It’s the season of fizz, feasts and far too little sleep. Bouncing between office parties, rich dinners and fraught family gatherings, it’s no wonder we can find ourselves running on empty just when we need to be at our sparkling best. Add in the inevitable winter bugs and even the most robust among us can feel depleted.
This is where supplements can come into their own. The best thing you can do for your health is to eat vegetables, move your body and prioritise sleep. But realistically, you probably need a bit more support at this time of year. Here’s what to take to keep you in top form all the way to 2026. If you’re taking any other medications, do consult your doctor.
Families crammed into overheated environments mean that bugs spread like wildfire, particularly if you have little germ-factories (kids) running around. Shore up your defences with Smart Strains (£26.49 for a month’s supply of daily powder sachets), which can be dissolved in water or sprinkled onto food or directly into your mouth.
Developed by the gut health scientist Dr Megan Rossi, this is formulated with the live bacteria strains LGG and BB-12. Clinical trials have shown that these strains can potentially reduce cold and flu duration by two days, and the severity of symptoms by more than 30 per cent.
For when you’re bloated and constipated
An astonishing 96 per cent of British people aged 11 or over don’t meet the recommended daily intake of 30g of fibre, according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey. And that’s in a normal week — never mind a festive one in which you consider chocolate coins fine for breakfast and pigs in blankets to be an entire food group.
Artah’s Essential Fibre+ (£45 per 25-day supply) contains 7g of stomach-friendly fibre per serving: a flavourless powder that can be mixed into anything. It will keep you regular, feed your gut microbiome and may even help reduce Quality Street cravings by regulating blood sugar levels to help you feel full.
• Which supplements should you really take? The experts’ guide
For when you have one glass too many
Any expert will tell you that it’s best to drink very moderately, if at all. But it’s Christmas. Extracts of milk thistle have been used to support the liver — the primary organ for processing all toxins, including alcohol — for centuries.
Metagenics’ Milk Thistle Complex (£16 for 60 capsules) also includes artichoke, to stimulate bile flow and help remove toxins more efficiently, and choline, which prevents fat from accumulating around the liver. They can be taken at any time of day but ideally one to three hours before the boozing begins.
ILLUSTRATION BY HOLLIE FULLER FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE
For when your energy is flagging
Why are you so tired when your afternoon activities were confined to eating mince pies and watching Elf? The answer might be because you are low on B vitamins, particularly B12. Deficiencies are more common in vegans since B12 is largely found in animal products, and also in older people, as we become less efficient at absorbing nutrients as we age. Wild Nutrition’s Energy Support (£30 for a month’s supply of capsules) contains a blend of B vitamins along with vital minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc.
• Boost your morning routine — 7 habits to try
For when you can’t sleep
Whether you are eating late, drinking alcohol or sleeping on a foldout bed in a cupboard at your mum’s house, it can be hard to get a good night’s sleep during the festive season. Studies have found that magnesium can help you sleep better. Rubbing it into your skin can be extremely soothing and great for anyone who prefers not to pop too many pills.
Try Better You’s magnesium flakes (£4.99 for 1kg) in a warm bath, or Sweet Bee Organics’ magnesium butter (£15), which I have found to be a passport to better sleep, although the clinical evidence is less strong than for taking it orally. It’s probably also partly down to its soothing aroma and the calming effect of massaging it into my feet.
For when you’re feeling SAD
With the shortest day on December 21, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can hit even the most festive elves. Lack of sunlight decreases our levels of mood-boosting serotonin and increases melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel tired.
The best thing is to get outside and move your body. But according to new research by Holland & Barrett, three in ten of us are less likely to exercise, and 35 per cent less likely to get outside, during the darker months. The government advises everyone in the UK to take the “sunshine vitamin” D, but also to consider vitamin C, which helps to reduce tiredness, and zinc, which can boost immunity. H&B is currently offering a winter wellness bundle, which includes a bottle of each of these supplements, for just £8.
For when you’re feeling overfed but undernourished
You’re eating a lot but not getting all the nutrients you should be. Enter Zoe’s Daily30+ (£45 for a month’s supply), which boosts fibre intake and supports gut health. It’s a mix that looks a bit like a savoury granola and contains more than 30 different plants — including dried kale, powdered mushrooms, flaked quinoa and red lentils, and seeds including chia, hemp and flax. Sprinkle it on everything from Christmas Eve fish pie to Boxing Day bubble and squeak.
• From peanuts to pomegranates — the 19 foods that will keep you young