Not only is kefir one of the most delicious fermented drinks, it also can yield some surprising health benefits. When I first started drinking kefir I experienced some great improvements in my overall well-being. Here’s what kefir can do for you:
Drinking naturally fermented kefir can help with upset stomach and other digestive-related maladies. Thanks to it’s great variety of beneficial bacteria, kefir is a powerful and natural probiotic.
In this article, I will look a bit more closely at which maladies kefir can potentially help with. Please note that this is not medical advice and that I am simply speaking from my own experience.
Does kefir help with diarrhea?
As kefir contains a large variety of bacteria that are beneficial to the gut flora, drinking kefir typically also mitigates diarrhea and help the digestive system to function properly. However, this is only the case if the diarrhea is actually related to an imbalance in your microbiome.
These are all the bacteria strains that typically can be found in kefir.
- Lactobacillus plantarum
- Lactobacillus sake
- Lactococcus lactis
- Pseudomonas
- Pseudomonas putida
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Lactobacillus helveticus
- Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens subsp. kefiranofaciens
- Lactobacillus kefiri
- Lactobacillus brevis
- Lactobacillus casei
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis
To make sure you get the maximum dose of those super-healthy gut cleaners, make your kefir at home or buy organically fermented kefir without any additives. I’ve compiled a list of the top natural kefir brands here.
Does kefir make you poop?
When you first start drinking raw, natural kefir you might experience a more urgent than usual need to go to the bathroom. This is completely natural as your digestive system responds to the added bacterial cultures in the gut.
Over time, however, your digestive system will get used to the increased number of bacteria and you will likely experience a more stable digestive behavior.
Does kefir help with constipation?
Thanks to the influx of beneficial bacteria in your gut which occurs when you drink kefir, digestion typically functions more smoothly. This also means that constipation will be less of an issue once you start adding probiotic food to your diet.
When I first started drinking kefir and eating sauerkraut my gut did not know how to handle all this increase in bacterial cultures and went a bit crazy for the first week or so. However, once established my digestion quickly settled down and has felt great ever since!
Does kefir help with bloating?
Bloating can be caused by some of the same deficiencies in your digestive tract as the other maladies above. Since bloating is also related to the inefficiency of the digestive system, typically adding a great variety of beneficial bacteria will alleviate symptoms.
Drinking kefir is a fantastic way of getting raw and natural probiotics delivered straight to where they are needed most.
Does kefir make you fart?
While it is possible that drinking kefir will cause you to release excess gas in the beginning of your fermentation journey, your stomach and gut will eventually get used to the influx of new bacteria.
I have found the health benefits of kefir most pronounced when I established a consistent routine of preparing and drinking kefir at home. Since kefir grains need to be put into fresh milk every day or so this schedule was easy to keep.
Conclusion
Should you experience any of the above symptoms it is always best to have a medical professional examine you. Kefir tends to be beneficial to most people’s digestive systems but you might also have an adverse reaction to drinking kefir.
I started this blog as a way of sharing my fermentation journey and the benefits I have experienced from consuming fermented foods. However, the results might not be the same for everyone.
Listen to your body and figure out what it needs. We’re all individuals, every body is different!
“Milk Kefir Ingredients” von Stephen Pearson ist lizenziert unter CC BY 2.0
