Kefir Benefits

The benefits of consuming kefir regularly in the diet

Easily digested, it cleanses the intestines, provides beneficial bacteria and yeast, vitamins and minerals, and complete proteins. Because kefir is such a balanced and nourishing food, it contributes to a healthy immune system and has been used to help patients suffering from AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes, and cancer. Its tranquilizing effect on the nervous system has benefited many who suffer from sleep disorders, depression, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

The regular use of kefir can help relieve all intestinal disorders, promote bowel movement, reduce flatulence and create a healthier digestive system. In addition, its cleansing effect on the whole body helps to establish a balanced inner ecosystem for optimum health and longevity.

Kefir can also help eliminate unhealthy food cravings by making the body more nourished and balanced. Its excellent nutritional content offers healing and health-maintenance benefits to people in every type of condition.

  • Alkia

    Hi,
    Recently I bought Kefir grains for my mom. She’s been having so many health disturbances, from allergies to ect… Actually she takes some pills for treating those sicknesses and I would like to know from any of you, while she’ll begin to take Kefir does she have to stop taking those pills or no problem at it, she can go along with the pills and Kefir.
    Help is so much appreciated.
    Many thanks…

  • Anthea

    Just read the home page and got my answer.

  • sladana

    i make kefir shakes in the mourning,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
    kefir
    almonds
    walnuts
    oats
    strawberries
    honey
    blend in mixer mmmmmmmm amazing !!!

    • Metz King

      I thought you were not supposed to use honey to make kefir shakes because honey kills good and bad bacteria. Seem like it would defeat the purpose of the good bacteria in kefir.

  • Tina

    I was wondering can you use a 2% lactose free milk with Kefir?Thanks

    • Tex

      I don’t think you can use lactose free as the grains need the sugar to grow.

    • Joelle

      Tina, I was just reading the other comments and it said that Kefir is basically lactose free. It said that the grains turn the lactose in milk to a lactate so people who can’t have lactose can actually have Kefir. I don’t much else. Just restating another comment I saw.

  • tasha

    I have been on a special k diet for months now, along with excercises (but not as i should). The reason I have been doing so is to lose weight especially in the stomach area, and much is needed in the thigh area. And the diet doesn’t seem to be working fast enough, I have been following the steps on the box and its like in between benefits of me losing then again its not. I will admit i may go a day of eating 2 meals instead of the 1 meal they ask of you. I saw a lady on youtube the other day talking about this milk because she said she had a “gut” and did not diet nor exercise, and the milk got rid of her “gut”. And I was just wondering if I was to drink it would I lose my “gut” as a mother of a soon to be 11 year old and a 1 year old soon to be 2. Also I am lactose intolerant, still breastfeeding, and I use silk milk in my cereal, I switched to the silk milk because my breastfeeding instructor told me it would best for my baby, easy for her to digest. So if someone can please inform me as to whether or not this milk is safe for my breastfed baby, and if I can mix it with my silk milk? Thank you

    • Martine

      Tasha, kefir is absolutely safe while breast feeding, real easy to digest and will help u with your lactose intolerance. I guess u could mix it with silk milk, but why. Try using it on it’s own instead of milk or yogurt, had a bit of honey to sweeten it up if needed. As for u loosing weight, well kefir do help with the digestion process, which a digestion helps in loosing weight.

    • reed

      tasha, please email me if you still have questions about why you are not loosing weight, i am a personal trainer with a nutrition professional cert. i would be more than happy to answer any questions you have. have a nce day. look forward to your email. Reed
      [email protected]

    • Yuleen

      you should read the dangers of consuming unfermented soy products before drinking the soy milk

  • Elle

    I was given Kefir grains as a gift a few days ago and I used them with canned fat-free milk. They did their thing beautifully. I let the mixture sit for 24 hours, strained and added a tablespoon of honey to the milk mixture – which was beautifully thick and creamy and again… it was fat-free. Delicious!

    I made a batch yesterday which I just consumed using 1% fat milk, and the consistency was excellent. I’ve read on other sites dedicated to kefir you may use ANY kind of milk you like. Yes, the higher the fat content, the creamier the finished product. I prefer to keep the fat content from low to fat-free, but the end result is just as lovely.

    I’m recovering from a total hysterectomy and my digestive system is way off track. The kefir elixir is helping me feel better and reduce the bloating that’s left over from the abdominal cavity being filled with C02 for the surgery – which is a most uncomfortable post-op feeling that takes several days to go away. I’m very happy to have been introduced to the benefits of kefir. In only two days, my tract is beginning to feel a bit better. Here’s to great health!

