Is kefir good for you? You may have never even heard of this superfood that has come into popularity in recent years, but it’s been around for centuries and for good reason!
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Is kefir good for you? The answer is a big fat YES! Kefir is a powerhouse of nutrition, chock full of probiotics, vitamins, and minerals, my friends.
In addition, it can help soothe your gut. Not to get gross on you, but seriously, if you have ever suffered from stomach cramps and diarrhea for a week or more, you totally need kefir in your life. Your stomach and intestines are hungry for the good bacteria that exists in kefir. They need it because it helps them work better and aids in overall digestion. I’ll explain my own personal story in a bit, so stay tuned.
Finally, recent studies have shown that kefir can soothe not only your stomach, but your anxious mind as well. If that is not enough of a reason to give it a try, I don’t know what is! What are you waiting for? Let’s dive into more detail about this excellent food with so many awesome benefits.
This post is all about answering the question: Is kefir good for you?
Kefir: My Story
Is kefir good for you? Here’s my personal story. A few years back, I had a series of about five months straight where I had nearly constant stomach aches and diarrhea. I also had a gurgling sound in my stomach that was so loud my husband could hear it across the room. The sound seemed to never go away. I heard and felt it all the time.
I was physically and mentally sick over this. It was really taking its toll on my mental health because I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me. I finally made an appointment to go to a nurse practitioner.
When I arrived for my appointment, I found out that I had lost 10 pounds without even trying. This was 100% because I was so worried about how I felt and what horrible sickness might be causing it. I had begun eating less because of the stomach pain, gurgling, and diarrhea.
At that time in my life, I was extremely anxious and I always thought that I had something wrong with me, so therefore this surely meant that I had something seriously wrong with me.
The nurse practitioner listened to my concerns and ordered a bunch of tests. This included blood work, a complete physical exam, stool sample, and even an ultrasound of my gallbladder. All of the tests came back normal and the nurse practitioner was not able to diagnose exactly what was causing my nearly constant stomach aches and diarrhea.
Obviously, I was not happy with this outcome. I was 100% positive that there was something wrong with me no matter what they said. So, I embarked on a journey to do my own research. I’m a librarian after all. I can research stuff.
After searching online for people with similar symptoms to my own, I learned that many people found benefit in increasing their daily probiotics. My research also led me to articles about kefir. Never in my life had I heard of kefir. Is kefir good for you?
I learned that kefir is a wonderful drinkable yogurt type of food chock full of probiotics. It is fermented and made from milk as its base. Kefir “grains” are added to milk to ferment it and probiotic rich kefir is the result. It’s been used by people for centuries. You can buy it at the store and some people even make it at home! (If you are interested in making your own kefir, I recommend getting your grains from Marilyn the Kefir Lady.)
I figured that there was no harm in trying it since so many people online seemed to derive great benefit from drinking it. I picked up a bottle of Lifeway plain kefir from the grocery store. I drank 1 cup a day for four days. It was quite sour, so I added a little stevia. At the end of four days, my stomach aches were gone and my poops were back to normal.
Unbelievable! After five months of worrying, multiple appointments with specialists, and a bunch of medical tests, I had found my cure. I could not believe that it was this simple. However, it was. That one bottle of Lifeway Kefir completely cured my stomach aches and diarrhea. I am now a believer for life. Is kefir good for you? Yes, it changed my life.
13 Amazing benefits of kefir:
Is kefir good for you? Yes! But you don’t have to take my word on it! Most of the following listed health benefits were published in articles by the U.S. National Library of Medicine – National Institutes of Health. All sources shown below:
- Full of probiotics – It has been found to contain more than 50 species of probiotic bacteria. It is one of the richest sources of probiotics that you will find.
- Cholesterol lowering
- Aids in weight loss
- Overall GI health
- Helps with constipation (or diarrhea)
- Cancer fighting – reduces tumor growth
- Anti-inflammatory
- Strengthening of immune system
- Soothing of allergies and asthma
- Wound-healing
- Glucose management
- Improved tolerance of lactose
- Improve anxiety, decrease depression, and increase cognitive function – This is my favorite benefit of all.
Sound too good to be true? Try kefir and see for yourself!
what does kefir taste like?
It is tart. It tastes like a very tart plain yogurt. I like to sweeten mine with stevia and just drink it plain. I also have a great recipe for an easy and delicious banana kefir smoothie which is listed below. You can blend kefir into smoothies, make it into baked goods, make kefir cheese, and more. Lots of options!
