The Amazing Health Benefits of Kefir
January 26th, 2011 | Our Food, Probiotics, Cancer, culture, health, herpes, kefir, lactic acid, left-turning, lysine, micro-organisms, milk, probiotic, yoghurt, yogurt
Reposting of the information about kefir put together over at www.bovinity.webs.com. A wonderful and well-researched look into how kefir can help with cancer, herpes, IBS, immune disfunction, allergies, colitis and leaky gut among many other things. Alternate names for milk-based Kefir Grains (also called kefir gems or jewels): Tibetan Mushrooms, Yogurt Plant, Yogurt Mushroom, Yogurt Fungus, Snow Lotus, Kin-oko or Tane-oko [Jap], Tibetanischer Pilz [German]
Buy Kefir Grains Here
Kefir is one of the oldest cultured milks, having its origin in the Caucasian Mountains. With a bubbly effervescence and no bitter after taste, Kefir has been called the “champagne of milk”. Kefir is a fermented milk which contains a mixture of several species of lactic cultures. Yogourmet Kefir starter is prepared from selected strains of active Kefir cultures and Kefir grains, so it produces a rich, creamy, alcohol free drink every time. It is a refreshing, nutritious, and therapeutic dairy treat for all ages. Kefir does not require the use of a yogurt maker, since the milk is incubated at room temperature for about 18-24 hours.
Kefir restores the intestinal flora of people who are recovering from a serious illness or being treated with antibiotics. Kefir is a remedy for digestive troubles because of its very low curd tension, meaning that the curd breaks up very easily into extremely small pieces. The small size of the Kefir curd facilitates digestion by presenting a large surface for digestion agents to work on.
It’s also predigested due to the fermentation process, rendering itself tolerable to those persons who are lactose intolerant. Kefir has a pH of about 4.0; a clean pleasant acid taste without any bitterness (aftertaste); a slight taste (and aroma) of yeast; a smooth texture; its taste is rather identical to that of buttermilk or sourcream; altogether a very refreshing beverage! No refrigeration needed. Can be made with low-fat or non-fat milk, goats’ milk, and soy milk! I like to drink it with a bit of salt and cumin.
Kefir’s History
Kefir dates back many centuries to the shepherds of the Caucasus mountains. They discovered that fresh milk carried in leather pouches would occasionally ferment into an effervescent beverage.
In the Caucasian Mountains, legend has it that the resulting kefir “grains” (not a true grain–but a combined culture of yeast and bacteria) were a gift to the people from Mohammed, who instructed them on how to use the grains. Mohammed strictly forbade them from giving away the secret of kefir preparation to other people, or pass anyone kefir grains, because they would lose their “magic strength.” This legend explains why kefir grains and the method for kefir preparation have been surrounded by mystery for so long. In fact, there is an incredible tale of intrigue starring a beautiful woman, Irina Sakharova, who stole the kefir grains from a prince for Russia, which is perhaps the only reason the world knows of kefir today.
What is Kefir?
Basically, kefir is made by fermentation of the kefir “grains”, which resembles miniature cauliflower florettes that are the size of wheat kernels. These grains consist of casein and gelatinous colonies of micro-organisms that grow together symbiotically. The dominant micro-flora are Saccharomyces kefir, Torula kefir, Lactobacillus caucasicus, Leuconnostoc species and Lactic Streptococci. In addition, some yeast is present.
These many beneficial micro-organisms are what separates kefir from virtually all other cultured milk products, which typically use only one, and rarely more than three species in the culturing process.
Kefir: The Drink in Modern Times
Renewed interest in Kefir occurred in the West in the nineteenth century. Perhaps the best known researcher on Kefir is an international Nobel Prize winner (1908) Russian professor Elie Metchnikoff. Professor Metchnikoff considered Kefir a natural and a most effective means of combating intestinal infections, intoxications, and putrefactions. In his opinion good health and longevity could be attributed to constant use of Kefir. Metchnikoff had proved in a scientific manner that the bacteria contained in Kefir would be of value in promoting the improvement and longevity of the human life if this form of fermented milk were brought into general use. Since then Kefir attained considerable usage in Europe and is extensively produced there.
Contribution of Each Micro-organism:
Leuconostoc Cremoris
Produces lactic and acetic acid. Produces acetyl-methyl carbinol and diacetyl, two aromatic agents of Kefir.
Lactobacillus Plantarum
Exhibits antagonistic activity against Listeria monocytogenes. Produces plantaricin, bacteriocin inhibiting microorganisms which cause spoilage. Strong producer of lactic acid. Tolerates high concentrations of bile salts. Adheres to intestinal mucosa.
Lactobacillus Casei
Produces L (+) lactic acid. Produces large quantity of lactic acid.
Colonizes intestinal tract. Adheres to intestinal mucosa. Creates a favorable environment for the desirable microbial balance. Limits intestinal putrefaction, thus controlling production of toxins and their noxious effects upon vital organs and body cells. Inhibits pathogenic bacteria and prevents diseases caused by intestinal infections. Limits lactose intolerance. Contributes to immunity.