  • Joseph

    PS, if you wan’t it to be an alchoholic beverage . ADD suger. If you are of drinking age. It would be hard to drink enough to get drunk But , air with caution . If you already had had one or two . drinks

  • Joseph

    Also a warning for children , Kifer has a small amount of alchohol in it , It is a mixture of yeast and bacteria . It can grow larger amounts of alchohol with suger . DON’T ADD suger Before fermenting .It contains 1% already . It can grow up to 3%.

  • jean Maung

    I am very allergic to cow’s milk. I want to make keiffer as I am drinking keiffer bought in the store. I suppose it has been pasturized. I don’t feel better (ulcerative colitis). I drink, soy, almond or rice milk Can I successfully make it with these milks/
    jean

    • Elena

      Jean, soy milk is not helping you! Goat milk may be an excellent alternative for you. Healing milk is RAW! Commercial nut milks will not help. Soy milk is poison all together. To help your UC educate yourself about the “Specific Carbohydrate Diet”. I believe that you will be amazed with the results once you get on it and your doctor will believe in miracles after seeing your colon on this diet….

    • susan

      You could try making your grains into water kefir grains. I only drink water kefir. I am now making it with one litre water, ginger and a bit of molasses, 2 or 3 tablespoons of organic cane and/or sucanat sugar, some lemon and a piece of dried fruit. I grate the ginger and tie it up in a bit of gauze so it ends up tasting like ginger beer. I have been drinking kefir for about 10 months now and in the past 2 months have been giving the grains ginger and molasses which has made them get a lot bigger and reproduce a lot more. Also, it tastes great with the ginger added.

  • EEW

    I absolutely recommend this product. I’ve been really sick the past 2 years and have taken antibiotics more than twice each year..For months I was having severe diarhhea off and on and digestion pain and bloating. I have been drinking Strawberry Kefir for 2 days now. and my stools are practically back to normal. 2 DAYS, after months of consistent G.I. problems. Those of you with IBS, i recommend it, 110%.

    This stuff is truly amazing.

  • TERE

    I DRINK THE KEFIR AND I HAVE NOTICED THAT MY FINGER NAILS ARE GROWING AT A FASTER RATE.
    I HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME ABSORBING CALCIUM SINCE A SURGERY I HAD A DECAGE AGO – SO NAIL GROWTH IS A GOOD SIGN.

    I GAVE SOME GRAINS TO MY MOM- THE WERE DOING WELL THEN SHE CHANGED FROM
    MILK TO SOY AND SOMETIMES CANNED MILK
    THEN SHE MENTIONED HERE BIG GRAINS WERE GONE AND JUST RICE SIZE WERE THERE
    SO I HAD TO GET HER SOME NEW GRAINS AND ADVISE HER ONCE AGAIN
    HOW TO CARE FOR THEM.

    • TERE

      I ADD SOME MOLASSES TO IT – STIR AND DRINK
      VERY GOOD – FAST AND EASY

      Molasses quick facts:
      Molasses, on average,is about 58 calories per TBSP, contains 41 mg of calcium and 48 mg of magnesium for 1 tbsp. At 293 mg of potassium per 1 tbsp., it qualifies as a high-potassium food comparable to kiwi or oranges, according to Drugs.com. In addition to small amounts of other nutrients, molasses also offers iron, vitamin B6, selenium and copper.

      • Daniel

        Glad to hear you are aware of the benefits of organic blackstrap molasses. Also very good for women’s monthly cycle to help with bloating and cramping due to the mineral content.

    • SARAMC

      Tere…you can use milk kefir grains in a nut milk BUT you must put the grains back in a milk (cow, goat) for at least 24 hours or longer. If you don’t want to drink the true milk kefir then strain it in cheesecloth and you have a soft cheese. As long as your Mom alternates soy/nut milk with cow/goat milk your grains should be fine. Whatever you do, don’t put milk grains in the refrigerator as it changes the makeup of the grain and it can take MONTHS for the grain to bounce back. If I don’t use my MG for a while, I just cover it with whole milk, place in a jar with an airlock/water seal and leave on my countertop. Try to change out the milk once a week, if I have access to RAW milk I don’t have to change it for 3 weeks.

  • Patsy

    With the knowledge that food supplements are better absorbed on an empty stomach should it only be the milk kefir plain after having been strained? I would like to add fruit and I am wondering what is the most healthful way to do that. Can the fruit be added immediately and enjoyed or is it healthier to let the fruit ferment for a 24 hour period like one might do with water kefir? ie. soak 24 hrs, strain, sits with fruit 24hrs, drink. So my question is basically Is it healthier to drink plain kefir in the morning or is it ok with fruit ?

