Growing up, we drank kefir every day for breakfast. It didn’t seem like something out of the ordinary. So I was quite excited to hear about all the many kefir health benefits!
I’ve compiled a list here of the top 10 kefir health benefits. The list is based on the most impressive effects, as well as those that have the most scientific support behind them.
Table of Contents
What is kefir?
Let’s start of the beginning. Before we can talk about the health benefits of kefir, we should first talk about what it is.
Simply put, kefir is a fermented milk drink. But much more than this, it is a type of functional food.
Functional food is, “One that is consumed as part of a usual diet and is demonstrated to have physiological benefits and/ or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions.” (Health Canada, 2004)
More specifically, kefir is a probiotic, which is a type of functional food.
To be exact, a probiotic has live microorganisms in it and when a person consumes this food, there is a health benefit to the person.³
Therefore, kefir is a:
- Fermented milk drink
- Probiotic
- Type of functional food
It originated from the Caucasus Mountains of Russia.
Kefir has been used for centuries in Eastern Europe as a type of health food, for overall well-being.¹
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Is kefir the same as yogurt?
No, yogurt and kefir are not quite the same.
They do have similarities. For example, they are both cultured milk products rich in protein and vitamins. They both have a slightly sour taste and they both improve lactose digestion.
However, kefir has many more beneficial bacteria in itself. Three times more probiotic cultures than yogurt to be exact!
Also kefir has a thinner consistency than yogurt, allowing you to drink it rather than eat with a spoon.
How is kefir made?
Kefir can be made from any kind of milk. Whole, semi-skimmed, and skimmed all work well. Also, the origin of the milk isn’t a problem either. You can use cow, goat, sheep, camel, or buffalo milk.
This milk is put into a jar that has within it kefir grains. These grains are white and look almost like cauliflower.
It’s these grains that give kefir such amazing properties. They are a combination of of bacteria and yeasts. It is these grains that give us the kefir health benefits!
When the milk combines with these grains, the bacteria ferments lactic acid, while the yeasts alcohol.
This combination of milk and grains are kept in a partially closed container for 10 to 40 hours. The temperature is usually between 8 and 25 degrees Celsius. The longer the mixture is kept, the stronger and more acidic the taste of the kefir.
Once the process is completed, the kefir is drained, the grains returned to a new bottle with new milk, and the process starts over.
So what are kefir grains?
These kefir grains are a mixture of bacteria and yeast.
But more than this, the grains are enriched with vitamins such as B1, B2, B5, C, A, K. They are also found to have carotene which itself is an antioxidant, but moreover, in the human body it is converted to vitamin A.²
Pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, thiamin, riboflavin and essential oils that have health benefits are also found in kefir. All of this transfers to the kefir that we drink.²
There are many minerals found inside the grains as well, all of which transfer to the final kefir drink. They include magnesium, calcium, zinc, and iron.²
Looking at the grains from this point of view, they almost seem like a natural multivitamin!
Top 10 kefir health benefits
1. Antimicrobial Action
Antimicrobial means that something has the ability to fight against microbes, otherwise known as bacteria, yeasts, and fungi.
Kefir does this in three ways.
1. Kefir possesses various bacteria that inhibit potentially dangerous bacteria.¹
You may be thinking: so I’m just substituting one bacteria for another one? What’s the point of that?
That’s a fair question and a great one at that!
What we have to realize is that we are full of bacteria, in our intestines, on our skin, almost everywhere. And it’s important that this bacteria is there because this bacteria is “good” bacteria. It helps our body function by helping digest food, aiding our immune system and much more.
However, there are other bacteria that are considered “bad” or infectious. These bacteria are the ones that make us sick. They are the ones that cause diarrhea, strep throat, pneumonia for example.
What kefir is able to do is increase the amount of “good” bacteria in the gut. The main beneficial bacteria in kefir is Lactobacillus.
It’s a great bacteria that’s been found to stop the spread of a “bad” bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus.¹ ² S. aureus is the bacteria that causes some skin infections, pneumonia, meningitis, and other infections.
Therefore, the first way that kefir fights microbes is by having other bacteria within itself that fights off the kinds of bacteria that make you sick.
