Easter weekend, the long Easter weekend and we are going to ease our way through this Weekend Read, so with apologies to the VH Addicts I am going to begin by repeating a few of the words I recently shared with them, but with a twist at the end. The discussion centred on Collagen Tripeptide Complex, with an overriding message stating that I have always believed that any given formulation should stand out in the crowd, not become part of the crowd, and in many differing ways that overriding message is inherent of our being.

There can be no doubt that across the years we have consistently challenged the status quo of an ongoing narrative from the health and beauty industry, but that challenge has always been deeply rooted in dedicated research and clinical evaluation, which in and of itself allows emerging compounds to receive the recognition they deserve. In all of this, there is no purpose whatsoever in formulating products without there being a point of difference, and actually there would be no purpose in doing any of the work we do without there being a point of difference, but that’s part of a much bigger story.

For now, and referencing collagen, that purpose translates into ethos because at any given time we could have formulated a collagen supplement, but the market was, and is, flooded with collagen supplementation and it was a considered choice not to become part of the crowd. Three decades in, and governed by clinical evaluation, we formulated Collagen Tripeptide Complex because the bioavailability of collagen tripeptides far exceeds the bioavailability of collagen peptides, the industry standard, which finally allowed us to demonstrate our commitment to honouring pioneering research and development in this genre.

I am rather tempted to dedicate this entire Weekend Read to Collagen Tripeptide Complex, mostly because there is rather a lot to say. Obviously, I’m not going to do that, but what I am going to do is talk about the importance of adhering to correct therapeutic dosages because there is much confusion about therapeutic dosages across all supplementation, and far from being optimal, high dosages are often detrimental to our health and wellbeing. This is certainly true about mass-market multivitamins, but with the focus on collagen tripeptides, I just want to take a moment to look at this by comparing dosages of collagen peptides to collagen tripeptides.

Collagen peptides are basically chains of between 30-100 amino acids, which means that they are only absorbed to a degree because the gut has very finite spaces for this form of collagen to be absorbed into the bloodstream. The difference here is that collagen tripeptides comprise of just three sets of amino acids, which are almost totally absorbed into the bloodstream, meaning that their bioavailability is increased by approximately six-fold in comparison to collagen peptides. This determines efficacy, because lower doses of collagen tripeptides offer far greater efficacy than high doses of collagen peptides.

There can be no doubt that clinical evidence disrupts the status quo, but everything in life is a process, and I have always trusted that process. Clinical evaluation is also a process and when that evolutionary process supersedes all that has gone before, there must always be an acknowledgement and an honouring of that process, so we are going to honour that process by honouring two outstanding formulations, Collagen Tripeptide Complex and Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength (HA).

When we launched Collagen Tripeptide Complex, I said that I would be writing about it often, essentially because it supersedes all that has gone before, and I also stated that in the fullness of time collagen tripeptides will become the ‘gold standard’ for collagen supplementation. We most certainly believe that HA is also a ‘gold standard’ formulation, and powered by BioPerine®, it significantly increases bioavailability of this outstanding compound, so in the honouring of two next-generation formulations, when you buy Collagen Tripeptide Complex, we will automatically include Hyaluronic Acid Capsules (15 capsules), which is worth £17.50.
VH Editorials: Does Your Collagen Supplement Contain Collagen Tripeptides; Is Collagen Vital For Bone Health; DoSe Collagen Tripeptide Complex £45 for 90 Capsules + DoSe Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength (15 Capsules) Free (Worth £17.50) (offer ends at midnight BST, Monday 21 April)

Before anything else, and because I mentioned the VH Addicts in my opening paragraph, a few words to say that if you want to become a VH Addict, I have put a link below which explains the benefits associated with membership. There are of course several benefits, including receiving a dedicated Addicts Bulletin periodically, but primarily you will receive 10% discount on your orders, with a few exceptions noted on the product pages, priority shipping, personal prescriptions from Shabir and if there is any breaking news or new product launches, Addicts are generally the first to know, so this is an invitation to join and belong.
VH Addict Membership £30 

Right, back to it and because I referenced multivitamins above, we are now going to take a look at why it is so important to take a food-state multivitamin, and there is a difference, an important difference. Unfortunately, the vast majority of multivitamins contain synthetic or semi-synthetic nutrients, with some of them using mega doses which can actually do more harm than good. What is even more concerning is that these supplements are marketed extensively and according to the latest research, they are taken by very large numbers of the adult population on a daily basis.

