In a new study, almost half of those in the north-west were found to be health conscious. The research found that 44% of northwesterners identify themselves as health conscious, coming in second only behind 45% of those in the south west but much more than the 29% of the north west’s neighbours and rivals, Yorkshire.
In terms of cities, York takes last place with 76% admitting to not being concerned about their health. The crown for the healthiest city goes to Plymouth with 55% of people saying they actively try to make good decisions when it comes to their health. Manchester just edged out Liverpool with 46% of Mancunians saying they try to make good decisions about what they eat, drink and how much they exercise, beating Liverpool by just 4%. Overall, over half of Brits said they knew eating a balanced diet would be beneficial to their health, but over 80% were not aware that topping up their diet with daily vitamin supplements could improve their health.
Vitamin supplements are an excellent way to complement your healthy lifestyle. It’s now common knowledge that, even with the recent weather, British people do not get enough vitamin D, but there are several other key vitamins and nutrients in which, as a nation we lack.
Matt Durkin MSc, an expert nutritionist from Simply Supplements, explains what we Brits are lacking the most:
‘According to recent research by the British Nutrition Foundation, almost 25% of adult men and nearly 50% of adult females are believed to have insufficient levels of selenium. Selenium is a crucial nutrient for the creation of glutathione in the body, more commonly known to nutritionists as the ‘master antioxidant’. Similarly, around a third of females between the ages of 11 and 64 have an insufficient intake of iron, which is an important mineral for cognitive function and energy levels. As a result, it is therefore quite worrying that such low numbers of Brits identify supplements as an effective method of supporting good health.’
Despite large number across the UK claiming to be in tune with their health, the research showed there is still some clear and worrying confusion when it comes to what our bodies need. One of the most shocking findings was that one in twenty Brits think that taking a daily dose of Arsenic would improve their health and 4% are firm believers in the radioactive isotope Polonium as a healthy supplement.
