Health Benefits of Kefir
June 29, 2007
Do you drink kefir?
I discovered kefir when I was babysitting as a young girl for a family of Finns who always stocked it in their fridge. I thought it was the most delicious stuff! I never could find it anywhere except the health food coop across town until recent years, and now it’s available in most larger grocery stores. Apparently the benefits of kefir are more commonly known now that people are becoming hip to the benefits of probiotics.
I started drinking it a lot and giving it to my kids after learning some of the benefits of kefir.
Did you know that kefir has twice as much good bacteria as yogurt? Probiotics are very important for intestinal health and even for preventing food allergies. Probiotics even help the immune system work properly! Everything happens in the gut. If it’s out of whack, nothing works right.
You can drink it even if you’re lactose intolerant. Even some people with dairy allergies can tolerate kefir! My youngest nephew had trouble digesting dairy products but does great with kefir. It’s a great food for babies weaning from Mom’s milk as well as older toddlers and kids.
It’s high in calcium, protein and is easily digestible. Kefir is excellent for immune system health too.
When I was pregnant, it was sometimes the only thing my stomach could tolerate. I think it went a long way towards keeping the yeast beast away too (I know, thanks for sharing…but hey, it is a common problem for pregnant women!). I never had those problems when drinking kefir.
Kefir has been shown to reduce harmful cholesterol.
There are two brands that are readily available in most large groceries nowadays: Helios, which has a more tangy flavor that is similar to homemade kefir, and Lifeway brand which tastes more like yogurt.
You can also make your own very inexpensively and easily.
In fact it’s far easier than making yogurt. Basically, you obtain kefir grains (you can buy them online inexpensively or get some from a friend), add them to fresh organic milk, and leave it at room temperature for 12-24 hours. You’ve got kefir. 
I’ve heard great things about Body Ecology’s Kefir Starter Kit. It makes up to 42 gallons of Kefir. This starter kit isn’t exactly the same thing as obtaining your own kefir grains, which will live forever and can be used indefinitely.
Then to sweeten, add a drop of stevia or honey. Or make a smoothie with fresh or frozen fruit. It can also be used as a replacement for buttermilk in pancakes and other baked goods, or when making homemade salad dressing.
Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods
Give it a try. It’s super easy to make, and a very cheap health food.
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[...] West Nile Virus Link to Article allergies Health Benefits of Kefir » Posted at http://naturalmomstalkradio.com/blog on Friday, June 29, 2007 Do you drink kefir? I discovered kefir when I was babysitting as a young girl for a family who always stocked it in their fridge … important for intestinal health and even for preventing food allergies. Probiotics even help … . You can drink it even if you’re lactose intolerant. Even some people with dairy allergies View Entire Article » [...]
[...] West Nile Virus Link to Article cholesterol Health Benefits of Kefir » Posted at http://naturalmomstalkradio.com/blog on Friday, June 29, 2007 Do you drink kefir? I discovered kefir when I was babysitting as a young girl for a family who always stocked it in their fridge … when drinking kefir. Kefir has been shown to reduce harmful cholesterol. There are two brands View Entire Article » [...]
[...] Health Benefits of Kefir [...]
[...] thing that will help is supplementing with probiotics. Eat plenty of plain yogurt, kefir and cultured veggies like homemade sauerkraut. These kinds of foods contain lots of beneficial [...]
[...] Make probiotics a part of your routine. These can be found in yogurt and kefir and other fermented foods like kombucha, sauerkraut and kim chi. Many cultures throughout the world [...]
Among its many beneficial powers, Kefir:
* Provides supplemental nourishment for pregnant and nursing women*
* Contributes to your healthy immune system help fortify patients suffering from AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes, and cancer.
* Promotes a relaxing effect on the nervous system and benefit many who seek a restful night’s sleep, and who suffer from depression, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
* Helps support your normal intestinal tract function, promote bowel movements and your healthy digestive system — and is an absolute must after the use of antibiotics to restore balance to the digestive tract
* Curbs unhealthy food cravings by making your body more nourished and balanced
I have recommended site for kefir, just check this out :
http://www.howtomakekefir.com, I learn much from his videos.
[...] Health benefits of kefir. [...]
lol… the “yeast beast”
i’ve been researching on kefir on the net and here i am. wonderful story you got there and personally, i am excited to try kefir out.
My friend shared some of her kefir grains with me, so i’m pretty lucky to have them for free. have also found a ton of recipes you could make kefir with.. (who knew you could do so much with kefir!).
while researching i found this post that might help you learn more about the health benefits of kefir.