Kefir Health Benefits

By now, if you have been following my blog, chances are you know a bit about kephir already. So, let's take a look at what actual benefits lead to try this amazing fermented drink.

What kefir health benefits are there?

- Kephir has antioxidant properties, which help reduce aging effects (!)
- Kephir is said to help reduce nervousness (a must, for me)
- It contains living microorganisms, which help with digestion and with the intestinal process (promotes regular bowel movement)
- Provides you with several vitamins, proteins, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus
- Helps your immune system, and its antimicrobial properties assist in fighting infections

And these are just the main kefir health benefits. Note though, if you are lactose intolerant, you have a choice between milk kefir grains and water kefir grains. Read previous posts to know more about what to consider when choosing, lactose intolerance isn't necessarily impeditive of taking milk kefir (consult your doctor first for advice, as well... better safe than sorry).

In short, kephir is associated with the prevention or at least reduction of several maladies: respiratory and allergy problems (asthma, allergies, acne, bronchitis, ...), skin problems (such as acne), depression, hypertension, sleep disorders & chronic fatigue syndrome, digestive or intestinal problems, and diabetes.

There are a few studies that have been and are being conducted to assess kefir health benefits, but for now it hasn't reached mainstream level. For now, those who tried it keep at it for the kefir health benefits they already have, and tell about them to their friends :)

As it should be, then each person can decide for herself!

Kefir Culture

Food sustains our bodies and minds, and it can bring us health and well-being. For this reason, everyone should know more about what different kinds of nutritious goodies are out there. So, time for some interesting tidbits on matters related to food and kefir culture! Ready for it? Today we're going to begin a quick and small glossary on healthy food, to be further developed individually.


Kombucha: Kombucha is a kind of fermented tea, dating back to the nineteenth century in Russia. It is often used with medicinal purposes, and like kephir it is prepared by letting a kombucha culture ferment.

Tibicos: Tibicos are also known as water kefir grains or sugar kephir. Tibico grains ferment in any liquid that contains sugar (including water), and thus are a good alternative for anyone that wishes to avoid dairy products.

Whole Foods: Foods that have none or little processing or refinement, making them as natural as possible. Different from organic food.

Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt has a very high quantity of calcium and fat, giving it the ability to withstand high temperatures. Thus, it can be used for cooking. Yogurt is made through bacterial fermentation as well, and this is the kind that has seen the greatest boom in popularity, in recent years.

Tips on how to make kefir - Part 1

As you learn how to make kefir, there are a few loose pointers to be aware of. Off the top of my head, there are many others - hence the title -, so this'll be a quick post. Kind of like a Kephir Frequently Asked Questions :)

- Kephir falls in the category of whole foods
- Milk Kefir Grains (Royal Kephir) are different from Water Kefir Grains

- Use stainless steel or plastic sifters, never aluminum ones
- As kephir is acidic it may help decompose metals, they are to be avoided
- Use glass or plastic containers

- The milk you use for kephir can be of most kinds, but always of animal origin
- Non-animal milk does not contain lactose, fundamental to the process
- The fermentation process takes about a day & a half
- The more kefir grains you use, less time it takes to ferment (and vice-versa)

- Kephir is a living organism; avoid storing it in very high temperatures
- In hot climates, the kephir tends to ferment faster (tropical = x2)
- If it over-ferments, it will taste more acid, but is still good for consumption
- After prepared, kephir can be consumed, or keep in the refrigerator
- Refrigerated kephir can last for many months

- Kefir can be mixed with other foods to improve flavour, like cereals or fruit

Ok, these are things I remember for now on how to make kefir. More as we go along :)

Oh, by the way, you'll notice I use the terms Kefir and Kephir interchangeably, but it's just out of habit, no difference there... both terms are correct, are ok to use, and mean the same :)

How to start a Milk Kefir Culture

Preparing your first kefir culture is easy.

For this, you need only four things: a recipient, a sifter (plastic or stainless steel), milk, and Milk Kefir Grains (also referred to as "the mother"). If you don't have any, we will look at obtaining the kefir grains at a later time.

For the initial kefir culture, add enough kefir grains to fill a soup spoon into a quarter litre of milk... then just leave it be, to run its fermentation process.

At a later time, when it is ready to consume, pass the combination through the sifter, to safely gather your kefir culture while obtaining the resulting liquid at the same time. Drink your milk kefir, and store the kefir grains again in a new solution, to be consumed at another time.

The milk you use can be either be the commercial kind or raw. The fermentation obtained by the grains assists in destroying the harmful bacteria that raw milk can contain. If you want to consume the resulting kephir milk in a more liquid state, increase the amount of milk a bit. If you prefer it thicker, closer to yogurt, reduce the quantity of milk.

As time goes by, you will notice that the kefir culture is growing, as the living being that it is. Bit by bit, you will be able to increase the quantity of milk added. I tend to think of this as a symbiotic relationship between a person and the kephir... two friends, feeding and providing health benefits to each other, growing.

What is Kefir (Kephir)?

Kefir (or kephir) is a fermented milk beverage, still unknown to many, but treasured by many others. Even though it is usually prepared with milk, it can also be prepared using other beverages, giving rise to variations such as Water Kephir or Tea Kephir (best known as Kombucha).

To prepare kephir, whatever the variant, you need kefir grains. In the picture above, you can see what they look like. Kefir grains resemble a cauliflower.

The two main types are Milk Kefir Grains and Water Kefir Grains.

Even though kefir grains are not readily available everywhere, if you can find anyone who has them it is a tradition to share with others. If you get just a few, you can usually then grow your own and later on share as well.

Nowadays, different recipes abound, whether using milk, water, or other drinks, and mixing it with various foods in order to create different flavour experiences. And all of this with the benefits it entails, to your health. Later on, we'll be discussing these, along with many other useful informations on kefir and kefir grains.

For the kephir afficionados, know also that there is a growing offer out there for other kefir related products, such as bath gels and similar items. Haven't tried them yet, so I can't really comment, though... more on that to come.