This is my homemade banana kefir smoothie recipe. It is so creamy and delicious and chock full of probiotics and good stuff! (The cinnamon is just a sprinkle or however much you like. Same with the vanilla extract.) Just put everything together and blend until smooth. I usually just use an immersion blend because it is easier to clean. Enjoy, my friends!
next steps
After reading all of these amazing benefits and my banana kefir smoothie recipe, I am sure you want to try kefir for yourself. Is kefir good for you? YES! You know you want to try it!
There are two ways you can try it.
- (Less fun) Buy it from the store. My favorite brand is Lifeway Kefir. It is available in multiple flavors or just plain. I usually get the plain unsweetened and add a little stevia. I also give the plain to my dogs and cat every once in a while.
- (More fun) Make it yourself! This is fun because it is sort of like a science experiment. If you would like some kefir grains of your very own to make kefir with, contact Marilyn the Kefir Lady. The best part is that the grains will grow and multiply if you take care of them so they will last virtually forever. The process to make kefir is super easy, too!
If you ever get too many kefir grains, you can share with your friends and family. You can also eat them, blend them into a smoothie, or give them to your animals. My chickens, dogs, and cat go gaga for them!
I hope you have enjoyed reading about all of the benefits of kefir. You should totally try it. Contact Marilyn the Kefir Lady if you would like your very own kefir grains. She will mail you some along with directions for making kefir. Cheers to your health!
insanely great supplies you’ll love:
Now that you have answered the question, “Is kefir good for you?” it’s time to get your supplies! These are my favorite kefir making and drinking supplies.
I always use nylon strainers when making my kefir. These are my favorite kind!
These cap kefir strainers are awesome and fit on right on top of your Mason jars!
This all-in-one kefir starter kit doubles as a sprouter so you can sprout grains for your chicken friends!
These 16 oz jars are the perfect size for both drinks and salads!
These adorable lids have come in so handy at my house. They are wonderful for to-go containers as well.
I’m a librarian, so you know there are going to be some books on this list!
Author Donna Schwenk has some very helpful YouTube videos as well! She provides all the recipes, help, and answers you need to decide for yourself, “Is kefir good for you?” I highly recommend you check her book and her Youtube channel out.
This post was all about answering the question: Is kefir good for you?
You bet it is!
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Sources:
Azizi, N. F., Kumar, M. R., Yeap, S. K., Abdullah, J. O., Khalid, M., Omar, A. R., Osman, M. A., Mortadza, S., & Alitheen, N. B. (2021). Kefir and Its Biological Activities. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 10(6), 1210. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10061210
Bourrie, B. C., Willing, B. P., & Cotter, P. D. (2016). The Microbiota and Health Promoting Characteristics of the Fermented Beverage Kefir. Frontiers in microbiology, 7, 647. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00647
de Oliveira Leite, A. M., Miguel, M. A., Peixoto, R. S., Rosado, A. S., Silva, J. T., & Paschoalin, V. M. (2013). Microbiological, technological and therapeutic properties of kefir: a natural probiotic beverage. Brazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology], 44(2), 341–349. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1517-83822013000200001
Farag, M. A., Jomaa, S. A., El-Wahed, A. A., & El-Seedi, A. (2020). The Many Faces of Kefir Fermented Dairy Products: Quality Characteristics, Flavour Chemistry, Nutritional Value, Health Benefits, and Safety. Nutrients, 12(2), 346. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12020346
Peluzio, M., Dias, M., Martinez, J. A., & Milagro, F. I. (2021). Kefir and Intestinal Microbiota Modulation: Implications in Human Health. Frontiers in nutrition, 8, 638740. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.638740
Rosa, D. D., Dias, M., Grześkowiak, Ł. M., Reis, S. A., Conceição, L. L., & Peluzio, M. (2017). Milk kefir: nutritional, microbiological and health benefits. Nutrition research reviews, 30(1), 82–96. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954422416000275
Vasquez, E. C., Aires, R., Ton, A., & Amorim, F. G. (2020). New Insights on the Beneficial Effects of the Probiotic Kefir on Vascular Dysfunction in Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Current pharmaceutical design, 26(30), 3700–3710. https://doi.org/10.2174/1381612826666200304145224