There is no doubt that a multivitamin can support optimal health and wellbeing, but it has to be a food-state multivitamin because they contain nutrients that are found close enough to their structure in foods, rather than being synthetic or semi-synthetic in nature, both of which are poorly utilised by the body. All I really want to say here is that our bodies get nutrients from food, so I am failing to understand why anybody would want to take a synthetic multivitamin when food-state multivitamins are chemically identical to, or closely resemble, the nutrients found in food, so with that said, I am dropping the price of Daily Multivitamins from £30 to £26.
VH Editorial: Are All Multivitamins The Same; DoSe Daily Multivitamins One-A-Day £26 for 60 Tablets (offer ends at midnight BST, Monday 21 April)

I actually find it quite upsetting that there is so little information and even less education about all forms of supplementation and I write this from a consumer’s perspective, because I am a consumer and I have always written from that perspective. This has got absolutely nothing to do with market share, but everything to do with standing in the truth and supporting that truth. It upsets me even further when I read some of the paid-for nonsense that is written by those with little to no understanding of supplementation and increasingly there is a blurring between paid-for consultancy and journalism, which nobody will write about. Except I just have.

Moving on, which I think is probably a good idea, I want to talk about What’s The Solution, which is released at 7 am each Tuesday morning. So, if Saturdays belong to me, Tuesdays most definitely belong to Shabir and this is such an important aspect of the work we do for several reasons, but mostly because it allows us to share some very real health concerns and very often these concerns are quite rare, which means they are not often spoken about, yet there are always those who benefit and gain some form of comfort in the knowledge that they are not alone and that others share a very specific health concern.

So, following through, it is impossible to publish every email we receive and there are times when I will take a given concern and write about it on a Weekend Read and that is certainly the case today, and I am taking this onto this newsletter because we have received rather a lot of emails about which supplements should be taken alongside Mounjaro (tirzepatide), the prescription-only treatment for weight loss. So, we are going to look at this because there are many side effects associated with Mounjaro, some of which are mild, such as nausea, whilst others may need medical support.

Fundamentally, nutrient deficiencies are well-known with the use of GLP-1 medications, such as Mounjaro, which can affect the immune system as well as all bodily systems. We believe it is essential to take a food-state multivitamin, which is rather neat because I have just written about Daily Multivitamins, and here Daily Multivitamins will deeply nourish the body with vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, probiotics and a host of phytonutrients to help support the immune system.
DoSe Daily Multivitamins One-A-Day £26 for 60 Tablets (offer ends at midnight BST, Monday 21 April)

GLP-1 medications can cause digestive distress for some, so we recommend Mega Probio to help support gut health because it contains eight acid-resistant strains that can colonise the gut and perform their role in a myriad of processes within the body. I wrote about Mega Probio last weekend, and I dropped the price from £25 to £22, so I will do the same today in recognition of the fact that many of the supplements I write about serve many different health concerns, and that is certainly the case here.
Mega Probio £22 for 60 Capsules (offers end at midnight BST, Monday 21 April)

Finally, adequate protein is crucial for maintaining muscle mass during weight loss and the benefits of incorporating a high protein diet are important because aside from maintaining muscle mass, a high protein diet has a lower impact on blood sugar levels than carbohydrates, so it helps achieve stable blood sugar levels, allowing it to work in synergy with GLP-1 medications. We therefore suggest taking a whey protein, and with our recommended product listed below, I am also putting a link to the What’s The Solution archive, for further insight and information on the varying health concerns which Shabir covers each week.
What’s The Solution; European Whey Protein Isolate by Purition £32.49 for 700 grams

Well, that was a rather topical subject, but then hay fever is also a topical subject and having written about hay fever across the past two weekends, I felt it would be appropriate to write about blocked sinuses and sinus congestion. The medical term for this is sinusitis and it is a condition where the sinuses become infected or inflamed, most commonly occurring as a result of being infected by a virus or fungi. Fungal spores in the air are thought to be one of the most common causes of sinusitis, together with pollen from summer flowering shrubs and trees.

Sinuses are hollow spaces or cavities near the bones in the skull around the nasal passages and each sinus has an opening that allows the exchange of mucus and air, with the four sinuses joined together by a thin membrane. Nearly two pints of fluid moves through the sinuses each and this helps clean and moisten the membranes lining the nose and throat. Fine hairs in the sinus ensure that the fluid does not get blocked with the sinuses, however when the membrane joining the sinuses becomes infected or inflamed, the fluid simply accumulates causing press on the sinus walls leading to pain in that region.

