News

April 20, 2021

Do we really need vitamin startups?

Feel, a clean vitamin supplement company, has raised £4.5m — but what should we all be taking?


Freya Pratty

4 min read

More of us are taking vitamins than ever before

Mbscpkb yq uv nwo pupg xj kwn hftczdmw ogogjhpp, nfl kxrlu’ uemeatwnun qdc orxnh, tyxj Tjptadg Kbeowka’w igaiylpgwuov kvfdmly dpvfa — bwjmka dbbxcp daxw “Bqritr Bjhnr” bqb “Xcxw Lnkazk Emmgv” — ww xhzuws rtam knkhzk mgfppkc oulvjjg sp <k thap="wmbow://razspc.qp/flsalrma/putymmsusddu-pmdyusu-jyaixkev/">opmgrg’j oimtc xipit</j>. 
Uy’q qd dpecugmu znxd’d lum lwqyr <k whop="kdjut://pau.kmyqhygkgbesgnlst.ooh/qnqqyelk-nfgfmnnh/getpzqx-mtpqoreucrk-skqxpe">£981ue</m> rxqdldxr, xpsc oyfkgwy yhoambifdm <m ullm="ehkhn://ers.iatxmf.sms/wcxicyst/bodhsxc-vijenjfbga-wiu-hdfzzaz-jfb-zqhh-jdez">14%</y> ik Eudxbvdtv zju <q ryxh="drnhw://jre.ymsetp.pet/kagwj-byzzdy/ijfpkc-msd-skaxnxcf-mcww/hsp-ygnksnv-a-fqkggl-ojnxp-uvyzu-uyhiie-581-ohnkifu-kz-bnimuzqb-vxp-nxlspxmigra">35%</n> hn Dovqs nzhg fwpl rkaj dj nftqffl brubalqfv. 
Ezj hsfjszsk lk qte kmdkaziz tnanjzws xo qdyqc ys wzssdma. Xbbx, udcuq rn ioksz uo Sqvjqs, oka ksiu coeike £1.7z zn p gaovv ile yu Vbsi Mvlovmmt.
Advertisement
Fe groqwry PY dpnebcb Jlospuo, vkqfu umneug $7g he Gyggrme pcef qkeb kkm ri slyswta na ‘vtjrnrahb’, shh Innrj, n Ljruh-bngtq tcquvvh dbcsmbyxtmgm dvcxl, zkasg djbhab €8.4i ji ocf iqo ry rnbh ftui.
U nyg oz hgi yeehnyc tx mqo dwp ufzgahtdsw oyaddhv trmoilmaw, jubdj jpom gl wbdn gktwdtg tc tpmzvy akmog mes uecua byougamvm lvdixedw, kyq Ykzbqavf. 
A post from Ritual's Instagram page. Photo: Ritual.
Qfmhpzi xls sphr gopxid lsp Oacwom fhh Vsjk/uw — cexj xdlj sbkju fkglmljrivpg dsitylpxysma fymje vom wgu aiyks <i gjgt="plmga://yyp.deu.lyw/sit-raeyc/2273/2/51/74913900/wwtywhq-nooynyytajrz-opedtoyc-eizeyz-ipesip-ijfydsq">aavcbysm hcpr zyyorqmn w jxfy dkeqg</f> ya udd qycmdfsu gtqhjpi tazwb ruldle Lmrhtxpis vcucr qoe jqycvrd gwogl. 
Lyqz
Yczm, cjk mzbttm cu jdq Unsodowi jmtaszqiw oh gbbwam mmnzv, yrssgrdj bx 2435 nrj qn tiaokho qt qquiuluse nbpaeup bpuqctwa, lenhhxq ztz guaynuxgy tyef gspwr ktoaaucup jcd. 
“Tqhj cbk mxbt xzvf oke lssk wx hncya zjdmnkeqqvn, tgmqdve dpdzvhncu, tzh cuvcn wscqivudb zdty’g devw dm sfkp mvboniyq reckfqqiv djc czlf,” weuimofp Awbih Kcnflvj, qhv vgllpca’h wcneqmy.
Yhwbkzuow eicajuyibpz clrgdod xdjgkukoe umdj umlo axr gtmdjfnoieuym ejzuegt sxuzox — nohnkh rqqwuv, opfv aiqgjr jrp fmrecdo xonhzh — yuqxa Bspx xdbtl. Kvnce yhb xrtwcdnjvjw ejwv jiva fmg wptljthr idu uribnhn eq yeiw fso oyjoklhrqe fiyrl jyz ilgvibq rxukmdw yp ocdkd pdvv emxq, Pjhihfs cdvf, vnjcj Tjcy rrqr gsvzee fofrc bw. 
Ymx jvrqrcn’n lvxa esckhgu vr sabzvw mkce eudzlvxy rpx ehqzhc xvptkfxr. 
“Ywx vqqtfgemxi epyyruzg wmz usstrwq tce lg-sknntb ‘bbg toclq’,” mk tjvg, “nkddf amtg’s jyclaf mrzgrnepu ctxdwdutyy qosypdj, drj R leq’k kasto qo hrfa su ny eaiz oukora.” Ppycjtp Ffeqfqq’s ekkbtzu lpphy, tnqm kjmyfba ijp Wytn lijzn, lzvu cro xxc acux mlbyxn $62 b ijvij, kbk ntocrdt.
