Money blog: Does magnesium really help you sleep better - or are you getting ripped off? (2024)

A major building society has revealed the most common type of scam it has seen this year - and urged Britons to take note as we head into Black Friday week.

Nationwide found almost of quarter of all fraud cases involved the "card not present" scam, which sees criminals use people's credit card details to make purchases by mail or over the phone, without presenting the card.

The building society found purchase scams - where scammers sell non-existent products - accounted for 20% of all fraud, followed by cases of stolen cards made up 14%.

It warned that fraudsters will be hoping to capitalise on the huge numbers of transactions expected on Friday, and urged shoppers to be alert.

"As our data shows old school fraud hasn't gone away and continues to be the most prevalent, meaning we all need to be extra vigilant at this time of year, whether spending online or in store," Jim Winters, head of economic crime at Nationwide, said.

"While anyone subjected to card not present fraud will generally be refunded, it's extremely inconvenient and stressful, particularly around Christmas."

He advised people to check their accounts regularly, use safe and trusted sites and "stop and think" when they see a ridiculously good deal.

"It's probably too good to be true," he said.

Here are some other tips to protect yourself:

• Don't share codes– never share one time pin codes with anyone - financial providers will never ask you for one.
• Don't save card details– while it's handy to save cards onto websites you use regularly, it's best to add your card details for the one purchase.
• Be wary in public– check who can see you entering your PIN, or hear you giving personal info over the phone, or using your phone to buy something online in public. Criminals can swipe your unlocked phone with your payment information and digital wallet.
• Get in touch– report anything suspicious to your building society or bank as soon as you can.

The managing director of Jaguar has hit out at what he called "vile hatred and intolerance" after the car company released a new advert.

A 30-second clip posted on the luxury car brand's X account on Tuesday prompted online backlash after it featured a diverse group of models posing in bright clothes but no vehicles or the iconic leaping big cat.

The advert was viewed 160 million times and gained over 120,000 comments, including from X ownerElon Muskwho said: "Do you sell cars?"

In response to Mr Musk's comment on X, Jaguar said: "Yes. We'd love to show you. Join us for a cuppa in Miami on 2 December?"

Other's claimed the brand was "going woke" and "reinventing to be on trend", an apparent reference to those in the video and some of the advert's taglines, such as "copy nothing" and "break moulds".

Also on Tuesday, Jaguar unveiled a new logo as part of its rebranding and said it will launch three new electric cars in 2026.

Defending the advert, Rawdon Glover, Jaguar managing director, told theFinancial Timesthat it was not meant to be a "woke" statement and that the intended message had been lost in "a blaze of intolerance".

"We need to re-establish our brand and at a completely different price point so we need to act differently. We wanted to move away from traditional automotive stereotypes," he said.

Half of companies are planning to cut jobs after the government's tax-raising budget, the head of one of the UK's most prominent business groups has warned.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) chief executive Rain Newton-Smith joined a chorus of voices in criticising chancellor Rachel Reeves's fiscal measures.

"Too many businesses are having to compromise on their plans for growth", she said.

"Our survey showed half are now looking to reduce headcount. And almost two-thirds are looking to cut their plans to hire.

"When you hit profits, you hit competitiveness, you hit investment, you hit growth."

By Mark Kleinman, City editor

The owners of Gail's, the fast-growing chain of bakeries which found itself at the centre of a row about the gentrification of London suburbs earlier this year, have hired bankers to handle a sale that should yield a handsome windfall for them.

Sky News has learnt that Gail's shareholders have instructed Goldman Sachs to run an auction of Gail's next year.

Banking sources said the appointment had taken place in recent days, and was likely to lead to a partial or full exit for the company's existing backers.

ByOllie Cooper, live news reporter

Welcome to the first part of my series on fitness supplements - where I aim to discover whether they helping you get ripped, or ripping you off.

I've enlisted the help of performance nutritionistAndrew PettsandArj Thiruchelvam, personal trainer and head coach at Performance Physique, to analyse 12 different supplements every lunchtime over the next two weeks - starting with magnesium.

Magnesium

I was sucked into marketing that suggested a supplement of the mineral magnesium would help me sleep better.

Its cost varies wildly depending on where you buy it and in what form - with tablets costing as little as 1p each and drops costing £2.70 per 1ml.

