Bette Midler, the songstress, and I have something in common. We both love Bubbies kosher dill pickles. What’s not to love? They’re bursting with beneficial bacteria, great tasting and helping to power up your immune system.

I’m not just a fan of Bubbies kosher dill pickles. I also enjoy their sauerkraut and kosher dill pickle relish. They make other fermented vegetables, including bread and butter chips and pickled green tomatoes.

Why are fermented vegetables, like Bubbies, so fantastic for building up the immune system and beneficial for everything, including fighting viruses, reducing inflammation and establishing a healthy gut? It’s because they contain one of the strongest natural digestive enzymes and more probiotics than yogurt or probiotic supplements.

Eat just a little bit of sauerkraut or other fermented vegetables before a meal and you’ll stimulate your stomach acid which in turn leads to more digestive enzymes being released. The result will be better digestion which we all know is at the heart of having a strong immune system.

Where do all those good for you probiotics come from? During fermentation of cultured veggies, bacteria like lactobacilli multiply faster than you can say, “Better Health.” These good guys: (1) protect us against viruses, pathogens and harmful bacteria; (2) help maintain a healthy internal pH; (3) neutralize toxins; (4) chelate heavy metals; (5) suppress cancer formation; (6) convert food into nutrition for the cells of our intestinal walls; and (7) help to prevent or heal leaky gut.

Just how much good bacteria is in the Bubbies products?

The Sauerkraut has approximately 360,000 active bacteria per two-oz serving size.

The Pure Kosher Dills Pickles have approximately 15,000,000 active bacteria per one-oz serving.

The Pickled Green Tomatoes have 65,000,000 per one-oz serving.

Fermented veggies definitely can be called super foods because they increase both the amount and bioavailability of nutrients. Sauerkraut is high in Vitamins C, B and K, has a substantial amount of calcium and magnesium, and contains both antioxidant and detoxifying compounds.

Many people make their own cultured veggies, like pickles and sauerkraut. But Bubbies is a good place to start if you want to see the fermentation magic of cultured foods. The pickles cost about $8 for a 33-ounce jar. They are made the old-fashioned way and contain just cucumbers, artesian well water, garlic, salt, dill and spices.