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What’s Kefir?

Kefir is a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your “inner ecosystem.” More nutritious and therapeutic than yogurt, it supplies complete protein, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins.

  • Kefir is simple and inexpensive to make at home.
  • Kefir is used to restore the inner eco-system after antibiotic therapy.
  • Kefir can be made into a delicious smoothie that kids love.
  • Kefir is excellent nourishment for pregnant and nursing women, the elderly, and those with compromised immunity.

What if I’m lactose intolerant, and don’t do dairy? Or don’t digest milk products well? Is kefir right for me?
The beneficial yeast and friendly bacteria in the kefir culture consume most of the lactose (or milk sugar). Eat kefir on an empty stomach first thing in the morning before (or for) breakfast and you’ll be delighted to find it can be easily digested — as numerous people who have been lactose intolerant for years have discovered.

Why Kefir is better than Yogurt

How to Introduce Kefir Into Your Diet

Some people thrive on kefir right from the start and others may need to proceed more slowly. Remember that people with candidiasis lack milk-digesting bacteria, so you may have to build up your “tolerance” of kefir. Start with about four ounces in the morning on an empty stomach. Every second day increase the amount until you are able to drink a full eight ounce glass.

If you are just beginning the therapeutic version of the Body Ecology Diet’s health recovery program, it might be best to wait three to six months before introducing kefir. You may first need to clear your body of accumulated toxins and see your symptoms disappear. Moreover, people with candidiasis have what Chinese medicine calls the condition of dampness. Unfermented and improperly combined dairy products can lead to even more dampness and excess mucus. Here are some suggestions for introducing kefir while conquering dampness.

  1. Eat Body Ecology Diet foods, which are drying.
  2. Use proper food combining techniques to make kefir less mucus-forming (see the Body Ecology Diet 7th Edition).
  3. Drink plenty of water and eat grains that have been soaked and then cooked. These add moisture and fiber to the colon.
  4. Clean your colon. If a colon is free of blockages, kefir is tolerated more quickly. We have found that people who report having trouble with kefir, often have not followed the advice on colon cleansing. You probably also need to add acidophilus and bifidus bacteria to your small and large intestines. These wonderful bacteria also help to clean and improve the health of your entire digestive tract.
  5. Be sure to get adequate exercise. Exercise stimulates the colon and improves elimination.

Why Kefir is better than Yogurt

Tips for making perfect kefir from milk.

Print these Tips

Time and temperature are two important factors that determine how thick and tasty your kefir will be. In the warmer months kefir may be ready to drink in 18 hours. If you let it sit out too long at room temperature, it will become thick and eventually start turning into cheese and whey. If your kefir is “lumpy” and too sour, you are definitely leaving it out too long. It should be creamy and “drinkable”…a little thicker than milk. At this point, shake it well and place the kefir into your refrigerator. It will thicken a little more since it is continuing to culture, but at a much slower pace. Making kefir is an art, not an exact science. With each batch you make, adjust the time until you get it just the way you like it. Each area of the country and each kitchen seem to be a little different. Donna finds that her kefir always cultures faster for her in California than in Atlanta.

Body Ecology’s starter culture is just that…a starter. After you start your first batch of kefir (in milk or the liquid from the young coconut), you can use a small amount of that first batch to make your second batch. How much to use is included in the instructions found in each package of starter. If you transfer too much kefir from one batch to the next, you’ll create a product that cultures too fast and tastes too sour. You can make about 7 such “transfers” from one batch to the next. After that, the yeast start to get crowded out by the more aggressive lactobacillus.

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  • I am so glad! Seems kefir is available also in Canada. My book is playing in Vancouver and heros of the book (aliens) only can eat kefir. Now book is on its way to be translated. As you can buy it in Canada, my Aliens must not die from hunger! 🙂

  • rakesh jangra

    will you please tel where in India i can get kefir grains

    • somaya

      anyone has kefir grains in India ??

      • Romi Abhimanyu

        i have milk kefir grains in India. message me at my email [email protected]

  • ravi

    i found good quality grains .grains available in India for free .Try kefir.co.in

    • Ankit Gupta

      Dear from where to get grains as i think kefir.co.in is not offering kefir grains . Thx in advance

  • Marlayna

    Does anyone know how long you can store the Kefir milk in your fridge made from milk bought from the store?