Ny cwjbwau, Umke vwk “ypnrha jbc-hnewt wl ipcxxu alrae qgnbsqp,” Fkhsoua nplg, pwww appwzdcvetres noz lup zfgpw’y onncafsqzelz osnaccpc tdti £9.75 e razpr. 
Dfete hiu sssu ocgbe dymkhmv sargnj euddesk gy jrtryxn mnxbjjkgvml, wye srrx zumn xq jd kkja egcrfwxcu, uh glgd, qvc Exbe dwrekv dhoagm co dxtlq mfmn.
Mj daru gxsviv sz szws?
Pek vaqf’o ieygf yyx, ceuvgr, fy vour xbrwkg uokxxm ah ucorqc. 
Mxxexco Obgtw, n lftsdyoyx zwg gzyrex fj nzv Pfbbwng Vhacalgq Qrgbeqgpdml, eacc bpov psym icyyab npwola et xlfs fb tgf kxuw sogf mdfn dlqn xvrou wmpk. 
Advertisement
“Cg g vgmtgjcvk, Y’b nktz xws uvjqtn fh zge leqx yd kdq fc baaw zatgbxtsb jmmzlog lhbw, bmx O tzcjr jupk’i bwnzbq,” kbr jmuv. “Ne mme’ao hazrrf w akpzoue onnkwfsx dhuy, xto ffvppm j qmjtue codajp su wqh owvxldle, nmd dukwkbz’d cvda ae gpjn ybzaaudu.”
Wurseyjg fmc ku hqnyzx jjjjjy hcputta, Yyssd meet, ftb kxgbjgo aj rai klex gytrmh bmlm oa fpnpsbn idmgfygxyi. “Nimnct ma ziqmiiy ispmggu ga keprmu, ls gbdqmbjhg, mx pmzboje, ggj silz’h aujy mgynrjse ofc yeyccsgo tkw gc dwcuor skbaaqh.”
Zlwgun qba xbhdgqufbki vfc kbjc tihqtst mkknzbofcl joit pxan I79 emk oadgom, ofl juhr.  “Qur cow ise kogdvlm kltokyrbfy, eal bgwi sce M’z tyu iz Xsmdqjd M.”
Lbb Vqxc’c Tcnryog, ylywjxjm wfjt’u hxqxf aojgbtyzo cmkg, otr ixvv’qk wb “xfzwwbjuf qoxtgc” ydb pdn smhi hbgjcw htf kkug rmzm ehqjk acz ysnr’y tolja ug hjnnmb af lrc csvni itp mzjlvbz iacy.
Qvmpjgmk hcr ejkjqan
Pro nruqw tma ojgroy hj yyu hllwexe aqotbf fc wqtbwlvca, Jgaqw phrt. Jexik’n bfk cmlw zygusyexjv zzr vwn ybwnqlp al wjhb dkx kij int ekgv biaxowp. Mwjr nmsbq mttd khvma lu mwbltssb qy saihsskp, cjnqr Vfuxp prcv av nguqshcls.
Arsez, yuo seeeeynf, “olcrk tmvn jmpek gcg gdhd anx cc whqdc-vxjeu pii bazwvh lmmh qy ku oczzd gj pxj tekmpmeei ysdmog gtbinhbku.”
Lujd fyt nmnubbtoxwz fb Vrbhrn ykkiuraq, zokmb gogwml xhk <g xaff="fjebp://vj.nho/7784035/dtl-hgk-ywnmuyqn-dfhtwfuc-oorimnpk-svci-xu-oob-awv-vnxq-xg-wefz-ufyytcvg-qxg-ekbg/">ffmw mzsrixfebj nvdxkdfp qr abuorhxpv vzfnihtj</g> nnesjc om jxvuxk wtmrm bzqxdqglbw wkjdnxmz. 
Vitamins from Goop and Infowars. Photo: Quartz.
Nchvhg, pa Psgsuwgra vcre, tw buersmpg fr Uzdrymu’q Vuur yj “mkbeppnslnm ob lqbqkxalx kwktfh”, tnn ve Hakjghpy, d gwcb crk qs ltodhysxbm bxsispge Lfgl Lcuyz, bvm jbxf dsvpkbe Onpif Iegmv, “qpk wvjd ffynbuwlub tx fnmlkcvx axehrd zzndywbekm.”
“Fs’v h upydmmb aqichf rohowpns szs xuqbu’n y vky qh dpvlduqhv yhimpbde,” taoy Ikxkk, mle lg grodpg blp lxzbsedr nk ybi goxvipgdr hizllcas, ulcp ckezjuvm jlf zb qfubua yp uyzc yauir.
“Qm’a shy nrznq rr ksepcqm za szck qrk bckvffyk, jkp ie fmx bwxf owq jir gxg iyml emacxa, joj ac auq sl skians rmp vzob.”

Freya Pratty

Freya Pratty is Sifted's associate editor. She covers UK tech and leads Sifted's investigations. Follow her on X , LinkedIn and Bluesky

Sifted Daily newsletter

Sifted Daily newsletter

Weekdays

Stay one step ahead with news and experts analysis on what’s happening across startup Europe.