Streptococcus Lactis
Produces L (+) lactic acid. Produces large quantities of lactic acid. Partially hydrolyses milk proteins. Increases digestibility of milk. Improves stomachal digestion. Inhibits harmful micro-organisms. Produces bacteriolysins.
Strepococcus Cremoris
Has the same properties of Streptococcus Lactis. Is more resistant moreover to phages then Streptococcus Lactis. Increases desirable flavor of Kefir.
Streptococcus Diacelilactis
Has the same properties of Streptococcus Lactis. Produces acetyl-methyl and CO2. Diacetyl is a characteristic aroma of Kefir.
The following is taken from the book Kefir Rediscovered / The Nutritional Benefits of an Ancient Healing Food by Klaus Kaufman
Published by Alive Books
PO Box 80055
Burnaby, BC V5H 3X1
ISBN 0-920470-65-3
From Chapter 3 pages 23-27:
Fascinating Ferments
Most people’s diet is devoid of fermented food and drinks other than alcoholic beverages. Few people ever eat lactic acid-fermented foods or drink lactic acid-fermented drinks. This is true even of those who eat commercial yogurt.
Though many people eat yogurt, it is most often “pseudo-yogurts” that are consumed and they no longer contain adequate quantities of beneficial cultures, most often because the yogurt is heat-treated, killing off the live ferments. According to researcher Khem Shahani, Ph.D., Professor of Food Sciences and Technology at the University of Nebraska, centrifugation of commercial products is another treatment that results in insufficient micro-organisms (ferments) in the yogurt.
Yet it is the ferments that are the magic key in the realm of nutrition. Ferments are super-metabolizers that cause such miracles as food constituent conversion, nutrient assimilation, cell transformation, elemental transmutations and plant and animal metamorphoses. They help the diseased body reassemble healthy tissues. Ferments are the ultimate promoters of continued good health. But why should this be so? Where does the energy for transmutation come from? Ferments are minuscule converter reactors that create tremendous energy for living tissues. Inside our bodies, ferments–or enzymes, as we moderns prefer to call them–control anabolism (synthesis of complex molecules) and catabolism (breakdown of complex molecules). Enzymes are in charge of the build-up and separation of the metabolic pathway. For more on the history of mankind’s understanding of ferments please see Cellular Theory vs Germ Theory and the discussion about Antoine Bechamps’ research.
Enlivening Enzyme Eccentricity
Every modern lock has a unique key. Enzymes are like keys in that they are highly specific in their tasks. An example are the amylases. They catalyze the conversion of starches to sugars. Protease, another enzyme, unlocks the mechanism that reduces proteins. Lipase enables the break-up of fats. Oxidase by its “turning in the lock” prevents oxygen in nutrients from interfering with intestinal nutrient absorption.
Every living cell needs enzyme helpers (ferments!) for mastering the huge task of transmutation in metabolic energy conversions. It is the totality of this act we call metabolism. In discussing enzymatic catalysis, it helps to know that the word enzyme comes to us from the Greek “enzym” and that “enzumos” means “leavened.” Leavening involves mixing in something to induce a general change for the better. As you know from experience, leavened bread is quite a different product than unleavened bread.
Just as most breads need leavening, so every human cell needs specific enzymes (leavenings) for the many steps of anabolism and catabolism. A living cell contains thousands of different enzymes whose task it is to hasten, to hinder or to fix living metabolic processes. Without the presence of active enzymes, cell division cannot and does not take place. This means that growth or renewal cannot occur. It also means substances spotted as injurious, such as harmful bacteria or poisons, cannot be dissolved and eliminated. Without the helping ferments, our cells would be as helpless as we are before a locked car or a locked house without the key to let us in. Enzymes grant access!
Just as we safeguard our important keys, so our enzymes need protecting. Many enzymes (ferments or leavenings) are sensitive to major fluctuations in temperature (a rise from 78 to 122°F [25 to 50°C] for example). As a result, they lose their ability to activate. Suppose the key is rusty and no longer works in the lock. Oil would be needed. Poisons cause similar unwanted affects on enzymes. Many prescription medicines and pharmaceuticals inhibit proper enzyme activity through unwanted side affects. Often enough, the damage to important enzymes can be so overwhelming that a return to normal functioning is no longer possible. The key has broken off in the lock, as it were. You can no longer enter the system even with oil. We must take care to protect these sensitive keys to our system and keep them safe from harm. Holistic nutrition, holistic healing, and fermented milk products–kefir in particular–provide just such a means.
Right Is Right, Left Is Gauche
Kefir contains more L [+] or right-turning lactic acid than D [-] or left-turning lactic acid. The structural formulas of the isomers (chemical substances that have the same molecular formula but different physical and chemical properties due to the different arrangement of the atoms in the molecules) of the two types of lactic acid give a good illustration of how different these two forms really are:
Molecular formulas showing the two isomers of Lactic Acid:
0 C-OH H-C-OH H-C-O H
0 C-HO HO-C-H O-C-H H
Left-turning D [ -] Lactic Acid (levorotatory) turns rays of polarized light to the left.
