A common sight in medicine cabinets across many UK homes, paracetamol is a staple form of pain relief that millions take daily for a variety of reasons. But studies have found that taking it with a specific drink could help people feel its effects faster.

Paracetamol is available in most UK shops and can help with a variety of minor aches and pains. The majority of people aged 16 and over can take paracetamol, including women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

The NHS website claims that this medication "can take up to an hour to work", so people may not feel the benefit for a little while after taking their first dose. But some have claimed a common drink could help speed up the process.

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A Which? spokesperson said: "Big brands won't tell you this, but you can supercharge cheap painkillers using a simple secret hidden in your kitchen. Taking your painkillers with caffeine can boost their effectiveness, according to studies.

"Big brands sell combination products, but you'll pay extra for this." Which? ran a price check and found that affordable own-brand tablets, for example, from the likes of Boots, were less than half the cost of these combined pills.

The spokesperson added: "You don't need to splash out on pricey combined meds to get the effect. The smarter swap [is to] buy generic painkillers for pennies - it's the same medicine - and wash it down with a strong cup of coffee."

The Which? spokesperson claimed that "it's cheaper and provides the caffeine hit you need". People can choose whatever brand or version of coffee they prefer to drink at home.

For something even more cost-effective, shoppers could grab one of the supermarket's own-brand versions, with prices that depend on the individual brands. Cheap options are available at the likes of Asda, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl to name a few.

There has been research to show that coffee can significantly improve the pain-relieving effects of paracetamol by as much as 10%. This comes from around 100-130mg, the equivalent of about one to two cups.

This is because caffeine speeds up the absorption of paracetamol in the gastrointestinal tract. Generally speaking, combining coffee and paracetamol is safe for most people, but people should not consume either to excess, as it can lead to difficulty sleeping, shaking, or a racing heart.

For people with further questions about taking paracetamol, there is a lot of advice on the NHS website here.