What to expect in your first two weeks on VH Life

Most disappointment with a supplement happens in the first fortnight, and most of it is avoidable: wrong expectations, wrong dose, wrong time of day. This is the guide we wish every brand put in the box.

Before you start

VH Life is for adults. It is not for children, adolescents, or anyone pregnant or breastfeeding. If you take any medication, ask your pharmacist or GP first; in particular the sachet contains vitamin K1 and K2, which matters if you take anticoagulants or antiplatelet medicines. If you have a diagnosed condition, food allergies, or you already take other supplements, check the label so you don't double up. Vitamin C is at 1125% NRV, vitamin B12 at 6250% and biotin at 2000%, so a separate B-complex on top is pointless.

Days one to three: half a sachet, with food

Pour 250 to 500ml of cold water first, then the powder, then stir or shake for ten seconds. If your stomach is at all sensitive, use half a sachet for the first few days and take it with or after breakfast rather than on an empty stomach. Drink it over a few minutes, not in one gulp. Expect a light berry drink, slightly cloudy, with a little fine sediment at the end. Swirl and finish.

Days four to seven: full sachet, same time every day

Move to a full sachet. Pick a fixed slot, the same one every day, and attach it to something you already do: the kettle going on, the school run, the gym bag by the door. Habit, not motivation, is what keeps a daily supplement going.

What's normal this week: a bit more wind or a looser stomach as the fibre (agave inulin), enzymes and live cultures settle in. It passes. What's not normal: hives, swelling, wheezing, vomiting or a rash. Stop and seek medical advice if any of those happen.

Week two: judge nothing yet

By now the routine should feel automatic and any stomach adjustment should have faded. If it hasn't, drop back to half a sachet with food for a few more days, or move it to lunchtime. You may notice you're better hydrated, because you're drinking half a litre of water you weren't before. Beyond that, two weeks is too early to judge anything, and we'd rather say so than have you expect a transformation. Vitamins and minerals reach steady levels over four to twelve weeks; hair and nails take months to grow out.

What VH Life can lawfully say it does

The nutrients in a sachet carry authorised GB claims, worded exactly as registered: vitamins B6, B12, C, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid and magnesium contribute to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue; vitamin C, zinc, selenium, copper and folate contribute to the normal function of the immune system; biotin and zinc contribute to the maintenance of normal skin and hair; pantothenic acid contributes to normal mental performance; magnesium, calcium and potassium contribute to normal muscle function; calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes. Everything else in the sachet, the mushrooms, adaptogens, algae, CoQ10 and live cultures, is on the label with its amount and carries no claim, because none is authorised.

Storage and shelf life

Keep the box in a cool, dry cupboard below 25°C, out of direct light. Each sachet is sealed, so there is no half-used tub going stale, and each one is used straight after opening. The best-before date is printed on the box.

If it isn't for you

Stop. There's no subscription to untangle on a single box or the trial, and if you did subscribe you can cancel from your account before the next billing date. We'd rather you used the 7-sachet trial to find out than bought a box on hope.

VH Life is a food supplement. It is not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, and it does not treat, prevent or cure anything. Adults only. Not for children, adolescents, or anyone pregnant or breastfeeding. If you take medication, in particular anticoagulants or antiplatelet medicines, speak to your doctor before use.