2. Kefir has special proteins made by kefir’s bacteria that fight off dangerous bacteria. ¹
For example, one of these proteins, called lacticin, fights off E. coli and Salmonella!¹ ² Another peptide called kefiran works against the yeast Candida (responsible for many yeast infections) and the bacteria Bacillus cereus (responsible for a type of diarrhea and vomiting)!¹
Therefore, the second way that kefir is antimicrobial is that its bacteria makes proteins that fight off other microbes that cause infections.
3. Kefir makes small particles that essentially destroy dangerous bacteria.
These particles include hydrogen peroxide, acetaldehyde, and organic acids. These particles are toxic to dangerous bacteria and can therefore destroy it.¹
So to recap, kefir has “good” bacteria within it that overpowers dangerous bacteria. These bacteria create proteins that additionally fight off infectious bacteria. And lastly, kefir has particles within it that are toxic to some types of bacteria you really don’t want to have.
It’s really impressive when I think about it! It’s almost like having a little backup army for your immune system!
2. Anti-inflammatory action
The development of some chronic disease such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer is associated with inflammation in the body. ² For this reason, there has been an increase in the number of studies that have looked at kefir’s ability to decrease inflammation in the body.
Kefir is able to influence our immune system positively.
The bacteria found in our gut is able to affect how our immune system reacts to certain things we consume. By altering the bacteria found in our gut, kefir is able to positively influence how our immune system reacts.²
Kefir may have a role in the prevention of food allergy. It may have this potential in two ways.
The first way is that by coating the intestinal wall, antigens (food particles that cause allergy) are not able to cross the wall to get to the rest of the body. By preventing this passage, kefir prevents the body from developing a reaction to this antigen.
The second way that kefir prevents food allergy is by decreasing levels of IgE and IgG.² During an allergic reaction, IgE and IgG increase.
It is the action of these immunoglobulins that causes the symptoms of allergy. With their levels being low, the allergic reaction is much less severe than it would have been otherwise.
Lastly, kefir may have a role to play in the inflammatory action of asthma.² The active substances in kefir may prevent slow down the inflammatory cells found in the lungs during an asthma attack. By doing so, kefir has the potential to prevent allergic bronchial asthma.
3. Improves lactose tolerance
Many people suffer from the symptoms of lactose maldigestion. These symptoms include pain and gas. This happens when people are unable to digest the lactose found in milk. The reason this happens is because they do not possess the enzyme needed to break down lactose.
A health benefit of kefir is that it is able to decrease lactose maldigestion symptoms (nausea, gas, diarrhea, vomiting, bloating). It does this in three ways.
The first is that kefir travels more quickly through the digestive tract than milk. So there is no time for lactose-related symptoms to develop.¹
The second way is related to all those bacteria that are found in kefir. These bacteria have the enzyme that is needed to breakdown lactose. This enzyme is called beta-galactosidase.
So even though a person doesn’t have beta-galactosidase in their gut themselves, they get it when they drink kefir. Beta-galactosidase then breaks down lactose, and there are no symptoms like gas or pain. ¹
The third method of fighting lactose maldigestion also has to do with beta-galactosidase. Because beta-galactosidase is found in kefir, most of the lactose in kefir, has already been broken down even before you drink it. Therefore, when you’re drinking kefir, you’re not consuming very much lactose as it is.²
Beta-galactosidase in your gut will break down any lactose that you eat with the kefir, or that you have eaten beforehand as milk for example.
4. Anticarcinogenic properties
It’s important to define anticarcinogenic. When talking about anticarcinogenic here, what I meant is the ability of kefir to prevent the activity of a carcinogen (something that causes cancer) or to prevent the development of cancer.¹
The bacteria found in kefir is able to bind to mutagens in the gut. Mutagens are substances that cause genetic mutation, which can later go on to cause cancer. By binding to mutagens, these bacteria prevent the mutagens from crossing the intestinal wall and going on to the rest of the body to cause problems.²
Another way that kefir has the potential to protect from cancer is its role in preventing colon cancer.
Cells continue multiplying and they don’t die like they are supposed to when someone has cancer.
Kefir may be able to prevent this growth of intestinal cells and help them die.²
In this way, kefir may be able to prevent colon cancer from developing.
