MY friend insists she is a supertaster. Apparently this doesn't mean she has super powers, but what does it mean?

A supertaster is a person who is particularly sensitive to bitter tastes. It is estimated that around 25% of people are supertasters.

Supertasters have a higher number of taste buds on their tongue. The more taste buds you have, the more sensitive you are to tastes, particularly bitter ones.

Scientists have also discovered that some people carry a gene that makes their taste buds more sensitive to the bitter taste of a chemical called 6-n-propylthiouracil (also known as PROP).

A supertaster will perceive PROP as being very bitter and unpleasant. A non-taster will not find the taste of PROP bitter.

If you are a supertaster, you may not like to eat bitter-tasting green vegetables such as broccoli or brussels sprouts. You may also avoid strong coffee, chocolate, salty foods or very sugary and sweet foods.

I AM due to have my gallbladder removed soon – do I need to change my diet following surgery?

Most people can continue to eat a healthy well-balanced diet after they have their gallbladder removed. However, if you get side effects, such as mild diarrhoea, it may help if you:

• eat more high fibre foods

• avoid any foods that make your diarrhoea worse

The gallbladder is a pouch underneath your liver. It stores bile, a fluid made by the liver that helps to break down fatty foods. When you eat food, the gallbladder releases bile into your duodenum (the top part of your small intestine).

If you’ve had your gallbladder removed, your liver will continue to produce enough bile to digest your food. Instead of being stored in the gallbladder, the bile drips continuously from your liver into your intestine.

You can eat normally soon after your operation. Most people can start eating later the same day. You will probably prefer to eat small meals to start with.

You don't need to continue to eat a low-fat diet. A healthy well-balanced diet is important, so your diet can include some fats. However, if your diet includes too much fat, you may put on weight.

For the first few weeks, after meals some people may:

• get increased wind

• have indigestion

• feel bloated

Some people also find that:

• they pass stools more often

• their stools are less solid

About 20 in every 100 people have diarrhoea after gallbladder surgery. Diarrhoea usually improves over time, but for a small number of people it can last for many years.

If your stools are more frequent or loose than usual or if you have diarrhoea, it may help to:

• increase the high fibre foods in your diet, such as brown rice and wholemeal bread, to make your stools more firm

• avoid foods that may make your diarrhoea worse, such as dairy products, spicy foods and fatty foods

• avoid drinks containing caffeine, such as tea and coffee, that can make diarrhoea worse

You may also want to get advice from your GP, who can recommend medication if you have diarrhoea.

What is dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia is a disability that can affect movement and coordination because brain messages are not properly transmitted to the body.

It is known as a motor learning disability. This is a disability characterised by difficulty in planning smooth, coordinated movements. Dyspraxia leads to clumsiness and problems with language, perception and thought.

Having dyspraxia does not change how intelligent a child is, but it does affect their learning ability.

Dyspraxia is fairly common in both adults and children and used to be known as Clumsy Child Syndrome.

Dyspraxia is thought to affect up to 10% of the UK population. Boys are four times more likely to develop it than girls.

Up to one in 30 children have dyspraxia, so in an average class at school there may be at least one child with the condition. Dyspraxia sometimes runs in families.

There is no cure for dyspraxia. However, with the help of specialists such as speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, there is a good chance your child's problems will improve before they reach adolescence.