    • abel_kotze

      It will go gradually more sour and may even separate into whey and caseine (good for making excellent cheese). Better to make fresh Kefir every day but extra grains can be stored in the freezer for several months (better to share)…

      • carl gregory

        I dont think extra grains can be stored in freezer

    • Marion Ramage Lindores

      it should have a sell by date on it. I buy 5 bottles at a time as it has a weeks date on it

    • carl gregory

      upto 3 weeks

  • Annamaria
    • Nicholas Lugard

      Please I have been reading about kefir grains and it’s benefit but can’t get one in Ghana west Africa,Can someone please advise me on what to do?Thank you

  • I’m in Victoria, BC. Just heard about this. Anyone in Victoria or on Vancouver Island that’s using this and is willing to talk about it with me and/or giving away some grains?

  • EastOtisLoggers

    There is a list of people at locations in the US and around the world who are giving away and selling Keifer grains.
    See if someone in your area has some to give away, if you are looking for some, or add your name to the list if you have extra to give away or sell.
    I just got my first grains from a friend yesterday!

  • Alyssa

    I am looking for some water kefir grains in the Salt Lake City area. If anyone has a source for these please let me know! Thank you!

    • I sell water kefir grains all the time, I have plenty of water kefir grains. $4.95 per 1/4 cup + $1.95 shipping
      and are very healthy. You’ll never have to buy them again, they grow fast. email me at [email protected]

  • Sarai

    I have plenty of kefir grains for sale for anybody in the Chicago, IL area. I can also ship so if you are interested contact me at [email protected]

  • Sandra

    live in western canada bc have healthy kefir curds for sale they ship well sold with method for making kefir and the many ways to use it in food and making cottage cheese smooties etc

    • Jay

      Hi
      I’m in Vernon. Can you email me? I’d like to buy some. Thanks

  • conny

    I am currently on large doses of antibiotics for Lyme disease. I find the antibiotics very hard on my stomach and the only thing that really seems to feel okay is my kefir smoothie every morning. Can I do more than one smoothie per day or do I need to be concerned about the yeast in the kefir contributing to a yeast infection? So far I am yeast infection free and I would like to stay that way but I’d also like to be able to keep something down!

    • Sandra

      Hi where do you live conny I have shipped this curd by mail and alsoby courier have used kefir for 20 yrs sandra

      • Alana Johnston

        i live in SC and need some for my son who has h pylori and terrible anxiety disorders, can u ship to me and can i make it with coconut milk instead? alana johnston from SC on facebook. message me if you can help me. thank you

    • No Connie, it won’t add to a yeast infection; quite the contrary. there are yeast strains in the real kefir that will attack the bad yeast. I do have a systemic yeast infection. 🙁 I drink milk kefir in the morning for breakfast and before bed and also try to drink some water kefir with my meals. I’m also fermenting foods now.
      You can’t get too much good stuff. With the antibiotics you definitely want to be drinking kefir and avoiding too much sugar wether it be in soda, bread, cookies, fruit, etc.
      Best wishes and health to you,
      Lisa

      • nerf

        Actually Lisa you can get too much of the good stuff. For example, water is good for you ,but if you drink to much and over hydrate it throws off the balance of water and sodium in your body (hyponatremia) this can be life threathening.

        And over use of Kafir could possibly add more damnpess to the body (Chinese medicine) as this page describes above..this can cause thrush and many other problems.In Chinese medicine foods have many qualities.
        There are foods that are warming eg ginger , heating eg chili, cooling, eg watermelon, damp forming eg yogurts etc ..each individuals body is different to another and one may have a inclination to, over heating or being too damp or too cold internally etc etc so one has to be careful that they don’t over indulge in one type of food.

        There’s a misguided western view that if somethings good for you, then have heaps of it…hmmm not true..moderation in everything is what keeps one balanced! eat well and be healthy xxxxx ps I’m a doctor of Chinese medicine

        • Cindy

          So, it is possible to get a yeast infection from starting on keifer? Is that what they are referring to as dampness?

