If you're a fan of plain yogurt, then you'll probably be a fan of kefir. This fermented
foodstuff dates back centuries and is packed full of probiotics that make for better gut
health. From its history to the many benefits and how to use it, here's the skinny on kefir
According to Kefir 101, there are various myths surrounding the origin of kefir, including
one that suggests the Prophet Muhammad gave kefir grains, the bacteria cultures that ferment
milk into kefir, with the magical powers to Tibetan monks or possibly even Orthodox Christians
These recipients were given strict dictates not to share the grains with others
lest they lose their magical powers. In a nod to this piece of folk history
common alternate names for kefir grains and kefir, respectively, are Grains of the Prophet Muhammad and Drink of the Prophet
Understandably, this legend isn't widely accepted as fact. It's more likely that kefir originated when shepherds in the Caucasus Mountains
mistakenly fermented milk in their leather pouches, turning it into this beverage
And only with more time and history did the shepherds start to uncover the significant health
benefits associated with the drink, and rumors of its magical powers spread to nearby Russia
Asia, and more recently, Western Europe and the United States. Kefir 101 notes that hospitals in the former Soviet Union used kefir to treat a number of
physical ailments and illnesses, including allergies, digestive conditions, and even cancer. The most popular form of kefir is made when milk is fermented in kefir grains
According to Cultures for Health, true kefir grains have roots near the Caucasus Mountains
having been cultured, grown, and passed from one person to the next for centuries
These specific and unusual cultures, primarily kefirin, which gives kefir its name
contain bacteria and yeasts that feed on milk and look a little bit like gelatinous cottage cheese
Kefir is the only fermented dairy product known to come from grains
Because these kefir grains are made up of active bacteria and yeast
they're essentially a living organism. Depending on where you get your grains and how they're being
used, the makeup of the microorganisms in the grains and kefir can change
The actual fermentation is simple. The grains go in a bottle or container of milk for about
a day to feed, fermenting the milk and creating kefir. While milk kefir is the more popular kefir
drink, water kefir is also an option. But you can't simply place the milk kefir grains in water
and end up with water kefir. You need different grains. Water kefir grains have a similar
consistency to milk kefir grains, but according to Kefir 101, they're more crystalline, looking
more like rock salt than cottage cheese. And the resulting drink has more fizziness to it
with an appearance closer to beer. Water kefir grains are placed in sugar water
juice, or coconut water, giving the grains sugars to feed on as they ferment the liquid
"'Tastes better than it smells.'" it actually a little bit carbonated It got a little bubble to it carbonated from the ferment According to Cleveland Clinic probiotics are the beneficial bacteria and yeast that live inside the body It completely normal and healthy to have bacteria living inside
your gut to help combat bad bacteria and support healthy immune function
While everyone has probiotics living inside their bodies naturally, illness, stress, an
unbalanced diet, and taking antibiotics can all affect the body's microbiome, and in some
instances, wipe out healthy bacteria. Consuming probiotics in your diet can help restore a healthy microbiome and support overall health
Kefir is packed with probiotics. According to the book From Kefir with Love, An Irreverent Guide to Making Kefir and Healing
Your Gut Naturally, kefir has the most probiotics of any naturally fermented food, with between
30 and 50 strains of bacteria. Author Whitney Wilson explains that kefir is one of the only
probiotics that can help repopulate the gut's good bacteria, rather than simply passing
through the digestive system. Even though the composition of kefir can change from batch to batch or adapt to different
environments, the vast number of bacteria and yeast found in milk kefir is impressive
It even has a leg up on yogurt. If the main reason you've incorporated yogurt into your diet is for its probiotics, it may
be time to make the switch to kefir. According to an article on Healthline, kefir grains contain up to 61 strains of bacteria
and yeast. This is far more bacteria than other fermented dairy products, and some fermented dairy products
including yogurt, don't contain any strains of yeast. Even more significantly than that, according to Cultures for Health, which sells starters
for yogurt and kefir, the bacteria in milk kefir has the ability to colonize within the
intestinal tract, which can help improve and enhance gut health over time
The kefir, on the other hand, contains transient bacterias, which provide food for the healthy
bacteria already found in a healthy gut, but they pass through the tract without colonizing within
Milk kefir isn't just full of gut-healthy probiotics. It's packed full of nutrition, too
Generally speaking, milk kefir is made from whole milk. As such, the nutrition content you typically find in milk is also found in kefir
According to an article on Well.org, a 6-ounce serving of kefir delivers between 3 to 6 grams
of fat, depending on the type of milk used, along with 6 grams of protein, 7 to 8 grams
of carbohydrates, 20 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for both calcium and phosphorus
In that same serving, you'll also find 14 percent of the recommended allowance for vitamin
B12, 19 percent of the recommended amount of riboflavin, 5 percent of the recommended
amount of magnesium, and small amounts of vitamin D, K2, organic acids, and peptides
Of course, nutrient profiles can vary somewhat depending on the fat content of the milk you
use, and if you're making non-dairy kefir, like water kefir or milk kefir from coconut
milk, the nutrient profile would change accordingly, mirroring the base that you use to ferment
the kefir. According to Healthline it estimated that roughly 75 percent of the world population experiences digestive discomfort after consuming dairy products This discomfort is called lactose intolerance and refers to a person inability to digest
