My first experience with Kefir was when traveling in Europe visiting my aunt. I did not love it in its plain form, but blended with fruit-wonderful! I also don't prefer plain yogurt, I prefer it also blended with fruit.
I love multi-tasking with little to no effort, and that's something I can do with Kefir. Yogurt is great, it has beneficial bacteria that support the good bacteria in my gut. What's so great about Kefir is that it's like yogurt on "steroids"-the good kind. Kefir has at least ten times the amount of bacteria as yogurt, and as a result doesn't just support good bacteria in the body but actually builds, colonizes AND sustains the good bacteria. Kefir is the ultimate multi-tasking drink because of it's nutritional benefits and its great taste.
Dr. Steven Novil of the National Kefir Association has this to say about Kefir
" Renewed interest in kefir occurred in the West in the early nineteenth century as it was found to be useful therapeutically for the treatment of tuberculosis at sanitariums. The World Health Organization says that many other countries have successfully used kefir in the treatment of tuberculosis.
Kefir is
extremely high in lactic acid. One of the foremost studies of lactic acid was
conducted by a European, Dr. Johannes Kuhl, who recommended as a protection
against cancer, a wholesome natural diet reinforced with liberal daily amounts
of lactic acid fermented foods. Dr. Kuhl mentioned kefir, sourdough dark bread,
sauerkraut, pickled beets, and pickled cucumbers.
In many parts of the
Caucasus Mountains, the natives (many of whom are still active and live past 100
years of age) drink kefir. The kefir grain with its fermenting yeasts and
bacteria is added to fresh milk which is then permitted to sour.
What
are the unique properties of kefir? Many Naturopathic doctors consider kefir to
be the best remedy for digestive troubles because it has a very low curd
tension. This means that the curd breaks up very easily into extremely small
particles. The curd of yogurt, on the other hand, holds together or breaks up
into lumps. The small size of the kefir curd facilitates digestion by presenting
a large surface for the digestive agents to work on.
An international
Nobel Prize winning researcher, Elie Metchnikoff (1908) found that kefir
activates the flow of saliva, most likely due to its lactic acid content and its
slight amount of carbonation. Kefir stimulates peristalsis and digestive juices
in the intestinal tract. For these reasons it is recommended as a post-operative
food since most abdominal operations cause the bowels to stop contracting and
pushing food along (peristalsis).
Candida is usually a condition where
there is an excessive growth of yeast cells. In reference to Candida, Dr.
Orla-Jenson, a noted Danish bacteriologist specializing in dairy research states
that "Kefir digests yeast cells and has a beneficial affect on the intestinal
flora".
Kefir has mild laxative properties. In Germany and many parts of
Asia it is used extensively with cases of chronic constipation and is used for a
wide variety of intestinal disorders. It is also recommended to restore the
intestinal flora of people who are recovering from a serious illness or being
treated with antibiotics. It has also been effective for people who cannot
tolerate dairy products. Kefir is predigested due to the fermentation process
and is therefore much easier to digest."
A picture of the Kefir Grains
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