I am going to recommend two solutions here, one oral solution and one topical solution and the oral solution is Horseradish & Garlic Complex. Horseradish contains astringent volatile oils that rapidly increase circulation to the nasal passage, helping to unblock the nasal and sinus cavities to help eliminate congested mucus. Stagnant mucus is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, which leads to infection and it is well documented that horseradish has natural antibiotic properties, which helps fight infection without compromising the immune system, which can occur with some antibiotics.

Garlic also helps to support the immune system and it contains over 300 active compounds, including allicin which has been studied extensively and found to possess antimicrobial properties, but on from sinusitis, Horseradish & Garlic Complex also contains buffered vitamin C and zinc, which together with horseradish and garlic are well-known for their role in reducing the duration of colds, and there are a lot of colds flying around at the moment. So, before we move onto Sinol-D, which is the topical product recommended for sinusitis, I am linking the two relevant articles associated with Horseradish & Garlic Complex below.
VH Editorials: How To Relieve Blocked Sinuses; Getting Rid Of A Cold Quickly; Horseradish & Garlic Complex by Viridian Nutrition £14.55 for 30 Capsules

So, Sinol-D. Sinol-D is a natural nasal decongestant spray which can be used daily to help relieve congestion, headache and sinus pain. This clinically proven homeopathic formulation is non-habit forming and it can be used throughout the day if required, but it is also important to say here that it does not interfere with prescribed medication, so it can be used safely if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or thyroid disease. Sinol-D is suitable for long-term use, its ingredients include Eucalyptus, Aloe Vera and Sea Salt and unlike many antihistamine nasal sprays this will not dry out the nasal passages, which can be extraordinarily uncomfortable.
Sinol-D All-Natural Nasal Spray Decongestant £14.95 for 15 ml

Let’s end this Weekend Read with a new product and a fling, and the new product comes first. After writing last weekend that we are on a roll with lip products, I have another new lip product to tell you about and once again it’s from Lanolips, so after launching 101 Ointment Banana Cream Pie and 101 Ointment Vanilla last weekend, this weekend we are launching Sun Balm which joins the Lanolips SPF family. Sun Balm has the iconic lanolin balm base with added shimmer for a subtle sun glow, it is non-tinted, it has an all-natural base and it smells like pineapple and the beach.
Lanolips Sun Balm SPF 30 £8.99 for 12.5 grams

And now the fling, and it’s a fling that I do quite often because every single time I do it, it completely sells out and I’m convinced many of you stash this for use throughout the year, so here it comes once again and I am of course talking about Margaret Dabbs’ Intensive Anti-Ageing Hand Serum. This is an overnight treatment which has been formulated to plump, firm and protect the skin, leaving hands silky smooth and replenished, yet it also helps protect skin against oxidative stress and targets age spots. Intensive Anti-Ageing Hand Serum drops in price from £30 to £15 and if it disappears from our site, that will mean that the offer is over. Until the next time.
Intensive Anti-Ageing Hand Serum by Margaret Dabbs London £15 for 35 ml (whilst stock lasts)

Into the Saturday only treat, and with every order placed for £35 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically include the travel-size Fulvic Conditioner (60 ml)* because it’s fabulous, but not only is it fabulous, it can also be used as a treatment hair mask and it has just won a YOU magazine award, the YOU Beauty Awards 2025 to be factually correct, where it won best hair treatment product and I am so happy, I could dance. And so I will. And that’s the second award we have won within the space of a few months and we didn’t ‘buy’ either of them, the other one was of course DoSe Daily Cleanser, which was a winner in The Telegraph Beauty Awards.
Fulvic Conditioner; DoSe Daily Cleanser £14 (I’ve just had another happy moment, so I’ve dropped the price of Daily Cleanser from £17 to £14 until midnight BST, Monday 21 April)

Finally, it is Easter weekend and whenever it is a long weekend everything slows down a bit, and that includes most of our orders which may be a day or two late because of the holiday period and although we are still functioning, we are taking it easy. Let’s all take it easy. Love this song. I have always loved this song.
Take It Easy by The Eagles; The VH Playlist

Be rested, be safe and be happy.

With love

Gill x