KEFIR: Nutrition Not Just for Nomads
By Anthony J. Ross
Ancient East European nomads once carried their goat's milk (or sheep and other animal's milk) in skin bags as they journeyed from location to location. The fermentation that took place in the bags turned their milk into a unique-tasting thick drink, now known as kefir.
During this fermentation, the bacteria and yeast in the bag combined with milk proteins to form a mass of living and growing microorganisms that were used to inoculate a new batch of milk, thus producing more kefir.
Have I grossed you out yet? Well, the best is yet to come!
This mass of bacteria, yeasts and polysaccharides is called kefir grain, and it's these grains that kefir its unique taste and properties. The kefir made today is a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly microorganisms that help balance your "inner ecosystem." Kefir is more nutritious and therapeutic than yogurt, and also supplies your body with complete proteins, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins. The drink's tart and refreshing flavor is similar to a yogurt smoothie, but it contains beneficial yeast and friendly probiotic bacteria that combine to give you superior health benefits when regularly consumed.
BENEFITS
Easily digested, kefir cleanses your intestines, provides beneficial bacteria and yeast, vitamins and minerals, and complete proteins. Because it's such a balanced and nourishing food, it contributes to a healthy immune system and has been used to help patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer and other ailments. Kefir also has a tranquilizing effect on your nervous system, and has benefited many who suffer from sleep disorders, depression, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). The regular consumption of kefir can relieve many intestinal disorders, promote bowel movement, reduce flatulence and create a healthier digestive system.
RICH IN VITAMINS
Kefir is loaded with Vitamin B1, B12, and Vitamin K, and is also an excellent source of biotin. This B vitamin aids in your body's assimilation of other B vitamins like folic acid, pantothenic acid, and B12. The numerous benefits of maintaining adequate B vitamin intake range from regulation of the kidneys, liver and nervous system to helping relieve skin disorders, boost energy and promote longevity. Kefir's ample supply of phosphorus, the second most abundant mineral in our bodies, also helps you process carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for cell growth, maintenance and energy.
READY-MADE KEFIR
Kefir can be made at home, or bought in the store these days. If you prefer to purchase ready-made kefir at your local health food store (in this form it is perishable and would be found in the refrigerated section) I recommend Lifeway or Helios for really good, organic brands. Whole Foods Market carries both, but you may be able to find them at other natural food stores.
MAKING KEFIR
Kefir can be made from any type of milk (cow, goat or sheep, coconut, rice or soy) and though its slightly mucous forming, the mucous has a "clean" quality to it that creates ideal conditions in the digestive tract for the colonization of friendly bacteria. Kefir is made from gelatinous white (or yellow) particles called "grains," which makes kefir unique, since no other milk culture forms grains. These grains contain the bacteria and yeast mixture clumped together with casein (milk proteins) and complex sugars. They sort of look like pieces of coral or small clumps of cauliflower, and range from the size of a grain of wheat to that of a hazelnut. The grains ferment the milk, incorporating their friendly organisms to create the cultured product. The grains are then removed with a strainer before consumption of the kefir and added to a new batch of milk.
