On the latest episode of her podcast Don't Judge Me, Belgravia nutritionist Gabriela Peacock dissects the eating habits of the Queen's son Tom Parker Bowles, 51.

Peacock, 46, a qualified nutritional therapist whose clients include Princess Beatrice, founded GP Nutrition, the supplement brand that sponsors the show.

As they went through his favourite foods, conversation quickly turned to the food critic's 'favourite condiment', Tabasco sauce.

The sauce, made in Louisiana, contains just three ingredients: tabasco peppers, distilled vinegar and salt.

Tabasco peppers are a small, bright red variety of chilli, packed with capsaicin, the compound that gives them their heat.

Both the famous foodie and the nutritionist agreed that the fiery peppers have surprising health benefits beyond simply packing a culinary punch.

'Tabasco was my first taste of chilli when I was maybe eight or nine years old,' Parker Bowles recalled.

'I am obsessed with chilli, addicted. I take Tabasco on flights with me because aeroplane food is so disgusting. Unless you're flying to Singapore or Qatar, it's culinary first aid.

'Chillies are the ultimate fruit. They give huge pleasure but also pain. They are used to make pepper spray, but they can also be used to cure. They have huge medicinal properties.

'They can bring down swelling, and there have been initial tests on tumours and other things. They are a miracle ingredient, and they are my favourite ingredient.'

'I love Tabasco, and chillies are fantastic,' Peacock replied.

'They are full of antioxidants, which, as you said, are anti-inflammatory. They also contain polyphenols, which suppress inflammation.

'Then there's capsaicin, which speeds up your metabolism and is an antioxidant in itself. If you eat lots of chillies, you would essentially lose weight.'

Studies have found that capsaicin can curb appetite and slightly increase the number of calories the body burns.

Elsewhere in the podcast, Parker Bowles admitted that while he is trying hard to live more healthily, there is one vice he struggles to give up.

'I try Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday not to drink,' he said.

'It doesn't always happen. It certainly doesn't happen in the summer. But as winter is coming and the nights are drawing in, I am trying to be healthy again. To go to the gym, not to drink and get rid of three months of excess.'

To watch the full episode, click the video above or search Don't Judge Me wherever you get your podcasts.