells from
growing.

The body creates vitamin D from sunlight

on the skin when we are outdoors, but
because of the British weather and the
rightful use of sunscreen, it’s easy to
become deficient.

I take the recommended daily dose of

10mcg. [Fatty fish such as salmon and
mackerel are good sources, too, but you’d
have to eat them in large amounts to get
the recommended daily dosage.]

It’s vital not to overdose, as it can increase the risk of kidney stones: the vitamin helps
absorb calcium from the diet, which can build up into stones.

OPTOMETRIST: VISION BOOSTING ANTIOXIDANTS

Dr Rob Hogan, 62, is an optometrist at iCare Consulting

Dr Rob Hogan, 62, take MacuShield, a

supplement which can help improve
vision

An optometrist with poor vision isn’t

much use to anyone.

But as I get older, and through patients I

see, I’m aware, too, of the increased risk
of age-related macular degeneration
(AMD), a leading cause of sight loss in
people over 60.

This is where the small central portion of

the retina (the macula) at the back of the
eye deteriorates. So I take MacuShield, a

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supplement which, studies have found, can help improve vision and keep the back of the
eye healthy.

It contains a mixture of natural compounds — lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin —

which are antioxidants that have been found in studies to improve vision and eye health. I
take one a day, usually with a meal.

DENTIST: CALCIUM TO PREVENT TOOTH DECAY

Dr Milad Shadrooh, 37, takes calcium to

protect his teeth enamel

Dr Milad Shadrooh, 37, is a dentist in

Basingstoke, Hampshire

I take a varied supplement daily to

maintain good health and, specifically,
healthy teeth. It contains calcium (an
adult’s RDA is 700mg, which is equivalent
to three 200ml cups of milk) as most
people, including me, don’t get enough in
their diet.

Tooth enamel, the protective covering on

teeth, is made up of calcium, so it is
therefore an important mineral to
supplement to protect against decay. I also take iron, as a deficiency can cause mouth
ulcers [as a symptom of anaemia — where the blood contains too few red blood cells].

DERMATOLOGIST: ZINC FOR STRONG NAILS

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Dr Joanna Gach, 49, takes a multivitamin
capsule containing zinc, selenium and
biotin

Dr Joanna Gach, 49, is a consultant

dermatologist at University Hospitals
Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.

Every so often, I take a multivitamin

capsule containing zinc, selenium and
biotin. These are all helpful for sorting out
my brittle nails and maintaining healthy
hair.

You can’t just take the odd one — you

need to take a course for several weeks
at a time to see a difference — so I might
take a daily supplement for two months
at a time, or until I see an improvement.

A 2013 study in the journal Annals Of

Dermatology on 312 people with hair loss found that all had lower zinc concentrations in
their blood than those with healthy hair.

ORAL SURGEON: VITAMIN B FOR ULCERS

Luke Cascarini, 47, has a daily vitamin

drink containing a high-dose vitamin B
complex

Luke Cascarini, 47, is a consultant

maxillofacial surgeon at Guy’s and St
Thomas’ Hospital in London.

Looking inside people’s mouths on a daily

basis, I am very aware of the need for
good oral health.

I take a daily vitamin drink containing a

high-dose vitamin B complex, which is
necessary for good oral health.

Low levels of vitamin B12, in particular,

can cause mouth ulcers and a swollen
tongue.

This is because the vitamin is needed to

keep the mucosa — the membrane lining
the inside of the mouth — healthy. As B vitamins are water soluble, they are absorbed best
on an empty stomach — so I take them first thing, before breakfast. I hardly ever get ulcers.
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GYNAECOLOGIST: PRIMROSE OIL

Dr Jenni Byrom, 44, takes evening

primrose oil for premenstrual symptoms

Dr Jenni Byrom, 44, is a consultant

gynaecologist at Birmingham’s Women’s
and Children’s Hospital.

I take evening primrose oil for

premenstrual symptoms such as breast
pain. I take 1g of evening primrose oil
daily and have found it really makes a
difference.

Some women with breast pain might not

have high enough levels of certain ‘fatty
acids’ found in evening primrose oil.

One theory is that high levels of the

hormone prolactin (secreted by the
pituitary gland) may lead to breast pain.

Evening primrose oil contains a fatty acid, gamma-linoleic acid, that can be converted into
a compound called prostaglandin, which is believed to control the effects of excess
prolactin.

GP: VITAMIN C TO PREVENT COLDS

Dr Sarah Myhill, 60, takes 10g of vitamin

C dissolved in a glass of water every day

Dr Sarah Myhill, 60, is a GP based in

Wales.

As A GP, I’m on the front line in terms of

coming into contact with people who are
harbouring colds, flu and other infections,
so I take 10g of vitamin C dissolved in a
glass of water every day before I start my
shift — and I never get colds.

I believe that high doses of vitamin C can

kill bad microbes on contact — or, at
least, help reduce the severity of
infections such as colds and sore
throats.

SPORTS SURGEON: SORE MUSCLES SPRAY

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Jonathan Dearing, 49, carries a vitamin D
oral spray and uses it after exercising at
the gym

Jonathan Dearing, 49, is a consultant

orthopaedic surgeon specialising in
sports injuries at BMI Carrick Glen
Hospital in Ayrshire.

I carry a vitamin D oral spray and use it

after exercise, as it helps improve muscle
recovery by regulating various processes
that help them repair and grow.

When I was younger, I used to play rugby, but these days I train for triathlons.

I exercise every day if I can — everything from road running for 10km, swimming a mile or
going out on a bike for one or two hours.

Afterwards, I always use a vitamin spray to help soothe sore muscles.

MAGNESIUM FOR A STRONGER HEART

Dr Glyn Thomas, 46, takes a magnesium

supplement to address an extra heartbeat

Dr Glyn Thomas, 46, is a cardiologist and

cardiac electrophysiologist at the Bristol
Heart Institute.

I take a magnesium supplement as it can

help address an extra heartbeat —
something I suffered with for 20 years.

Although harmless, these extra beats,

known as premature ventricular
contractions, disrupt your regular heart
rhythm, sometimes causing a heart flutter
or palpitation. It’s very common to have
extra beats when you’re stressed, anxious
or fatigued.

Magnesium is important for co-ordinating

the activity of the heart muscle and the
nerves that initiate heartbeat. I take
300mg daily — which is the RDA, and
equivalent to two cups of spinach — with the result that I no longer get the extra heartbeats.

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