Kefir - A Probiotic Miracle Drink

In my Happy Kombucha delivery this week was a teaspoon on milk kefir grains. Never has such a small amount of something done so much good!

I started using kefir last year when it was recommended by one of my health professionals and it made a really big difference really quickly. I am really hoping that it will do the same this year. Today was the first batch (out of only two) that was suitable to use so I wasted no time and swapped the coconut milk in my smoothie for some probiotic goodness.

What Kefir Looks Like - Grains And Final Product

The word kefir is derived from the Turkish word 'keif' meaning 'good feeling' and has been used in European and Asian folk medicine for centuries. I has been used to treat a broad range of conditions and hopefully will be something that you will consider adding to your regular daily routine.

There are two varieties of kefir grains. One for milk and one for water. We are going to look at the milk kefir grains in this post.

Firstly, although we use the term 'grains' they are actually not grains, but in fact a collection of live organisms. You add milk to your grains and they feed off of the lactose (the sugar in the milk) and turn it into lactic acid. Because of this many people who suffer from a lactose intolerance can digest kefir without any problems.

Kefir can be made with full fat cow or goat milk and can even be made with some nut milks such as coconut milk, but the nutritional benefits are not the same with non dairy milks.

It's really easy!

Making your own kefir at home is simple. All you need is a glass jar, kefir grains, full fat milk, a piece of cloth and an elastic band.

Add one teaspoon of grains to the jar then add 250ml milk pop the cloth over the jar and secure with the elastic band. Place your jar in a warm place, away from drafts and leave for 12 - 48 hours depending on the heat. When it is ready it will have the consistency of pour-able yogurt. 

Once it is the correct consistency you will need a plastic sieve and funnel to drain the kefir from the grains. Place in the fridge. I store mine in glass bottles until it is cooled and ready to use.

You will notice that the grains increase in number as you brew your kefir. These grains can be frozen or dehydrated or handed out to friends and family.

Kefir after 24 - 36 hours at room temperature. 

You should not allow the grains to come in to contact with any metal.

Nutritional Values

OK, so I mentioned nutrtional values. So let's look at that for a minute.

A 175ml serving of Kefir with contain roughly the following, depending on the type of milk you use to 'feed' the grains.

Calories 100
Saturated Fats 6g
Carbohydrates 7g
Protein 6g
Sugars 6g
Sodium 88mg

Now we move on to the mineral content

Calcium 21% RDA
Magnesium 5% RDA
Phospherous 20% RDA
Riboflavin 19% RDA
Iron 1% RDA
Calcium 21%
Plus traces of potassium, copper and zinc.

Then there's the vitamins

Vitamin A, Thiamin, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Niacin, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K2

That is serving jam packed full of goodness!!!!

Kefir can help fight bacterial infections!

Some of the key probiotics in kefir are thought to help to protect against infection. One probiotic in particular known as Lactobacillus Kefiri is unique to Kefir and studies have shown that it can impair the progress of bacteria such as H. Pylori, E Coli and Salmonella.

Kefir can reduce the risk of Osteoporosis.

Because kefir contains vitamin K2, the calcium is easier for your body to absorbs and there have been studies that have shown that kefir can actually improve bone density and help to prevent fractures.

Kefir can help to improve digestion.

Taking a regular probiotic can help to re-balance the friendly bacteria in the gut. There is also evidence that taking a regular probiotic such as kefir can help with a wide variety of digestive problems.

Kefir can help to reduce allergies.

It is thought that kefir can suppress the inflammatory responses that cause allergies and asthma.

Immune System

A lot of blogs and other sources claim that kefir boosts the immune system. Obviously as a lupus sufferer, this worried me. Having researched deeper into the subject I discovered that it does not boost immunity, but regulates it. Basically, it promotes a healthy immune system which is what we are all after!

It made a huge difference to me last year, I was able to avoid some viruses and the ones I did get did not hit me anywhere near as hard as they normally would... I could even visit the supermarket without getting ill!

I think it took a longer exposure to infect me than normal, but this is just my opinion.