the sugar commonly found in dairy foods. It's a real bummer for people who have a penchant
for cheese and ice cream, but end up suffering the consequences if they choose to indulge
I hate ice cream. I'm lactose intolerant. It makes me do diarrhea in my pants
But there's some good news for dairy lovers when lactose doesn't love them back. According
to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 2003, consuming
kefir may improve lactose digestion and tolerance. When kefir was studied next to milk and yogurt, breath hydrogen levels for milk, which helped
determine how well the lactose was being digested, were much higher than that for plain yogurt
or plain kefir. And when it came to digestive discomfort, all the yogurts and kefirs reduced the perceived
severity of abdominal symptoms by between 54 and 71 percent. So if you're looking to slowly add lactose to your diet, kefir or yogurt might be a good
place to start. Just make sure you're sticking to plain flavors, which seem to be tolerated best
As beautiful as it is to bring a new life into the world, anyone who has been pregnant
knows that there are some unfortunate side effects that rear their heads during pregnancy
And as unfortunate as it is, many of those symptoms are gastrointestinal in nature
According to Lifespan, some of the most common gastrointestinal symptoms that pregnant women
face are diarrhea, constipation, and in some cases, irritable bowel syndrome. Because probiotics are helpful in addressing gastrointestinal problems, according to the
American Pregnancy Association, many pregnant women take a probiotic supplement during pregnancy
The good news is, a study published in Canadian Family Physicians in 2011 found that probiotics
are considered safe for use during pregnancy. That said, there's no reason pregnant women can't look to bolster gut health naturally
by consuming probiotic-rich foods, and kefir is a good choice because it can colonize in
the intestines and improve gut health with time. Strong bones are essential for maintaining overall health with age
who experience bone loss are more likely to experience fractures, which can significantly
impact a person's quality of life and can even lead to an early death
In fact, a 2010 study published in the Geriatric Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Journal
found that while the relative risk of mortality in elderly individuals increases 4% per year
those who suffer a hip fracture see a substantial risk of one-year mortality
Specifically, the year after sustaining a hip fracture was linked to a 14% to 58% increase
in the likelihood of death. That seems like a pretty good reason to bolster bone strength when you're young, right
According to an article on Healthline, kefir appears to be a good way to increase calcium
intake to meet recommended daily allowances. Plus, kefir contains vitamin K2 in addition to calcium, which helps enhance calcium metabolism
and can help reduce the risk of fractures. asthma They said they fix it but it didn make any difference at all Maybe kefir can help One truly surprising benefit of kefir is that it may help reduce
the symptoms of allergies or asthma. While studies to this effect are still limited
and mostly focused on animals rather than humans, there's some evidence that kefir can suppress
airway inflammation associated with asthma. In a 2007 study published in Immunobiology
Researchers administered kefir to mice an hour before inducing airway inflammation that
would mimic asthma symptoms. For mice that were given kefir, the increase in inflammatory cell count was significantly
inhibited, leading researchers to note, kefir displayed anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects, and may possess new therapeutic
potential for the treatment of allergic bronchial asthma. But to be clear, this study was performed on mice, not humans, so please don't go replacing
your inhaler with a cup of kefir. That said, if you're looking for a natural way to support your
other asthma and allergy symptoms, kefir may be able to help you out, and in all likelihood
it won't hurt you. While you can always grab a bottle of pre-made kefir off your grocery store
shelf, kefir is surprisingly easy to make at home. Really, the only ingredients you need to
make it are kefir grains and milk. You can ask a friend who makes kefir to grow extra grains for
you, or you can purchase dehydrated grains from an online retailer. Once you have your milk and
kefir grains, it's really just a matter of mixing the two and allowing the fermentation to do its
thing. Cultures for health notes that you need a clean glass jar, a breathable cover for the jar
like a coffee filter or a paper towel, and something to secure the cover to the jar like
a large rubber band. Then you simply place the grains in the jar and add milk, securely covering
the jar with your preferred cover. The jar can be placed on your counter, allowing the milk to
ferment for about 24 hours. Once the kefir is fermented, stir the mixture with a non-metal
spoon and transfer the kefir to a separate glass container, using a strainer to remove the kefir
grains. The beauty of kefir, beyond its health benefits, is that it's easily incorporated into
recipes in place of milk or yogurt. One obvious place to use kefir is in smoothies. You can simply
use the liquid in place of water, milk, or yogurt, enhancing your daily probiotic intake
when you make the switch. Though sites like Buttered Side Up offer recipes for indulgences like a strawberry cheesecake
smoothie, you don't need a fancy recipe. Just throw blueberries, a banana, a handful of
spinach, and some kefir into your blender, and whip up a tasty, nutrient-packed breakfast
in minutes. But smoothies aren't the only way you can put kefir to use. According to Kefir 101
You can incorporate kefir into bread, cultured vegetables, or even guacamole. And Health Food Lover offers more than 80 ways you can use milk kefir in your cooking
offering ideas like kefir-based pizza dough and kefir-infused cakes. And if you ever run out of ideas, Pinterest is your best friend
You're unlikely to run out of ways to use kefir while scrolling through other people's blog posts about it