What does it do?

"Minerals such as magnesium are responsible for cellular reactions that can help muscle function, brain health/function, mental health, immune function, recovery, help break down sugars and aid with sleep so is important to consume," Andrew explains.

He adds that its intake is undoubtedly important, but that no supplement is required.

"Real food always wins," he explains.

"Nearly everyone should be getting [magnesium] from food sources like nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, avocados, leafy greens, unrefined grains and some fish," he says.

To put things into context, most females need 270mg and males need 300mg a day, though some estimates suggest you need more than that.

"30g, or a handful of almonds gives you around 80mg of magnesium, half a cup of cooked edamame beans gives you around 50-60mg - notice I've not mentioned a supplement yet?"

If tablets, drops or sprays must be used (ie, you hate every single food with magnesium in naturally), Andrew rates it a score of just 6/10 - with a further note that we as humans have a generally low absorption rate of the mineral via supplements.

Personal trainer Arj is harsher with his score, saying the average person gets little to no value for their money - 3/10.

"Most people consume magnesium for muscle relaxant and sleep purposes, but this isn't an area with strong supportive evidence and therefore I'd recommend you absorb magnesium from your daily meals instead," he says.

One important note here is that women are far more likely than men to suffer from magnesium deficiency - and if you are deficient, you really should be supplementing.

If you think you may be magnesium deficient (symptoms here), go see a doctor, who can diagnose you with a blood and/or urine test.

The verdict: A miss, unless you really, really hate dark chocolate et al

Here are 10 examples of foods naturally high in magnesium:

• Whole wheat
• Spinach
• Quinoa
• Almonds, cashews and peanuts
• Dark chocolate
• Black beans
• Edamame
• Avocado

Alternatives to help you sleep

We're not here to point you in the direction of more products to buy.

If you, like our experts, have decided that magnesium isn't the answer to solving your poor sleep, here's a sleep expert's top tips for improving its quality without spending a penny.

Alison Cullen, sleep expert and nutritional practitioner at avogel.co.uk, recommends the following:

Start early: Getting daylight exposure in the morning is a very effective way of setting your circadian clock, so that your body is aware of when you are likely to be powering down for sleep. Daylight and dark act as "zeitgebers" (literally, "time givers" or "time cues") that instruct our internal scheduling, regulating our sleep and wake cycles. A small window of daylight exposure in the morning will inform your body as to when you are likely to want to sleep. You can strengthen this message by dimming lights in the evening, and ensuring that you are not exposed to harsh screen light in the hour before bed.

Eat to sleep: Eating a light dinner, as early as possible in the evening, reduces the negative impact of digesting a heavy meal during the night. Digestive discomfort can be very noticeable at night, affecting our sleeping position, and acid reflux is more likely when lying down. In addition, the heat generated by metabolising a heavy meal interferes with the temperature drop that is associated with good quality sleep. Have a larger lunch and daintier dinner, and aim for a three-hour gap between dinner and bedtime.

Gut goodness: Another gut-related factor in sleep is the quality of the microbiome. When the gut is full of healthy microorganisms, communication between gut and brain is better and sleep improves. A simple way to support your microbiome and the microorganisms it hosts is to eat prebiotic foods. Onions, garlic and leeks are excellent to add to meals, and mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage and bananas are also helpful, as are artichokes and oats.

Back off the booze: Strange as it may seem, when an immoderate alcohol intake is associated with excessive drowsiness, even moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to lower restorative sleep quality by 24%, and high alcohol intake can affect sleep by up to 39.2%. These effects are similar in men and women, and hold true whether you're active or sedentary. However, the effects seem to be stronger in young people compared with elders. There is, as the researchers note, a big difference between "going to sleep" and "passing out", with alcohol-affected sleep being of poorer quality and less restorative.

Chill: The body naturally cools before sleep, and assisting this process is helpful in ensuring a healthy, satisfying sleep. Temperature dysregulation will impair good sleep, and one way of "setting the thermostat" for the body in the evening is to have a warm bath one or two hours before bed. It can be for as little as 10 minutes, but it's been shown to cause blood perfusion to the palms and soles, which allows the body to cool down nicely once you're out and heading for bed.