Right-turning L[ +] Lactic Acid (dextrorotatory) turns rays of polarized light to the right.
In the structural formula, O stands for oxygen, H for hydrogen, C for carbon. Notice in particular the arrangement of the OH groups. In the left-turning lactic acid, the grouping is to the right. In the right-turning acid, it is to the left. This is a quirk of science that has led to misunderstandings before. As can clearly be seen, one version is very much like a mirror image of the other. They are indeed very, very similar lactic acids. Yet if we employ the model of lock and key mechanism, we can easily see why only one key fits while the other will not “turn” the lock. Just imagine the formulas above were key bits and you can see how only one could work to unlock a certain lock.
In Germany, manufacturers of soured milk products are already advertising their particular brand as containing mostly right-turning lactic acid. Why should they bother? Who cares? Isn’t left-turning lactic acid just as good? Besides, have you ever seen anything turning one way or the other? You mean that matters? HOLD IT. Let’s examine this directional business and see if it takes us into the right, sorry, proper direction.
After or during vigorous exercise the lactic acid level in the blood rises by five to ten times normal values. We experience this excess lactic acid as muscle soreness or pain. While this is an unpleasant symptom of lactic acid metabolism, it is balanced by the fact that lactic acid also intensifies our breathing faculties and therefore the oxygen intake into the cells of our brain, liver and kidneys. Right-turning lactic acid is a normal constituent of the human body. It is important, according to scientific experts, that the cells of the heart muscle obtain their energy primarily from right-turning lactic acid.
Right-turning lactic acid is able to increase breathing–the intake of oxygen–of highly active cancer cells. Does this mean that cancer cells will proliferate under a diet that includes regular intake of kefir? No. It means the oxygen-deprived–and for this reason proliferating cancer cells–are turned in the right direction again!
This is a very complicated mechanism, and I have fully delved into it elsewhere. (See Reviving Choked-Off Cells, page 31 below.) Suffice it to say that soured milks like kefir, with mainly right-turning lactic acid, represent great value for our health. They increase the metabolism of our tissues, promote intestinal activity and are indispensable cofactors in the prevention and treatment of all malignant conditions.
The Trouble with Left-Turning Lactic Acid
While the individual kinds of soured milks vary considerably in the way they are produced and the use of lactic acid producing bacteria and ferments, their nutrient and active ingredient content is similar. It is their lactic acid content that is very different. It depends very much on the method employed. An L. bulgaricus yogurt, for instance, contains a total of 65 to 70 percent left-turning lactic acid according to one kefir expert. Only the remainder (30%) is right-turning.
Consuming left-turning lactic acid can be problematic. On the polarized light circuit at least, right-turning is far more beneficial than left-turning. For the human body, only the right-turning, (L+) lactic acid is natural and physiologically correct. Left-turning (D-) lactic acid is a foreign substance for the human organism. It does not contain the necessary enzymes for proper utilization by the body.
The urinary system flushes the majority of left-turning lactic acid out of the system and the liver converts the remainder into carbonic acid and water. For this task the human liver contains a non-specific enzyme that is not fully functioning in babies. Consequently, babies react to left-turning lactic acid with inner distillation that results in acidosis and increased expulsion through the urine. This causes a disturbance of the mineral household and metabolism. Because of this problem, parents should curtail the consumption of large quantities of lactic acid products by babies. Even so, according to some experts, proper amounts of kefir play a vital role in the development of a healthy digestive tract in babies.
The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations investigated the question of lactic acid fermentation. This resulted in the recommendation that consumption of left-turning lactic acid be limited in adults to 100 mg per kg of body weight. There is no limitation, however, for right-turning lactic acid for adults. In foods prepared for babies and toddlers, on the other hand, only right-turning lactic acid should be used.
For these reasons, large quantities of yogurt (more than one liter per day), are not good even for adults, as their overwhelming content of left-turning lactic acid can lead to a strain on the metabolism. Consumption of large quantities over extended periods can also harm the flora normally living in the intestines. Home-made, thickened milk on the other hand, contains both kinds of lactic acid, with only a small excess of one kind or the other.
Most kefir contains between 0.85 and 1.5 percent lactic acid. Acidity is a controlling factor in microbiology. A pH (standing for potential hydrogen, i.e., hydrogen potential) below seven is acid, above seven it is alkaline and at seven the pH is neutral. Different cultures require different pH. Final acidity in kefir is below pH 3, so kefir is on the acidic side of this scale. The predominant form of lactic acid produced is the right and right-turning form, with some left-turning lactic acid present.
