BACTERIA FOR GOOD

What springs to mind when you think of fermented

foods? You’ve probably been eating them your whole life without even realising it. Many of our everyday staples – wine, tea, feta and cream cheese, sourdough bread and chocolate – are made using fermentation processes.

The more we learn about the importance of a healthy gut and how we need friendly bacteria, the more important fermented foods become. They are natural probiotics in food form but better, because they provide a much wider range of friendly bacteria than a typical probiotic. The most obvious is

sauerkraut – finely chopped cabbage, fermented so it has a sour flavour. I love it with mashed potatoes.

Then there’s miso, which is Japanese fermented soya. Traditionally prepared miso contains friendly bacteria as well as live enzymes, plus it’s rich in essential minerals and B vitamins.

By way of a warning, though, make sure your sauerkraut is raw and miso unpasteurised or, nutritionist Cassandra Barns says, they won’t contain any beneficial bacteria. Next is the newly popular

kefir, a fermented milky drink like yoghurt, but with a slight fizz and a sour taste. It’s rich in probiotic bacteria and a good source of calcium, with really impressive health benefits.

Finally, a favourite of mine – kombucha, a fermented drink made from green tea, cane sugar and a specific live culture that is a symbiotic mix of bacteria and yeast. Equinox Kombucha ( Waitrose, £1.80) is a great drink to keep on your desk for snack time as it helps you lose weight while keeping your stomach healthy.