Berocca®: Could it support your energy and wellbeing?

You may have seen Berocca® on pharmacy shelves or heard about it from friends. But you might still be wondering: could it support your energy and wellbeing?

It’s a question many people ask, especially with so much debate around vitamins and supplements. Here we take a balanced, factual look at the nutrients contained within the Berocca range and why some people choose to include multivitamins as part of their daily routine.

What is Berocca®?

Berocca® is a range of food supplements that help supplement your dietary intake. Available in a variety of flavours and formats, Berocca® products focus on four key areas:

• Energy support – Berocca® Effervescent Tablets (which dissolve in water to create a fizzy drink), Berocca® Multi-Action Gummies and Berocca® Film Coated Tablets contain nutrients which contribute to normal energy release from food (including vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B7, B12, and vitamin C).
• Immunity support – including Berocca® Immuno Effervescent Tablets and Berocca® Immuno Gummies that have been formulated with immune-supporting vitamins and minerals (including vitamins D, C, A, B6 and B12), which help support the normal function of the immune system.
• Caffeine – Berocca® Boost Effervescent Tablets contain guarana and caffeine for a little kick when you need it. Caffeine helps improve alertness and concentration.*
• Mind – includes Berocca® Mind Effervescent Tablets that contain Spanish Sage to support your memory.

While each product may contain different quantities and types of vitamins (and in some cases, minerals), all Berocca® products are designed to supplement your intake of these nutrients as part of your daily diet.

Berocca® offers products that are free from artificial colours and preservatives. They are available in various forms to suit different preferences, such as film-coated tablets, effervescent tablets and gummies.

Many people enjoy making Berocca® part of their daily routine – whether that’s adding it to their morning breakfast or choosing a time of day that suits them. However you fit it in, it’s a simple way to support your vitamin and mineral intake alongside a balanced diet.

What is in Berocca®?

Each Berocca® product contains a mixture of vitamins and, in some products, minerals.

Berocca® Effervescent Tablets, for instance, come in orange, mango, mixed berries and blackcurrant flavours, and contain a combination of 11 vitamins and minerals in each tablet.

Each of the individual vitamins and minerals that Berocca Effervescent Tablets contains helps you to keep healthy and on good form every day. Here are the key benefits they can provide:

• Vitamin B1 (thiamine) – helps support normal energy metabolism, and the normal functioning of our heart and nervous system
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, the normal function of the nervous system and maintenance of red blood cells
• Vitamin B3 (niacin) – helps support normal energy metabolism and the nervous system, helps maintain mucous membranes and skin, and helps reduce tiredness and fatigue
• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) – helps support normal mental performance and the production and metabolism of steroid hormones, vitamin D and some neurotransmitters (the body’s chemical messengers)
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – aids normal energy metabolism, the production of an amino acid called cysteine and helps reduce tiredness and fatigue
• Vitamin B7 (biotin) – is needed for the normal functioning of the nervous system and for healthy hair and skin
• Vitamin B9 (folate) – helps support normal blood formation, the immune system and is important for cell division
• Vitamin B12 – helps support normal energy metabolism, the production of red blood cells and helps support the immune system
• Vitamin C – contributes to the normal function of the immune system, collagen production for the normal function of bones, teeth and skin, absorption of iron, and supports the normal function of the nervous system
• Magnesium – helps support normal energy metabolism and electrolyte balance, contributes to normal muscle function, contributes to maintenance of bones and teeth, and supports in the production of proteins
• Zinc – helps support DNA production, cognitive function and normal fertility and helps maintain normal bones, vision and the normal function of our immune system

Certain other Berocca® products contain different vitamins and minerals. For example, Berocca® Immuno Effervescent Tablets, part of Berocca®’s immunity support range, contains vitamins C, B6, B9 and B12 and the minerals zinc, as well as:

• Copper – helps maintain normal skin and hair pigmentation, contributes to normal energy metabolism and supports our connective tissues and immune system
• Selenium – helps support the maintenance of normal hair and nails
• Vitamin D – helps support the body’s use of calcium and phosphorus, helps maintain normal blood calcium levels and helps with normal cell division
• Vitamin A – contributes to the normal function of the immune system, helps maintain normal vision and contributes to normal iron metabolism
• Iron  – contributes to the normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin, normal oxygen transport in the body and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
• Vitamin E – functions as an antioxidant that helps protect DNA, protein and compounds called lipids from damage caused by oxidative stress

Meanwhile, Berocca® Mind Effervescent Tablets contain Spanish Sage to help support your memory, mental performance and cognitive function, and Berocca® Boost Effervescent Tablets contain caffeine** to help increase your level of concentration and alertness, along with guarana (a herb native to the Amazon basin which is a natural source of caffeine) and several other vitamins and minerals.

Why do some people choose to take multivitamins? 

Since Berocca® contains a range of vitamins and minerals that are commonly found in multivitamin supplements, it’s worth exploring why many people choose to take multivitamins in the first place.

Multivitamins are very popular, after all. In fact, 71% of the UK adult population are now taking food supplements, with almost half (48%) taking them on a daily basis.

Some of the reasons people choose to take multivitamins include to:

• Support overall health and wellbeing
• Support immune health
• Supplement nutrient intake when our diets alone are not enough

People who avoid certain food groups (such as vegetarians or vegans), those who can’t eat certain foods due to medical conditions (like allergies), and those who follow a low-calorie diet or have a poor appetite, may be at a higher risk of nutrient gaps. So, taking a suitable daily multivitamin may help to support their intake. (Berocca Gummies and Immuno Effervescent tablets are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans; Berocca Film-coated tablets are not suitable for vegans.)

But multivitamins shouldn’t be used as a substitute for a healthy diet. Multivitamins are there to supplement any nutritional gaps in your diet, offering additional support to help you reach the recommended levels. With the possible exception of vitamin D during autumn and winter, you should be able to get all the nutrients your body needs by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.

Can food supplements make a difference to overall health?

Food supplements can support your intake of essential vitamins and minerals when you’re unable to get sufficient amounts from your diet alone. They’re not designed to replace a healthy diet, but can help bridge nutritional gaps if needed.

If you’re not sure which type of food supplement you should be taking – or if you should – always speak to your pharmacist or doctor.

Berocca® offers a range of products designed to help you supplement your intake of essential vitamins and minerals as part of your healthy lifestyle.