From pages 31-36:
Reviving Choked-Off Cells
Kefir has been shown to have anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties. It seems that proliferating cancer cells can be at least partially restored to normal function, i.e., healed through reactivating them to normal function by involving the work of lactic acid in the body. Some of the most respected scientists have suggested a pathway by which lactic acid fermentation might fight mutant cancer cells. To understand this, we must first know that in cancer pathology, the destruction of normal cell respiration is one of the root causes of the disease. *According to cancer researchers Dr. Heinrich Jung, Johannes Kuhl, PhD and others.
It helps to understand that if certain processes in the body can go wrong, leading to the proliferation of cells that no longer service the whole body but work against it, then certain other processes may correct the imbalance and restore cellular order. The body’s immune system produces T-cells that can destroy tumor cells. Certain chemicals, called carcinogens, can inhibit T-cells by blocking them and effectively locking them out. Now we must find the right key to unlock the power of the immune system again and successfully deter cancerous growths. There are a number of chemical repressors that successfully fight cancer cells, such as the chemicals employed in chemotherapy.
German physician and scientist Johannes Kuhl, has studied the workings of cancerous cells and the healing action of lactic acid. According to Dr. Kuhl,
“Cancer is not a localized tumor only, but a generalized ailment of the entire organism.”
Therefore, to remove part of the body through surgery, or to submit a cancerous organ to gamma radiation is hurtful and insufficient as it does not remove the root cause. Kuhl considers such methods actually harmful as the most immediate effect of surgery and radiation is to further weaken the patient.
“Lactic acid is the functional element of growth in nature and the regenerative component for damaged plant and animal cells,” writes Dr. Kuhl in his book Checkmate to Cancer (Schach dem Krebs). He goes on, “It’s the lack of the presence of nature-grown lactic acid in our daily diet that is the real problem.”
Dr. Kuhl is working from within the framework of isopathic law–which holds that a disease contains the means for its cure in its own causative agent–when he suggests that fermented milk products are invaluable as a preventive and healing agent in disease. According to isopathic law, lactic acid from ferments like kefir removes excess lactic acid from body cells. Therapeutic administrations of lactic acid-fermented foods are therefore curative of body cells that are “fermenting.” Following the isopathic law that was first applied by Hippocrates and reaffirmed by Paracelsus, Robert Koch and Pasteur, Dr. Kuhl recommends to start cancer treatment with a weak but frequent dose of lactic acid, which should then be gradually increased.
Says he, “In tumor treatment we must treat the very formation of cell life; respiration and fermentation.”
It is only possible to treat cell respiration indirectly, so as to avoid destroying or paralyzing the cell. This is best accomplished through the ingestion of lactic acid-fermented foods. Latest scientific findings suggest that it is best to introduce lactic acid-fermented foods from a variety of sources, e.g., kefir, kombucha, lactic acid-fermented fruits, lactic acid-fermented vegetables, etc.
Dr. Kuhl emphasizes that it is “completely meaningless to expect a normal fermentation in an artificial tissue, such as cancer. The over-acidification of the body cells is not to be fought and eliminated allopathically, but isopathically. Nobody can change that. Preventing cancer means, according to the results of my research, seeing to it that there is a regulation of the lactic acid metabolism in the body cells (tissues), so that the normal quantity of lactic acid needed by the body never becomes a pathologically over abundant substance.”
Kuhl goes on to explain that, “the cancer disease is a chronic disturbance of the lactic acid metabolism…. The toxic amount of lactic acid present causes precipitous proliferation of cells that do not reach the stage of maturity. This process is called the whip effect. They form the cancer nodes, or if there is decomposition, a cancer tumor. These immature cells cannot breathe. Since the last cell regeneration has not been reached, they lack a respriatory system”
The body, fighting for survival, wants to regain health. It works to re-organize the affected tissues. It produces a supportive growth substance, lactic acid. But the noxious elements present prevent the sick cells from healing. The body, its system gone awry, produces more lactic acid. The cells must regain their health by becoming mature and then proliferating, to eliminate defective tissue. But when the level of the growth substance (lactic acid) becomes toxic, the cells are driven to multiply but can no longer mature. The by product of this cellular struggle is a malignancy. The immature cells fail to develop breathing capacity.
“Cancer,” according to Kuhl, “is a chain of causes [and] the only sure way for overcoming cancer is prophylaxis through nutrition which . . . protects the fermentation and hormone systems of the organism from damage, maintains the ability of the lymphatic defence apparatus to function preventatively, and prohibits the forming of diseased lactic acid through cancer poisons.”
Kuhl’s analysis of the nature of cancer, the destructive nature of the body’s endogenous lactic acid, and the role that lactic acid plays constructively, are nothing short of astonishing. Yet the universally held idea of cancer as a localized condition prevails even today in most medical centers, where researchers are still desperately seeking, but not finding, the magic bullet that will cure cancer.
Dr. Kuhl believes that people who eat lactic acid-fermented foods hold the reins of their lives in their own hands. They are preventing malignant tumor growths by observing the isopathic law, even if they do so unknowingly.
