Author: Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University

Gera Photo/Shutterstock.com If you spend any time on social media, you may have noticed a curious trend: wellness influencers singing the praises of nicotine. Not smoking or vaping but nicotine patches and pouches, repackaged as cognitive enhancers, productivity boosters and even weight-loss aids. But does the science support this rebrand, or are we watching a […]

Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock Many people assume that medicines sold over the counter are inherently safe. After all, if you can buy something in a supermarket or high street pharmacy, how dangerous can it really be? The reality is more complicated. Several commonly used over-the-counter medicines carry a real risk of dependence, misuse or harm when taken in […]

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in bone health. FotoHelin/ Shutterstock When the days shorten and the sun sinks low in the sky, that familiar winter slump sets in. There’s a fundamental reason for this seasonal fatigue: low levels of vitamin D – the “sunshine vitamin”. People in the UK simply can’t make enough of […]