I get the sniffles every winter and I’m really fed up with it. Is it true that eating chillies helps you avoid getting colds?
Ben Avoth, Cardiff

There could be some truth in this. Once you feel a cold coming on, vitamin C can often be effective in helping to reduce the symptoms and, gram for gram, chillies contain twice as much vitamin C as oranges. Chillies also have vitamin E, betacarotene and potassium, all of which help boost the immune system and fight off infections. Capsaicin, the chemical in chillies that gives them heat, has a decongestant action.

Chillies can also make you feel less fed up generally. The pleasure of chillies comes from the pain of eating them – the burning sensation in the mouth triggers the release of opiate-like painkilling chemicals called endorphins in the brain, which make you feel better.