This excerpt on Herpes and Kefir is also from www.bovinity.webs.com:
Dietary Management of Genital herpes: The Kefir trail
Kefir contains 270 mg of lysine per 100g (3.52 oz) which is pretty good because plain yogurt, one of richest sources of lysine, contains 311 mg per 100 mg, just 41 mg more than Kefir. Kefir doesn’t contain any arginine at all whereas plain yogurt contains 105 mg. This could suggest that Kefir is an even better source of lysine than plain yogurt.
Kefir is a much stronger probiotic than any yogurt. A strong intestinal flora promotes a strong and healthy immune system. Actually, Kefir has been found to be an immune-stimulant in animal studies as well as antimicrobial. Milk Kefir may provide several benefits against herpes. Kefir has been used for the treatment of herpes but I haven’t found any scientific data supporting it.
If you want to learn how to make kefir at home take a look at Dom’s Kefir making in-site. This website feels a little bit like a maze but it’s filled with great info on kefir. Kefir is very easy to make once you have the kefir grains. I make them from organic milk. I find it delicious but you may find the taste a little bit strange. Sweetening it with honey or maple syrup may help.
A little advice; start slowly. I’ve noticed that Kefir has very nice detoxifying properties and may be a little laxative at first. I’d advise starting with one glass a day. If you’re allergic to dairy products, you can make a stronger Kefir with less lactose in it. Dom’s explains everything really well. Please avoid Kefir starters and use Kefir grains instead. This way you’ll be sure to make the real kefir. Kefir is a beverage a little thicker than milk but much more liquid than yogurt. I tried to make yogurts out of Kefir and it just doesn’t work. So don’t let your milk ferment too long.
If you want more information and guidelines on who to use foods to treat and prevent herpes as well as natural remedies that can help stop genital herpes symptoms in 2 days, I recommend you read Herpes Wise.
More Links to Great Kefir Resources and Info:
- Dom’s How-To Make Kefir and Recipes
- Toronto Advisors
This article gives details on how to make kefir, store the grains and even make kefir cheese. A lot of good information about the history and research that has been done on kefir as well. - Ginger Beer Water-Kefir Recipe
- Kefir Internet Communities
- Kefir Recipes
- Fermentation is Fun at Healing Crow
- KEFIR – the wonder food
- Microflora of kefir grains: Dr. Miloslav Kaláb’s excellent Micrograph of kefir grains, includes 3D image or anaglyph.
- The Story of the Snow Rose (Rhododendron caucasicum): 120 Years Old and Still Healthy! by Nina Anderson
- Dom’s KEFIRKRAUT MAKING
where can i get kefir starter or the mother
I have some available here.
where do you live, if anywhere in NY, I can give you some
Hi, I am very interested in this kefir. Can it be ship to Singapore. Please advice. Thanks.
Hi
I enjoyed reading your article on your kefir.
I have been taking kefir both milk and water for some time now with my husband.
However I have been researching if it is OK or good to put the milk kefir on open diabetic leg ulcers. I have not been able to find anything on line that says it is ok to put on externally.
Is this something you may know about or be able to find out? I would appreciate your help and input.
Sincerely, Janet
Hi Janet,
Thanks for your question. I haven’t seen research specifically on this situation except on this site: Dom’s Kefir In-Site which talks about taking it internally for diabetes as well as for applying to ulcers:
I think it would be good if you sent them an email and asked them if they know more about your case. If you have a chance please let us know what you find. I think many people would like to know about this. Thanks so much!
Hella
For everyone looking for kefir grains I have very potent dried kefir grains now available via my online store here: http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/hellaD/6164656/dairy_kefir_grains_probiotic_/handmade/edibles/dried
This is an amazing culture which I have had for about 8 years. The dried grains just take a couple days to regain their full potency.
I would like some. How can I get some ?
LOOKING FOR THE MOST COMPLETE KEFIR AVAILABLE.
I´m drinking kefir and I feel better with my digestion. I am recommending it for every people I know. ¿could you tell me if there us any contraindication, especially about respiratory diseases like
asma?
Oh no, it makes my partner who gets asthma never get it. When we stop drinking it as much he sometimes gets it especially if we go and stay in a moldy, dusty place.
definitely helps with asthma as it reduces inflammation,
Love kefir! Thanks for the informative summary. I get to Vancouver quite often. Would love to take you up on your offer of some kefir grains!!
Do you use a metal filter? Thats not good for grains!
Hi Jan,
The reason for not using metal is because the acidity in the kefir grains will react with the metal and contaminate the grains. If the grains are only in the strainer for a few minutes they don’t have time to cause this reaction, also stainless steel doesn’t react as easily as does something like aluminum etc. I have had my grains for many years and they are extremely healthy!
Same here, I have had no problems whatsoever straining my grains through stainless steel mesh strainer.
The problem I had with the plastic strainer was the sharp edges formed by the plastic, which my grains absolutely hated, especially if you use a wooden spoon to stir them around.