  • Jan

    I love my Kefir ever since I made the switch to kefir I sleep uninterrupted every night. I sleep like a baby an feel so good when I wake up in the morning I want to give my puppy some at night if its ok. I don’t see why not. She needs the same as we humans better digestive help.

    • Cyndi

      Jan,
      Do you consume your kefir at night?

    • Jill

      Jan,
      I have a little poodle that just loves the kefir I make. The only thing I noticed when giving it to the pup, was it made him have better (more at first) bowel movements and they were a more softer consistency. The pup also seemed to get filled up more and not be as hungry as much, even though he only may have drank a quarter cup of kefir. As soon as I start banging my kefir for the day he comes running to hopefully lick the kefir bowl out. My pup does drink a bit of kefir every singly day, even though it may be as little as a tablespoon or two, but he only weighs ten pounds. Many people give the extra grains to the dogs as a treat.

  • Michael

    Wow, thanks for your response…my kefir tastes good. I was just worrie about killing the bacteria.

    Anyway, I have a question to all of you (please), is there some way to check for the type of bacteria, yeast, microorganism, what kind, how many, etc… is in the home made kefir? What bacteria is better for one or another disease or ailment to ease, or organ to function better? Different web sites listing different properties in their kefir as well as the local markets in their brand names they selling. Some list 7, others 10, some claim 30 or more “beneficial probiotics” they all differ…..hmmm, just curious. Any info is greatly appreciated. Maybe WWW links?

    Thanks again,
    Michael

    • Annie

      Michael, I read there are 35 beneficial bacterias in kefir. I saw what they are but I’ve done so much research on them, I wouldn’t remember where I read it. I do know Dom’s kefir website (just type it in on a search) has tons of the type of information you’re looking for. Dom is extremely knowledgable on kefir / kefir grains and related subjects. As far as kefir that’s mass produced (what you see in the store), that’s kefir but I don’t think that kind is made from live grains; at least from what I’ve read.

      Additionally, I wouldn’t be too worried about killing your bacteria if you’re following the basic “do’s & don’t” rules. I read a study where scientists tried to prove kefir grains couldn’t have survived such poor sanitation conditions all those centuries ago. So they (injected?) live kefir grains with e-coli in an attempt to kill the kefir grains. Instead, the kefir grains killed the e-coli!! HA!

      Hope this helps.

  • Michael

    Hi, can I use regular low fat pasteurized milk to make kefir or it has to be organic un-pasteurized milk? I know the best is organic but the key point is “can be used regular pasteurized milk”? Thanks

    • Charl Van Deventer

      Can I use Fatfree milk?

      Regards

      • Laird

        You cannot use fat free milk unless you add fat to give the culture the food it needs.

      • motherof4

        I use low fat milk and to me it tastes better than whole or butter milk.

    • Amy

      You can definitely use regular pasteurized milk.

    • Laird

      I use regular pasteurized milk that is also homogenized. There has to be butter fat to some degree in order for the culture to do it’s work.

    • Andrea

      You can use any kind of milk you like…yes raw milk is best, but it works just fine with low fat pasteruized milk or even reconsituted powdered milk. The grains won’t starve if you use low fat milk. Try for yourself and see how you go. Good luck & God Bless.

    • Elena

      Michael, low-fat milk contains powdered milk and it is not what you want to put into your body. Whole milk is the way milk is supposed to be consumed. Powdered milk contains the kind of cholesterol you do not want to consume to be healthy! Raw milk is best, but if you need to use pasteuized milk make sure it is not Ultra-Pasteruized…. the grains will not thrive in this milk. Non-organic milk will contain antibiotics most likely. So, to answer your question think about it… Antibiotics in the milk will eventually destroy your grains! Raw, organic, clean milk is best. I hope this helps! Check out http://www.realmilk.com for more info too!

  • corri

    A very good friend introduced me to Kefir a little over a week ago and I’ve already noticed a wonderful change in my digestion. For over 10 years I have suffered from reflux, if I forgot my acid blocker in the morning I’d be in burning pain by lunch. I ran out of my prescription acid blockers three days ago and I’ve not even had a hit of indigestion since – I will continue to drink this wonderful Kefir and wish you all good health.

    • motherof4

      Good for you!

  • Bozo

    What a stupid hoax is this???? cures cancer and aids??? anything to sell to anyone!! If I ever find it in my country I’ll report you to the health authorities!!

    • Anti-Bozo

      There are no claims that it cures cancer or aids – it merely states that “it contributes to a healthy immune system and has been used to help patients suffering from AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes, and cancer”.

