19/08/2015
Add Good Probiotics to your body!
Why Kefir is better than yogurt:
"The reason Kefir is superior to yogurt", explains writer Giselle Parker, "is because Kefir has tons more
beneficial bacteria in it. While 500 ml of yogurt contains close to 1.5 trillion organisms, the same amount of Kefir contains a mind-numbing 5 trillion beneficial and friendly bacteria. What this simply means is, a whole lot more friendly bacteria doing lots of good little things to your body that yogurt can't do."
Tryptophan: One of the essential amino acids abundant in Kefir, tryptophan is well-known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because it also offers loads of calcium and magnesium -- both of which are critical for a healthy nervous system -- Kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves.
Rich in the B Vitamins: Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin B7 (biotin), which aids the body's absorption of other B vitamins, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) B3 (niacin), B6 (Pyridoxal phosphate), B9 (folic acid), and B12 (cobalamin). The many advantages of maintaining adequate B vitamin intake range from regulation of the normal function of the kidneys, liver and central nervous system to helping promote healthy looking skin and hair, boosting energy and promoting longevity. It is known that people who experience depression are usually
low in their B vitamins.
Kefir may also alleviate anxiety. Studies have shown that those put on a Kefir diet have consistently had less anxiety. This may be because the fermentation process produces high levels of tryptophan, which converts into serotonin in the brain, thus producing a relaxing effect. (Conscious Eating by Gabriel Cousens, p.736)
Kefir's ample supply of phosphorus – the second most abundant mineral in our bodies -- helps utilize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for cell growth, maintenance and energy.
Kefir reduces cholesterol – Studies have shown that milk cultured for 24 hours with live kefir grains has been found to have cholesterol reduced up to 63% and milk that was stored to 48 hours had up to 84% of cholesterol
disappear.
Kefir kills harmful bacteria: Scientists tested the Kefir in the Caucasus Mountains for any type of harmful bacteria. But much to their surprise, they found nothing. Deep in the mountains where sanitary conditions are much worse than ours, the scientist refused to believe there was no harmful bacteria to be found. Creating a possible scenario that a piece of animal f***l matter would fall into the milk, they injected the E. Coli bacteria
into the Kefir. Within 24 hours the E. Coli was destroyed by Kefir whey’s beneficial bacteria. Kefir has also demonstrated the ability to kill H. pylori infections when bacteria alone could not. In addition, the complex micro flora of Kefir has also shown a keen ability to greatly stimulate our immune system, ward off infections.
This is because when Kefir is consumed as a drink, it creates a healthy mucous lining in the colon, which acts as a good medium to support the growth of beneficial bowel flora which helps to prevent parasitic infections and cancer as well as constipation. This means Kefir is beneficial in preventing many gastrointestinal disorders.
Kefir is a natural antibiotic which exudes bacterial inhibitory factors that prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Various medical reports have shown that Kefir has been helpful in the treatment of psoriasis, eczema, allergies, migraines, gout, rheumatic arthritic conditions, candidiasis and colitis. The World Health Organization has reported that Kefir has been effective in treating tuberculosis and typhoid fever.
Why Store-bought Kefir is not nearly as beneficial:
(Buyer beware of probiotic scams! If it doesn’t say
“made from live kefir grains”, then it is not real kefir.)
Home-made Kefir from live Kefir grains is far superior to the bottled kind you can buy at health food stores. As a matter of fact, the store-bought kefir is made so differently than the homemade kind, that it isn’t real kefir at all, but a weak derivative. Commercial Kefir is made from either a freeze dried powdered form of the culture, or from a culture made from a culture, which means it has considerably less healing power. Then it must be
pasteurized, which kills the living microorganisms. They put additives in it such as "natural” undefined flavors, and then add a little commercial “probiotic” to try and replace what was killed by the pasteurization process so they can label it a probiotic. Totally not the same and not as beneficial as the real traditionally made kefir.
For example: studies have shown that commercial kefir not made with live kefir grains did nothing to lower bad cholesterol, while the real kefir made using live kefir grains lowered bad cholesterol levels significantly.
The reason why is:
The homemade kefir contains billions of friendly organisms per millilitre, and the organisms are alive and actively reproducing right up until the kefir is consumed along with ample amounts of kefiran and variations of the polysaccharide. Commercial kefir does not contain anywhere near the different types of organisms
including yeasts as does kefir prepared with live kefir grains. Certain strains of organisms in the kefir grains cannot be cultured once they are separated from the microflora. Hence, these organisms are not found in artificial kefir-starters, or in commercial kefir. We simply do not yet know how to create these organisms. What their requirements are, and how they interact with the rest of the microflora remains a mystery to scientists and
dairy technologists.