I use a SS strainer made of a fine round wire, which is extremely gentle on them.
I notice a lot of people are looking for Kefir grains. You can find a listing of people all over the world willing to share their Kefir from this website:
http://www.torontoadvisors.com/Kefir/kefir-list.php
Check it out and spread the word if you see other people on other sites looking as well.
About treating herpes…. Try using 100% tea tree oil on any affected areas. Works wonders. I suspect it works on both types of the herpes virus. My family no longer needs to buy orajel. At this point tea tree is a lot easier to obtain than kefir grains at the moment. Another remedy to try is hydrogen peroxide, widely available at any pharmacy. Have never used that method bc I’m sticking with tea tree
This is a fascinating article HellaD! I am dying to get kefir grains of any sort… Is there any truth kefir could be mana as referenced in the bible? Btw I am also a Vancouverite.
not sure if keifer is mana but if you get the makers diet, they reference keifer all the time as the only milk we should consume from another animal
i would be very intrested in seeing any u.s. research done on the benifits of water kefir and human health.
thank you
jose moreno
Hi does anyone have any fresh milk kefir grains to share? I would really really appreciate it! I live in Vancouver, B.C. =)
Great stuff! Was fascinated to read about the lactic acid and cancer connection. Regarding making yogurt from kefir, if you give it a second fermentation, ie, after you’ve strained it you leave at room temp for another 24 hours you will see the curd forming and separating from the whey. At this point I put in the fridge for another 24 hour to continue to separate but slower. The result is a thick curd that has the texture somewhere between mouse and whipped cream, and silimar to strained yogurt. This is floating on the whey. Just scoop it off. It is more nutritious and tastes amazing!
Wow thanks so much for the tip Mark Flint — can’t wait to try it that sounds simply divine 🙂
I have some Kefir Grains to share. If you live in Calgary email me
Do you still have some kefir grains.
Please check our website, http://www.buy-kefir.co.uk. The Kefir Company is a company that specializes in selling Kefir products online, which are for personal use. With our high quality Starter Cultures you can make up to 100 liters of Kefir.
You can use the following coupon code, which gives you a 15% discount on your order.
Coupon code: kefircompany4668
Simply enter the code during the checkout process. This code is valid until the 9th of June 2012.
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@buy-kefir.co.uk.
The Kefir Company
Great post! I too was wondering if you still happen to have any kefir grains available to share? I have had a very hard and unsuccessful time looking and can’t seem to find in the Vancouver area as well. I would be very grateful.
Thank you kindly.
Hi everyone, I am having such an overwhelming amount of people requestion kefir grains that I am working on a way to get them to people, please bear with me as I try to figure this out. I will post an update as soon as I get it organised.
Hi hellaD:
I live in Barrie Ontario and I have some Milk Kefir grains to share.
Thanks
Hi Teresa,
I am going to Barrie tomorrow to visit a friend and was wondering if it would be convenient to come by for some milk kefir grains.
Thank you,
Regards,
Mimi
Do you still have grains to share, I live close to Barrie
Hi Teresa,
Do you have some Milk Kefiir Grans to share? if not do you know someone in Barrie ho has the Milk Kefiir Grans
please let me know,
thanks, Mila
Hi HellaD
how do we share our email with just one person and not broadcast it on the entire webpage?
I’m new at this so please be patient
thanks
Sonja,
Yes you are right. This is the problem I am trying to figure out how to deal with. Perhaps we need to set up a Kanada Kefir Konnection facebook page or something. If you have any ideas let me know.
hello I have milk kefir grains to share. they do an amazing job of keeping my colitis under control.
I live in Calgary if anyone is interested.
Hi Sonya
Wondering if you still have some kefir grains to share. I would love to hear from you, I live in Calgary.
Hi,
I have lots, where abouts in Calgary are you ?
I am in Mckenzie Town but willing to go to you.
@hellaD: I would like to know if you can share some kefir grains? if not, do you know where to get them locally?
Hello there,
I just discovered about Kefir tonight and have been reading up on it all and it sounds like something I need to try. I have suffered many years with IBD and am wanting to see if it will have any affect on my condition, so if you have any to spare for me to try I would really appreciate it! I also live in North Vancouver as well, so if you do have any please let me know by contacting me at my email address, thanks! Sincerely, Kate
I also live on the North shore ,T know where you can get some.
Amazing post, super thorough and informative. Thank you for this
Hello,
I was wondering if you still had any kefir grains to share? I have been looking for some for a little while. I live in (east) Vancouver.
I live in toronto and drinking kefir daily,if anyone needs kefir I d be happy to giveaway..
f you can share kefir grains (tibetian milk fungi), I would appreciate. please let me know how I can contact you.
Do you still have the kefir grains available? We could pick it up in Toronto
Anybody knows where to get it in the GTA?
Is Kefir from the Tibetian Milk Mushroom safe for Pregnant women to drink?
Yes! It’s a good idea to introduce it gradually into your diet though.