Get grateful: Counting your blessings may be a concept associated with your granny or your nanny, but research shows that gratitude positively influences sleep. Spending a few moments before sleep in thinking of everything for which you can be grateful makes a very positive end to the day, and also beneficially affects the quality of your sleep.

By Ollie Cooper, live news reporter

At its worst, I was taking 14 different pills per day.

I'd been going to the gym for about a year, and naturally thought I knew everything there was to know.

But I'd fallen in a trap I didn't even know existed.

Several of my favourite fitness influencers - who spend their days in the gym and focusing on their bodies - were pushing all kinds of supplements that I decided I needed to be taking too.

Vitamins, effervescents - pills that would help me sleep, powders that would wake me back up for a killer workout.

It was mildly addictive - and severely expensive.

The most frustrating thing is that often, the most minor tweaks to my diet, fitness routine or lifestyle would have done far more for me than what many of the supplements I was taking claimed to do.

But I fell for the marketing - the "easy" (but pricey) quick-fix.

Dr Candan Elmer, expert in consumer behaviour from the University of Central Lancashire, told us: "Amidst societal pressures and a flood of misinformation, many consumers increasingly depend on social media for health information.

"Without adequate research or medical guidance, this typically leads to reliance on supplements for quick fixes like weight loss or sleep aids.

"As consumers increasingly gravitate towards sugary, fatty, and additive-laden processed foods, their intake of essential nutrients declines. Consequently, a strong demand has risen for supplements marketed as quick fixes for nutritional deficiencies. This trend leads many to believe that supplements can fill nutrient gaps without addressing their poor eating habits."

Medically, too, there's a strong case for leaving the pills on the shelf in many cases, according to Dr Abubakr Islam, GP at Berkshire Grove Hospital.

"I often meet patients who feel overwhelmed by the sheer variety of dietary supplements available today. From multivitamins to niche products promising to enhance energy, immunity, or even slow ageing, the supplement industry often markets itself as the quick fix for health concerns.

"However, many of these claims lack robust scientific backing.

"Whilst a low-dose daily multivitamin may fill dietary nutrition gaps, in some cases, taking supplements without medical advice can be counterproductive or even harmful, particularly when they interact with existing medications or provide excessive doses of certain nutrients."

Additionally, supplements "are not a substitute for a balanced diet".

"Nutrition plays a fundamental role in overall health, and most of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients our bodies need can be obtained from wholesome foods.

"Prioritising a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins not only provides essential nutrients in their natural form but also offers additional health benefits like fibre and antioxidants that no pill can replicate.

"Before reaching for supplements, I always encourage patients to consider dietary improvements first and to consult with a healthcare professional for personalised advice."

In short, the fitness and supplement space is full of opinions frequently mixed selectively with science to create a mass marketing machine that pumps up an industry which was worth some £122bn in 2022 alone.

So with that in mind, each day over the next two weeks I will be taking a look at value for money - are supplements getting you ripped or are you getting ripped off?

To help, we've asked performance nutritionist Andrew Petts and Arj Thiruchelvam, personal trainer and head coach atPerformance Physique, to look at 12 supplements in turn:

• Creatine
• Protein powder
• Mass gainer
• Vitamin D
• Magnesium
• Pre-workout/caffeine
• Fat burners
• T-boosters
• Ashwagandha
• Collagen
• Glutamine
• BCAAs

Andrew and Arj have discussed each and scored them, based on value for money for theaverage gymgoer,out of 10.

Visit the Money blog each lunchtime for their verdict.

An estate agent firm has revised down its forecasts for house price growth over the next three years.

Knight Frank said it now expected average UK house price growth of 2.5% in 2025, 3% in 2026 and 3.5% in 2027.

This is down from its August forecast of 3%, 4% and 5%.

Over the next five years, the firm predicted cumulative growth of 19.3% - compared with an equivalent figure of 20.5% three months ago.

Meanwhile, it said it had slightly increased its figures for expected average rents.

It said this was due to the uncertainty surrounding the Renters' Rights Bill.

"Again, the change is small but reflects the risk that supply may become more constrained due to legislation that tips the balance of power in favour of tenants," the company said.

"Plans include the scrapping of no-fault evictions and tighter rules around rent increases."

However, Knight Frank admitted there was a fair degree of doubt around any housing market predictions currently.

