The Important Functions of Vitamin D

Vitamin D has a number of important functions.  One of them being it helps to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body.  These are the nutrients that are needed to keep teeth and bones healthy.   

When a person is suffering from a vitamin D deficiency it can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults which causes bone pain and tenderness.

Our main source of vitamin D is the sunlight on our skin.  Vitamin D is made by our body under the skin in reaction to summer sunlight.  Good food sources for vitamin D are:

• oily fish, such as salmon and sardines
• eggs
• fortified fat spreads
• fortified breakfast cereals
• powdered milk

You can purchase vitamin D supplements and vitamin drops – for the under fives from Victoria Pharmacy.

About Sleeping Pills

Sleeping pills and sleep medications generally work best when they are used sparingly for short term situations.  This could be travelling across time zones or recovering from a medical procedure.  If sleeping pills are used over a long period of time they are best used when needed instead of on a daily basis as this could lead to dependence and tolerance.

It is best to consult your GP and pharmacist so you can ensure you get the maximum benefits and can also safely monitor any potential side effects.

The main ingredient of over-the-counter sleeping pills is antihistamine.  Antihistamines are normally taken for allergies like hay fever and common cold symptoms, but in the case of sleeping pills the antihistamine is there to counteract histamine which promotes wakefulness.  In these cases antihistamine has the effect of making the patient feel sleepy.

Always make sure you consult your pharmacy before buying any over-the-counter sleeping medication.