Hello…my husband I have to thinking we would try some kefir. I have digestive problems and was wondering where we would look for kefir grains. London Ontario.
I just found this website. Are you still looking for some kefir grains. I live in London. I’d be happy to share with you.
Hi,
Would someone be kind enough to spare some Kefir grains for me? I’m in Richmond BC. I can pick it up anytime. Thanks
I am really sorry not to be able to supply enough kefir to keep up with the demand, if anyone can help out please let me know! We need to get some kind of a kefir exchange network going or something here in Vancouver.
Hi,
I am interested in getting milk kefir, and giving them away as I grow them. I currently grow and give away water kefir in Burnaby and I am interested in giving away more.( and I will be getting kombucha soon), We could set something up on Village Vancouver or Facebook if that helps. There is a guy in North Van who also gives away water and milk kefir grains very frequently. http://kefirgrains.info/?m=201205 He is a really great guy. The water grains he gave me are very healthy too. 🙂 Best wishes
hey hellaD and everyone,
I’m just wondering what kind of milk you use for making kefir. hellaD, you mentioned that you prefer raw. i’m on a budget so i’m wondering what kind of organic milk (non-homogenized or raw) would be cheapest to use. where do you all get your milk from? anyone have any other tips on how to save (ex. could i buy organic milk that’s on sale nearing it’s expiry? most of that would be homogenized though…).
thanks!
Making kefir is great as it will use any kind of milk pasteurized or unpasteurized, homogenated or not. Actually if all you can afford is the cheapest kind of factory farmed milk, I would say the only way that you can possibly consume it so that it will be helpful not harmful to your body is by making it into kefir or yogurt. Raw is great of course for the reasons that you know where the milk comes from, what the animals are fed etc etc, so that is an extra bonus. In Canada, for example, I would never recommend that anyone use raw milk for any kind of internal consumption, but if you live in any other country, using raw milk from a local artisan dairy is a good idea.
I am desperately trying to procure some kefir grains for a while now. I’d rather try to get it fresh locally, and would hate to resort to buying dried ones by mail. I can pick up wherever! Pease, if someone could help me out, I would be forever grateful!
Sasha, Burnaby, BC
Dear Sasha,
I have some fresh kefir grains.did you get your requirement up to this time?if no,may I could help you and send some of it to you.
Reyhaneh
Hi Reyhaneh,
I live in Vancouver BC and am trying to find kefir grains for our small family. If you have any to spare, I would be grateful! Thanks, Tobi
Hello Reyhaneh,
I am a newbie and reading up lots on Kefir. I was wondering if you still have some Kefir grains to share for my family of four. Thanks!
I have been drinking milk kefir again for about 4 months, was in full menopause and it pulled me right out, still trying to decide if this was a good thing :). I feel better and better everyday. Before I was in so much pain I could not bare it and I break bones easily, now I just don’t care if I do nothing else but have a milk kefir and don’t ever plan to stop again. I tried water kefir, still trying it but to my body it does not hold a candle to what Milk kefir does for me, I am so thankful for this. And my family is too as I am not near as emotional or explosive anymore.
And I have this since of feeling happy.
Thanks for sharing!
I know this is an old post, but I’m hoping this will be seen! I live in the area and have been searching for kefir grains for some time now. I just came across this post again (I’m subscribed to your blog) and realized you had kefir grains to give away (or sell?). Hoping you still do! I would love to have some. I had some from Cultures for Health, but they never multiplied and indeed the amount seems to be shrinking! I can also only make a small amount at a time, and it’s not really enough for my family’s needs. If you have any to spare, please let me know, thanks! I can come pick up anywhere in the city.
As a health care practitioner I tell all my patients about kefir and sell the grains with the recipe – it’s a wonderful drink – sorts out so many problems !
Hi. Does anyone know if kefir produces d-lactate? Thanks.
thank you for the info on this site. very interesting. I want to let everyone no that kefir mails real well and I have plenty, would be willing to share. of course I would hope they would cover the cost of mailing.
But I love my kefir. it is so satisfying as you drink it. my body reaches out and grabes it. It is interesting sensation. hard to discribe. I tried it with rice milk. It didn’t seem to be as “happy” as when I put it in milk. I have tried to be more raw vegan so I am in conflict as to the use of dairy in the kefir. but the kefir seems to like dairy best. any suggestons from other vegans?? other than getting a goat.
Soy milk works just fine………………..
When I was a little girl occasionally came down with herpes (fever blisters) around the corner of my mouth. My father, who had grown up on a farm, would smear milk over the blisters at bedtime and again before I left for school. This treatment ALWAYS made the blisters disappear within 24 hours and by the time I was a teen I never suffered from them again. This was back in the 1960’s, before cows were treated with hormones and antibiotics and what-not, and we were buying mil from our local diary..
My father said it was because the action of the milk was “souring” (I guess, fermenting?) and it somehow reacted with the acidity of my skin. Scientifically I don’t quite understand it, but I know it worked.
