1. Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is made by crushing apples and allowing yeasts to ferment the natural sugars into acetic acid. It’s the unfiltered vinegar that retains the benefits because it contains the ‘mother,’ a collection of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria – you’ll recognise an unfiltered product because it will appear cloudy in the bottle.
Including apple cider vinegar in your diet may help improve fasting blood sugar and reduce HbA1c, a marker of long-term blood sugar control.
2. Cheese (including aged cheddar, parmesan, gouda and mozzarella)
Some cheese varieties are more effective than a probiotic supplement for delivering intact beneficial bacteria (probiotics) to the gut. Mozzarella, the Italian soft, fresh cheese is one such example, although levels of beneficial microbes may vary depending on the source of the milk used.