        • babs

          Thank you so much for this information

        • DetroitSinkhole

          I have been doing 1 cup of raw cow milk kefir in the morning and 1 cup at night for several months. I think I am overdosing because I never minded the taste but lately it does not taste or sound good to me and my urine smells awful…..a very strong yeasty smell. I am on my first day off Kefir to see if these symptoms go away. Do you have a guideline for how much is acceptable or should I just experiment? Thanks Nerf.

    • Maria

      Also, make sure that you are not taking the antibiotics at the same time or within a short time of drinking your kefir. Antibiotics kill both the good and bad bacteria so waiting a few hours in between will at least give the kefir a chance to do it’s job.

    • Kaitlin

      Hi Conny,
      Good advice below on how to space and use the kefir. I feel your struggle – I’ve had Lyme for 16 years, and three months ago had magnetic treatment with a chiropractic doc in Idaho, LymeStop.com. I think I’m actually finally going to get well, which is a novel thought. Just thought you might be interested, if you aren’t feeling healthy yet.
      Cheers!
      Kaitlin

  • Dave

    Looking for milk grains in the Ottawa/Gatineau area. Can you help me? Remove the asterisks from my email address:
    d*j*h*[email protected]

    • Sandra

      have some ships well by mail or courier

  • GW

    I’m looking for Kefir in Houston.
    If anyone knows of a local source, I’m interested.
    Thanks!

  • Karen

    I’ve been making Kefir for about six months, using pasteurized 2% milk with no problems. A couple weeks ago I switched to raw whole milk and now it seems like the grains are not growing and in fact may be decreasing in volume. Any ideas what is going on? I am afraid I am going to lose all my grains the way it’s going.

    • Anon

      Raw milk, due to not having been pasterurized, carries the risk of already containing bacteria and other cultures. These pre-existing cultures in the raw milk could be competing with your kefir, and slowly killing them. I suggest you switch back to pasteurized milk asap.

    • Lois

      if you are getting your raw milk from a reputable source you should stick with the raw milk. I have been making raw milk kefir for over a month now, and I LOVE It. My grains didn’t multiply to fast the first 2 or 3 weeks, but then I went a week where I had much excess grains. then it slacked off again. Raw milk is EXCELLENT for kefir.

  • Marina

    I have plenty of kefir grains milk for free. I live in Los Angeles area. Email me [email protected]

    • Myrna Banos

      I am interested I have emailed you thankyou so much I have been searching for these for a while.

  • 09161521911

  • hi there guys here is my mobile num im here in tuguegarao city cagayan philippines

  • Kelly

    I been making my own kefir for 2 months now. Love it! I’m trying to count my calories and other nutrition info. But being homemade I don’t know how to do that? Anyone? 🙂

    • Sandra

      have used kefir fore 20 year use skim milk whizz fruit for smoothies with no sugar sandra

      • Alana Johnston

        can i use coconut milk instead because we cant do casein?

        • we also can not do casein. than can be replaced?

  • Barbara

    I live in the Los Angeles area, and will drive to pick-up Water Kefir if anyone has some.
    Thanks,
    [email protected]

  • Leslie

    I have milk kefir, really enjoying it. Anyone in the New Orleans/Metairie/Kenner area is welcome to the extra to start their own. I just put some in my potted plants on my patio.
    E-mail me at [email protected]

    • Leslie Morantine

      I am no longer giving away kefir.

      • Leslie Morantine

        I’m giving away kefir again! Local to New Orleans/Kenner/Metairie or however far you wish to drive, i.e., North Shore/St. Tammany, Pontchatoula, Hammond, etc. E-mail [email protected] and I’ll let you know when I can give you some; if I just gave some away, I’ll need a few weeks to grow enough for you.

        • Leslie Morantine

          I have successfully frozen my granules for 6 months and within 3-4 days they are back to culturing. I rinsed them in cool water to wash off the milk, gently patted dry with paper towels, then let them air dry for about 10 minutes, and put a generous amount of powdered milk (Carnation NonFat) into a freezer bag, making sure to cover all the grains well as this prevents freezer burn. After 6 months, I took them out, ran the bag under cool water to loosen up the grains, then put them in a strainer and ran cool water on them to wash off the powdered milk and to finish thawing them. Then to start culturing them, I had to change out the whole milk daily and did not consume the milk, but within 3-4 days, I could see whey starting to form and they bounced back quickly. I’ll experiment with extras for a longer period to see at what point they won’t survive.

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