I now culture my own kefir and apply the grains to infections on my skin (works great for acne, too). The woman from whom I bought the kefir is from Eastern Europe and she says that in Bulgaria that is the way acne is treated.
Thanks so much for sharing this with us, I just love hearing these sorts of tidbits! So you use the grains for infections and acne? I hadn’t thought to use the grains themselves.
The kefir cream works great for fungal skin rashes, it works very quickly on that too. I don’t remember if that is mentioned in the article. I usually let about a tablespoon sit out and evaporate for a few hours until it is a creamy consistancy and use it then–so nice!
I recently started using kefir grains to culture coconut water like Donna Gates does in the Body Ecology diet – I really like it like that too.
Hello , i am interested to try kefir, where can i get the grains?
Thanks,
Tina
I have a waiting list for the kefir culture at the moment as it doesn’t grow that fast. I will get back to you as soon as I have some available for you.
Hi, I’m currently looking for Kefir grains to make my own Kefir at home. Do you still have any to sell/share? Thanks! 🙂
I have it! I live in Orlando, Fl
I realize that this is in response to an old post. I live in Apopka and cannot find Kefir Starter since the source of Yogourmet Freeze-dried Starter seems to have dried up. Do you have any starter to spare?
I would be willing to share my kefir grains. Have plenty right now. contact me thru my email. Linda
Oh this is fantastic! Thanks so much Linda! If you ever would like to do a guest blog about your experiences with kefir please let me know!
Linda, I live in Leesburg, GA which is southwest Georgia. I have been searching for someone who has some grains to share. If you have any more to share, I would be grateful.
Thanks,
Calvin
Hi Calvin,
I’ll be traveling to Valdosta, Ga. this summer if you’re still looking for grains. I realize this is an old post but wanted to put the offer out there.
Dear friend,
I would love to get some kefir grains if possible and make them at home. Could you share some with me?
My location is in North Vancouver, BC.
Thank you so much,
Sonia I Garza
Hi hellaD.
Just wondering, have you personally felt any benefits from using kefir?
Hey Michelle,
Thanks for the question, sorry I have taken so long to respond! We had a huge family reunion, good times.
When I first started using kefir I would get diarreaha (I hate trying to spell that word!) almost immediately afterwards so I had so start with just small amounts. Now I use it everyday and I know it if I don’t. It helps with digestion, I often will drink it if my stomach acts up, and I find it helpful if I get migraines.
My health over the past couple years since I started using kefir has improved incredibly, but kefir isn’t the only thing I have changed about my diet, I am also on the GAPS diet and I supplement with probiotics as well as taking kefir at the moment. I also find making kefir with raw milk is a big improvement on using industrial pasteurized milk.
HellaD
I’m from South Africa and would like to know what is this ‘GAPS’ diet you’re referring to?
Hey Marlize, thanks for your question, it stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet. It is based on another diet called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and is a diet that heals your digestive tract and optimizes the level of beneficial micro-organisms growing in your gut. I have more info on it here.
Very informative. Thank you. If anyone has kefir grains that they are willing to share, I would be most interested. I have been using the store bought freeze dried kefir for a starter, but obviously, not the best. I am in Vancouver, BC.
Thank you. 😀
Would you happen to know where I can find real kefir grains in Vancouver? I have tried most of the grocery stores along with Whole Foods and Choices. They have the powdered kefir starter but none sell the actual kefir grains.
What a great article by the way. I am just learning about kefir and this post pretty much explains everything.
I have some!
Would you be willing to sell a tiny amount to get me started? I can meet up anywhere around Vancouver on the weekends or most evenings. If you’re interested feel free to email me to set something up. Thanks!
Hello hellaD,
I also live in Vancouver BC and have been trying to find kefir grains for some time now. If you have any and your live in or near Vancouver, I would certainly be happy to meet you if you have grains to spare. Many, many thanks, Tobi
Dear Elna, i was wondering if you know where I can get some kefir grains. I am near Vancouver (Burnaby) and will go to great lengths to get my hands on a few of those! 🙂
hellaD not Elna…sorry for typo
Great site, however my questions about the video: I’ve always been told and have read that you should never use any metal, stainless steel, etc., products when straining, stirring or storing kefir. The woman in the video is using a metal strainer. Does it really matter? Thank you.
Cultured foods such as kefir and kombucha are also very acidic and they tend to react with various metals, which is why they are traditionally not used with metal. After straining the kefir through a stainless steel strainer be sure to wash the strainer off right away to avoid it rusting. Don’t use other types of metals, especially not aluminum as that will quickly leach into the kefir.
Check out Dom’s Kefir In-Site for more detailed information on using metal with kefir.
Amazing post, super thorough and informative. I just noticed some yeast symptoms so this morning I decided to chug some raw kefir that’s been in my fridge for a few weeks (ok, probably more).
and by the way, awesome, awesome video 🙂
Wow this has got to be the best article on Keifr i’ve see so far! Thank you for this 🙂