Tips for children and other taste-challenged individuals - My younger patients, although keen to get better, often find it difficult to swallow tablet or capsules, or dislike the taste of powder and liquid herbs. In fact come to think of it... so do some of my grown up patients!

So here are some tips for making the medicine go down with tears or tantrums.

• • Tablets can easily be crushed between two dessertspoons and mixed with a spread such as Manuka honey or jam or a nut spread.
• • Mix powders, internal contents of capsules or liquids with yoghurt, mashed banana, pureed pear or apple or smoothies.
• • To reduce the sweetness of powders, mix with mineral water or soda water with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
• • Vitamin D capsules can be pierced and hidden in savoury options such as mashed sweet potato, tomato or meat sauces.
• • Numb taste buds by having young patients suck on an ice cube or frozen juice icy pole prior to giving the supplements.
• • Encourage children to drink liquid mixtures through a straw to bypass the taste buds at the front of the tongue.
• • Mix powder or herbs with water or juice and make into ice blocks. Try one teaspoon dose per ice cube.
• • Fish oil liquid is best taken chilled.
• • Mix powders or herbal medicine with water or fresh juice and gelatine or agar agar to make into small jelly cups.