What is the Issue?

We hear daily that with obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer rates all soaring, young children now may well become the first generation in modern history whose life expectancy is lower than that of their parents. And food supplements and herbal remedies - along with a healthy diet and exercise - offer some of the greatest potential to improve the nation's health.

Yet all this could be under threat when a harsh piece of EU legislation completes its journey through the European Parliament in 2009. The Food Supplements Directive will dictate what vitamins and minerals we can buy in the UK and all other member states – it also dictates the dose levels of all nutrients that will be permitted. The directive lists the nutrients that EU will allow, but if your favourite is among the hundreds that aren't then it is likely to be gone forever.

In Britain, about 21 million people, from pregnant and menopausal women to those trying to ward off winter colds, use supplements. These are just a couple of examples of the millions of consumers who will lose out because their supplements will either be banned or reformulated into a different product that is less beneficial. Campaigners against the directive say it will result in the closure of many health food shops and see smaller specialist supplement manufacturers going to the wall.

There are about 250 nutrients and nutrient sources on the British market that are not on the EU list, and specialist supplements manufacturers are working extremely to get as many added as possible. But is really is a mammoth and most expensive task which many companies cannot afford. A major casualty is the mineral boron, which is vitally important for strong bones and is used in almost all specialist formulations for women, especially those designed to protect them during and after the menopause.

Along with the loss of certain nutrients, the directive is also set to lower the dosage of vitamins - taken by many in the winter to stave off coughs and sniffles. If you've been used to taking 1,000mg of vitamin C in one pill, of which many doctors and nutritionists today regularly recommend, the chances are that the maximum dose allowed in a single tablet will be slashed to 200mg, or less . People could just take more tablets, but the costs to consumers could more than quadruple!

Some specialist supplements have a role in achieving optimum health; for those with hectic lives who need extra support nutritionally or don't always take time to eat nutritious foods, supplements can, if correctly advised, act as an insurance policy. Supplements aren't the be-all-and-end-all of somebody's health, but if you know how to use them properly, they can make all the difference.

Hip replacements are at an all-time high but they could be dramatically reduced through balanced calcium, magnesium and boron supplements - which help with brittle bones - coupled with adequate water intake and weight-bearing exercises. This in turn would ease the burden on the NHS, so why has EU not allowed us to continue to use boron?

The occurrence of certain cancers could be reduced and recovery enhanced through nutrient supplementation, particularly with antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, and the minerals selenium and zinc which help the body deal with the onslaught of drugs, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. High potency vitamin C also helps the healing process.

People who are struggling to keep their weight under control can benefit from supplements to help with food cravings and ensure they get the vitamins and minerals they need while they modify and improve their diet.

Supplements can even help in the field of drug rehabilitation – vitamin B supplements work particularly well with omega oils to improve brainpower and vitamin C helps with detoxification. And if someone's on anti-depressants, there'll be a huge toxic load on their body for which supplements, such as the herb Milk Thistle and Vitamin C in mega doses (3 to 10 grams daily) is a safe and effective solution.

These are only a handful of examples, but they are all tried-and-tested, natural methods of avoiding disease and promoting optimum health. But not only are they still being ignored in the approach to health provision in Britain, but in a few months' time we will see these healthy choices start to be taken away from us.

The EU has presented the directive as a measure of safety - but that’s not the main reason for it. It is about harmonisation, a one size fits all approach to health; a move to bring Britain into line with other member states, and in order to make it palatable to the public, it is being couched as a measure of safety. In Britain, our vitamin and mineral supplements are sold under Food Law, which means they have to be as safe as a loaf of bread.

There's never been a death from consumption of vitamins in Britain - but there are thousands of deaths each year from prescribed pharmaceutical drugs – you will remember the furore about the Arthritis drug, Vioxx. The fact that such drugs have undergone extensive trails and have been granted a medicinal licence doesn’t actually make them safer that our supplements – which have to be 100% safe.

The EU has missed a real opportunity here. They could have produced legislation to open up the market in supplements across Europe so that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from the supplements available here. Instead they have chosen to destroy the British market forcing it to keep available only low-dose, basic supplements that are largely ineffective. The new law will be extended in time to ‘botanicals’ or herbs such as Aloe Vera currently sold under food law without making any claims, and other remedies such as fish oils and probiotics. And that will be a disaster!

Of course there could be improvements to some products and the way in which they are promoted. But we do have a responsible Health Food Manufacturers Association who issues strict and concise instructions to their members on good manufacturing practice and advertising standards. Consumers have a right to expect the best ingredients, with clear and honest labelling. Also, any supplement that has contra-indications with conventional medicine should be clearly marked.

Some concerned consumers are already wondering if they should stockpile their favourite products – in future, many will try to get their supplements from unregulated overseas mail-order companies. But it's not only the consumers who are losing out. Independent health food retailers, mainly small family businesses, will lose the very specialist supplements that set them apart from chemists and supermarkets and help maintain their trade margin. Many will be unable to compete and will go under.

We must not stand by while bureaucrats in Whitehall and Brussels actively undermine our ability to access safe food supplements and herbal remedies. Everyone should write to their MP expressing their concerns, explaining that they take supplements and want to continue to do so. Even at this late stage, MPs could pile on the pressure and force the Minister to take appropriate action to protect consumers from these totally inappropriate regulations.

From all consumers, health food retailers, complementary practitioners, nutritionists and fitness trainers in this country, we need your voice and support.

For more information, call Consumers for Health Choice on 020-7463 0690 or visit www.consumersforhealthchoice.com