With 70 per cent of your immune system located in your gut, it’s time to stock up on fermented drinks and foods to keep your body healthy and fight infection!
Kombucha
This is fermented and contains friendly bacteria and enzymes your microbiome will love. It’s brewed with a starter culture so contains trace levels of alcohol, but is classed alcohol free.
TryKefir
This traditional fermented milk drink contains live bacteria and yeasts, all of which support your gut health. Look for unpasteurised versions where possible so the live bacteria are still in tact. Pasteurisation kills off the enzyme activity and good bugs.
Try Chuckling Goat’s Probiotic Goats Milk Kefir (£39.95 for 3-week supply, chucklinggoat.co.uk).
Sauerkraut
Saukerkraut – especially if it’s unpasteurised, though most are unfortunately – offers a wealth of healthy bacteria that feed your good gut bugs.
Try Biona Organic Sauerkraut Infused with Juniper (£1.79, healthpharm.co.uk)
Miso
Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed or other ingredients. The result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso soup called misoshiru.
Try Clearspring Organic Japanese Brown Rice Miso (£7.24, ebay.co.uk).
Kimchi
This fermented vegetable condiment is bursting with bacteria and adds a strong, zingy flavour to savoury dishes . Not for the faint-hearted!
Try Loving Foods Organic Kimchi (£9.95, amazon.co.uk) which is raw and unpasteurised.
Bone broth
OK so this one’s not fermented or probiotic, but bone broth is brimming with the amino acid glutamine, which is essential for gut health as it helps to heal and strengthen your gut wall, soothe intestinal tissue and reduce inflammation. So it had to be included!
Try Boosh Organic Bone Broths (£4.99, booshfoods.com), which come in chicken and beef.
