By Dr Sarah Jarvis, MBE, FRCGP, Clinical Director of patient.info

Author: Dr Jarvis became a GP in 1990 after training at Cambridge and Oxford. A partner in the same practice for almost 30 years, she now works regularly as a GP locum. Since 2017, Dr Jarvis has been Clinical Director of patient.co.uk, and is perhaps best known as the doctor to Radio 2 and ITV lunchtime news, with regular appearances for almost 20 years.

Target audience: For healthcare professionals working in primary care, as well as those with an interest in managing digestive health.

Learning objectives: By the end of this article, you should understand:

- The role of the gut microbiome and different nutrients in supportng immune function.

- How to optimise the gut microbiome through lifestyle and diet, including probiotics.

- Key factors in choosing the appropriate probiotic.