Factors making forecasts difficult include the impact of the increase in employers' national insurance on inflation and the labour market, the farmers' protests and conversations around a tiered tax regime for overseas investors.

"In simple terms, we don't yet know if the budget will work and therefore by how much rates could fluctuate in the years ahead," it added.

Private and non-profit social care providers face increased costs of around £2.8bn in the next financial year due to the budget, according to analysis.

The Nuffield Trust, a health and social care thinktank, said a rise in employer national insurance contributions and wage bills (after an uprating of the minimum wage) for providers could see "swathes of the social care market collapsing under these extra cost pressures".

The trust's analysis looked at potential costs to almost 18,000 independent organisations - those not run by local authorities.

Natasha Curry, deputy director of policy at the Nuffield Trust, said by choosing not to provide support to adult social care providers "the result is likely to be catastrophic".

"The government rightly wants to reform social care, but with the real prospect of swathes of the social care market collapsing under these extra cost pressures, there may be little left of it to reform unless the government takes urgent action to cover employer national insurance contributions for adult social care providers," she said.

Storm Bert had a major impact on UK travel over the weekend with hundreds of buses, trains and flights delayed, postponed and cancelled due to poor weather.

The UK's rail network has been hit particularly hard - and more disruption is expected today.

If you've been affected by delays or cancellations, you should be able to claim some - or all - of your money back.

The national compensation scheme used by train companies is called Delay Repay, where passengers can claim compensation if they arrive 15 minutes or more late at their destinations.

Delay Repay can usually be claimed via the website of the train operator you're using.

Here's a list of some of the biggest train providers in the UK and what they're advising passengers to do in the face of delays and cancellations...

Avanti West Coast

If you abandoned your journey as a result of the disruption, you can claim a fee-free refund from where you bought your ticket.

If you continued with your journey but were delayed by 15 minutes or more, you can claim Delay Repay compensation from the train company you travelled with.

Southern Rail

The network says it will be running fewer trains this morning due to the impact of Storm Bert.

You may be entitled tocompensationif you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Southern Rail advises passengers to keep their ticket and make a note of their journey, as both will be required to support any claim.

Transport for Wales

Rail services will be subject to ongoing disruption across the network today, which Transport for Wales says may result in delays and short notice cancellations.

It says all tickets for today can be used tomorrow and that ticket acceptance with other operators may be available. Passengers should check the website for the latest information.

East Midlands Railway

You can use your tickets dated yesterday (24 November) to travel today (25 November).

If you are unable or do not wish to complete your journey, you may claim a refund on your ticket. Information about how to do this can be found here.

Great Western Railway

The train provider said a combination of engineering work and uncertainty over crew availability meant services were severely affected yesterday.

GWR said tickets yesterday would still be valid today.

Alternatively, if you no longer wish to travel, you can claim a full refund here.

Southeastern

You may be entitled to compensationif you experience a delay in completing your journey.

Southeastern recommends passengers keep their train ticket and make a note of their journey, as both will be required to support any claim.

Northern

If your train has been cancelled, you can claim a full refund, but only provided your ticket was purchased through Northern.

More details can be found on theirrefunds page.

If your train has been delayed, you can claim a refund depending on the length of delay using theDelay Repayportal.

ScotRail

If you're travelling on one of ScotRail's trains and your journey is delayed by 30 minutes or more, you can get compensation.

If you've missed a connection because of a delay on a ScotRail train, you can claim for that too. Just make sure you make the claim within 28 days of the delay.

By James Sillars, business reporter

The budget fallout continues to be felt on the stock market.

Kingfisher - the owner of Screwfix and B&Q - saw its shares plunge 11% at Monday's open.

The reaction was a response to its warning an hour earlier of a big financial hit from higher employer national insurance contributions in its next financial year.

Kingfisher expected an additional bill of £31m alone in its next financial year while also fretting over consumer sentiment in France.

As a consequence, Kingfisher tightened its profit forecast for the year to 31 January.

It was the biggest faller on the FTSE 100.

ITV shares were moving the other way on the back of a report by Sky News at the weekend.

Our City editor Mark Kleinman revealed that a number of potential suitors were circling the company – long seen as a takeover target because of share price weakness.

Its stock rose 9% at the open.

The index opened 0.4% higher - building on the widespread gains of Friday.