To help boost your immune system and therefore make it less likely that you’re going to fall sick with every bug and virus that goes around, you can either look to increase your natural probiotic content, i.e. through your diet, or you can take a supplement. It’s always better to try and do it the natural way, simply because there is little regulation in the supplementation industry, and you can never be sure that what you’re taking really is as high quality as it says it is. However, we’ll cover supplements in a little more detail shortly.

If you want to try and boost your natural probiotic level via foods and drinks, here are a few  ingredients to look out for:

• Yogurt – This is without a doubt the most common type of probiotic most people will take and it’s also a very effective option to go for. You can easily have yogurt for breakfast or as a snack, and throw in some antioxidant-boosting berries too! Make sure that you go for yogurt with live probiotic cultures, as these will give you more probiotic benefit and therefore boost your immune system more effectively.
• Kefir – You’ll find kefir in most supermarkets these days and it is a milk drink which is fermented. Put simply, kefir is a grain but becomes a useful probiotic when added to milk from a cow or goat. You can buy kefir drinks or you can add it to your morning breakfast too.
• Tempeh – Tempeh is a kind of soy product and it’s very common in Asia. Again, this is a fermented product (you’ll see a pattern forming here) and it tastes quite mushroom-y, if you’ve never tried it before. Tempeh might not be the easiest ingredient to find but if you head to a health store you’ll certainly find it.
• Traditional buttermilk – Make sure you get the traditional variety as the regular stuff really won’t give you much in the way of probiotic benefit. Traditional buttermilk is a fermented dairy product and again, you’ll find mostly in Asian supermarkets, as it is consumed widely across Asia in general.
• Kimchi – If you love Asian dishes, this Korean side will tick your taste list. Again, this is a fermented dish and it’s normally made of cabbage which is seasoned with all manner of different spices to give it a kick. Kimchi is also high in many other vitamins which could overall boost your immune system, as well as general probiotic content.
• Miso – If you’ve never had miso before, you need to try it. This is a Japanese seasoning which is added to many different foods, but you’ll also find it as a soup and a very common serving in Japanese restaurants. You’ll get a fiber and protein kick, as well as plentiful probiotic content.
• Sauerkraut – Sauerkraut is found very commonly across Europe but it’s also rather useful in terms of probiotic content too. This is a shredded cabbage which is also fermented by bacteria from the lactic acid family. This helps to give it its probiotic content and aside from anything else, it’s rather delicious as a side to your favourite lunch or dinner!
• Kombucha – Everyone has heard of kombucha tea and if you’re never tried it, you need to do so if you want to be in fashion and get some extra probiotic content in your life! Kombucha uses yeast and fermentation to give it probiotic effects.
• Pickles – Yes, you can add pickles to your meals and your burgers and grab some probiotic content! The fermentation process is what gives the pickles their benefit, whilst also having natural lactic acid within them.