Folk medicine has favoured apple cider vinegar for centuries and many claims are made for its supposed benefits.

Apple cider vinegar is made by chopping apples, covering them with water and leaving them at room temperature until the natural sugars ferment and form ethanol. Bacteria then convert this alcohol into acetic acid.

Strands of a 'mother' will form in the cider. These are strained out of many products but left in others, and are often the target of health claims. The 'mother' can also be used to start the production of the next batch of cider.

But will apple cider vinegar really help you lose weight, fight heart disease, control blood sugar and prevent cancer? And what about claims it is rich in enzymes and nutrients such as potassium?