WHAT IS KEFIR?

Posted by TTN Palawan on Aug 29, 2018

What is Kefir? -- TTN Palawan Inc

What is Kefir?

Kefir is a fermented drink made out of either grain or powdered starter culture. It is similar to yogurt in that they are both fermented, (can) be made with milk and contains powerful probiotics. Kefir's name is derived from a Turkish word "keif' which means "good feeling".

Although similar to yogurt, Kefir, on the other hand, is thinner in consistency than the thicker counterpart in yogurt.

Kefir is one of the most nutrient-dense food in the world. It can be enjoyed by either meat-eater who drink their milk as well ;-) and non-meat eaters who avoid their milk :-).

Types of Kefir

If you are a meat-eater, you don't mind cow's milk, do you? If you don't and you'd like to try out drinking Kefir, it is a very popular liquid to use in making this superfood, not to mention yogurt which is mostly made from milk. Milk Kefir is a very popular way of eating kefir. For those who are non-dairy, you can enjoy water kefir, coconut kefir, soy kefir or almond milk kefir, whichever you enjoy. Water kefir is nice when mixed with fruits and is popular with kids as well.

How is it made?
Kefir can be made with either grain (which resembles cauliflower florets) starter culture or powder. Those who are seriously consuming this drink and on a daily basis, you will find that the grain starter will be best for you. Having a kefir grain starter means you need to keep the grains alive by using it regularly which is the most economical way of making kefir rather than buying from the supermarket.

The powdered starter for kefir, however, is for those who are occasional or not so regular Kefir powder starter kefir drinkers. If you are consuming kefir for health purposes and benefits but is not into the daily ritual, using the powder starter culture will be the best for you since you can just keep the unused powder in the fridge (or freezer) and use them whenever you need. This is a lesser-pressure way of making kefir compared to the grains which you will have to keep alive by using it.

What are the benefits of Kefir?

As mentioned above, Kefir is one of the most nutrient-dense food in the entire world. How? Check out below:

Kefir Probitics and Brain and Gut connection

Probiotics
These good bacterias are what practically makes this food a super. Good bacterias help keep our gut health balanced and in turn well. In terms of our brain health, studies show that there is a connection between good mental health and gut, thus gaining more speculations on brain diseases prevention such as Alzheimer's.
The good bacterias in milk kefir actually make their colonies in the gut making it better than yogurt. This means that the good bacterias it has and yeast stays inside our intestines compared to yogurt's which passes us by.
Kefir has larger quantities of good bacterias and yeast than in other fermented foods such as yogurt.
Milk kefir contains calcium that we all know is beneficial for our bone health.
Kefir contains folate, which is good for pregnant ladies in preventing neural tube defects. The longer it is fermented, the higher folate it contains.