      It might help if you read things a little more carefully before you make any sweeping conclusions.

      • Back to basics

        Bozo’s name says it all.

    • Fran

      Yep the name sure says it all- redneck comments like yours are not needed. Get an education, you might learn something.

  • bill

    where can you buy kefir.do you make it

    • Cathy

      You have to have a source to provide you with kefir grains to make it yourself. You can buy commercially produced kefir beverage in most supermarkets however these don’t have the full dietary benefits of the kefir you ferment at home.

      • Jody

        I have lots of kefir grains.They keep growing whenever I make kefir.If someone wants I can give some. I had put some in my freezer and I used it after like 2 years and still after two three days I was able to make kefir with my grains…. Its so wonderful.

        • Jennifer Dang

          Hi Jody,
          I would love to have some of your kefir grains. Thank you so much for your kindness.
          Jennifer

        • Rangi

          Hi Jody
          I would love to have some of your kefir grains. Thank you so much for your generosity. I’ve heard about kefir and buy it I never knew you could buy the seeds to make your own. It would be so much more convenient. Thanks once again.

        • Teri

          I gave my Kefir away awhile ago. I really need more. I will never give it away again. The person I gave it to threw it away. I you can send me grains, I would so greatly appreciate it.

        • Heather

          I would love to also receive some grains to get started on my first batch 🙂

        • Pauline

          I am trying to get my first kefir grains here in BC, Canada…..its turning out to be quite a challenge! If you have any to spare and are in Canada, I would love to get in touch with you. Have a great day!!

          • Joe

            Hi Pauline,

            If you are still interested let me know and I will send you some. I live in Richmond, BC.

            Cheers,
            Joe

          • Joe

            email address would not hurt:))) [email protected]

        • Bettye

          Hi Jody,
          I would love to have some of your Kefir grains. I have no idea where to buy these grains.
          Bettye

  • Mary

    I use to blend kefir with strawberries but sometimes it is too much so I do not drink it all., that´s why I keep it in the refrigerator.
    Is that okay to keep it for few days in the refrigerator…. or is kefir going to lose its benefits and original flavour?

    • DONNA

      You can definitely keep kefir in the refrigerator; you can even ferment it that way although it takes a lot longer. If you need to take a break, you can store your kefir grains in a glass jar covered with milk of choice until you decide to use them again.

  • Chet Nicdao

    Can I drink kefir and at the same time taking my medicines for hypertension and cholesterol? What is the best time to drink it? hope you can answer my inquery, thank you.

    • Tasha

      I drink 1 cup every morning on an empty stomach and I take High blood pressure medicine as well

      • motherof4

        My mother in law has been taking high blood pressure medicine for years. two days after drinking a six oz glass on an empty stomach in the morning, she’s been offf the medicine. I’m happy to report that I too have been experience great energy, lack of craving for junk food and my blood pressure has been stablized. If anyone wants the grains, I’d be more than happy to share, as long as you pay for the postage. And if you live in Gilbert, AZ, come and pick them up any time. You can email me at [email protected]. It wouldn’t be a blessing if you don’t share.

        • Hi motherof4,
          I was wondering if you still had kefir grains available. I have no problem paying for the shipping, so please let me know! My email is [email protected]
          Thanks

        • Carling

          Hi there,

          I just recently recieved kefir grains. They were given to me in a Classico pasta sauce container in 2% milk with 4 pages of instructions. My bf had picked them up for me and immediately put the container in the fridge. Later on I was reading the instructions to find out they can not be put in the fridge. Did I kill the grains or if brought back to room temperature could they again produce kefir?

          Also how do you know if the grains are contaminated or not?

          Any help you may have would be greatly appreciated.

          • tricia

            No, you didn’t kill them. Refrigeration just slows down the fermenting process. Use them at room temperature again and your grains will soon be “happy” again.

    • Myrto

      To my knowledge, all food supplements are better absorbed with an empty stomach. I try to drink a glass of kefir in the morning (first thing after I wash my face and teeth) and another glass before I go to sleep (having digested my dinner, that is – about 3 hours after dinner). I don’t know about cholesterol or blood pressure benefits, since I don’t have either, but I’ve been largely benefited regarding my constipation. I imagine, you could reduce cholesterol ‘risk’ by using low fat milk to make kefir. If you buy it, I would suggest looking to a low fat product (if there is one, I really don’t know), or even try finding the kefir seeds and making it on your own. Finally, you can ask your doctor, but I believe kefir won’t interact with your medicine; it’s like drinking milk:-)