My mother used to swear by camomile tea as a painkiller and in reducing temperatures when we had sore throats or flu. Is there any proof it works?

I grew up in a camomile-loving family, too, but thought it was an old wives' tale. I may have been wrong. Camomile, green peppers and celery may be effective anti-inflammatories. They contain luteolin, a substance that has been shown to reduce inflammatory reactions in the brain. It is now under research as a potential treatment for brain diseases in which inflammation may be involved. Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are two; viral meningitis and encephalitis may be others.

Is it true there are drugs to improve your intellect? A friend says some prescription amphetamines can do this.

Your friend has probably read a recent Nature report about people who had bought drugs like this online. The two most common were methylphenidate, licensed for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity in children, and modafinil, mainly used to reduce narcolepsy. The problem is that all the trials have been in people with the disorders for which they have been licensed. We don't know what they do, long term, to normally healthy people. Being amphetamines, they have potential for addiction and can cause side-effects, including tremor, loss of coordination, palpitations, anxiety and sleep problems. They can even cause psychosis and mania. There's no real evidence that they improve cognition. They may help you to think faster, but not more effectively. I wouldn't touch them myself.