After waiting months for your holiday to come round, you have finally made it out of the office into sunnier climes - and straight onto the toilet.

"The number of people getting food poisoning is definitely on the rise," says Dr Denning, "and that is because we tend to go on holiday tired and exhausted and our immune systems are down."

Taking a good probiotic before and while you're away - BioCare's TravelGuard is a good one - will help ward off any bad bacteria and stabilise your gut".

Both Dr Denning and Dr Fontebasso are adamant that being cautious about local water and ice is key to staving off holiday tummy.

"Don't ever drink the local water and never take anything with ice in it," said Dr Fontebasso. "Avoid salads and unpeeled fruits too. You need to be really cautious about how the food you are eating abroad has been prepared."

"Another thing to look out for is ice cream. You want to avoid ice cream that has been melted and refrozen, as there is a reasonable probability that you could get a gastro-intestinal infection."

Dr Denning recommends grapefruit seed extract to help ward off any problems, and drinking loads of bottled water. And be aware of who is making your food.

"You know where your hands have been and when you last washed them," she said, "But it is dangerous to assume that other people have done the same."