In terms of lung cancer and melanoma, there have been studies that have shown that kefir fights against lung cancer and melanoma metastasizing (spreading to other parts of the body).²
Although this is very exciting and the potential is well worth the research, we still need more research. Although many studies suggest a positive result, the exact way in which kefir does may prevent certain cancers remains unknown as of yet.
5. Aid in wound healing
When we get a cut, our body sends a group of inflammatory substances to that location to help the wound heal faster and to fight against infections.
The bacteria and yeast in kefir stimulate the immune system. This leads to a higher immune response and helps the body reduce the risk of infections to the wound.
Second, there are proteins in kefir that eventually slow down the inflammatory process to help heal the wound faster.¹
Kefir has also been shown to have the potential to improve eczema, atopic dermatitis and burns. Additionally, it may help in the healing of scars and skin rejuvenation, leading to healthier skin.²
6. Control of glucose levels
Some bacteria in our gut possess a molecule called LPS. LPS is associated with the chronic inflammation found in diabetes.
But what kefir does is that it decreases the number of LPS-containing bacteria in the gut.
Additionally, kefir also increases intestinal barrier function. This means that it is harder for unwanted substances to cross the intestinal wall to get to the rest of the body.²
Therefore, less LPS crosses the gut for two reasons.
First because kefir can decrease the amount of LPS in the gut. And second because it will make it harder for any leftover LPS to cross the intestinal wall to get to the rest of the body.
The result of this is that there is less LPS in the body and therefore a smaller inflammatory state that is associated with diabetes.
Moreover, in diabetes type two, insulin receptors are not functioning any longer. However, with less LPS in the body, there may be the potential of insulin receptors restoring their own function.²
It’s also been found that kefir decreases fasting blood glucose levels as well as HbA1C. For this reason, it may be useful as a complementary therapy for diabetes prevention.²
7. Preventing hypertension
Right now, people with hypertension are usually given ACE inhibitors. You may know them by the names captopril, enalapril, or lisinopril to name a few.
ACE inhibitors block the ACE protein, which results in a lowering of blood pressure.
Kefir may have the same ability to block the ACE protein. So, it may be able to lower blood pressure, similar to the drugs mentioned above.²
Additionally, kefir proteins prevent the body from breaking down bradykinin. By doing so, kefir prevents the blood vessels from constricting and increasing blood pressure. Therefore, blood pressure remains normal.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should stop taking your medication and start drinking kefir like crazy!
The point is to know about the potential health benefits of kefir. Knowledge is key. Knowing that kefir may be able to decrease blood pressure gives you an additional way of looking at your health. It give you an additional way of decreases blood pressure, in combination with your medication.
8. Cavity protection
Streptococcus mutans, a bacteria found in our mouths, increases the risk of getting a cavity.
Kefir has been shown to prevent the growth of S. mutans bacteria in our mouths. By doing so, kefir may protect our teeth from cavities. ²
9. Antioxidative activity
We’ve heard a lot about antioxidants recently. Antioxidants are substances that protect against reactive oxygen species.
In large amounts reactive oxygen species in the body can damage our DNA and proteins found in our body. They are strongly associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases.
Kefir has within it natural antioxidants, which protect your cells from excess reactive oxygen species found in the body. ¹,²
In addition, kefir stimulates the activity of the enzymes of the antioxidant system that are already in our body. These enzymes in our body are already fighting against reactive oxygen species. In essence, kefir gives them a leg up and pushes them to work harder.
10. Decreases Cholesterol
It has be found that kefir may decrease blood cholesterol levels as well as LDL-cholesterol.
Kefir may do this a few ways.
- The bacteria in kefir absorb the cholesterol in food, which stops the cholesterol in food from entering our blood.
- The bacteria found in kefir produce a certain acid called SCFA. SCFA is able to prevent the body from making its own cholesterol.
- Kefir promotes the excretion of bile salts from our gut.
The liver makes bile salts mostly from cholesterol. These bile salts then travel to the intestine to help with fat absorption. After, most of the bile salts are they sent back to the liver to be used again.
However, because kefir promotes bile salts exiting the body, the liver has to continuously make more bile salts. Since bile salts are mostly made from cholesterol, the liver has to continue using up cholesterol stores in the body. Therefore, the body’s cholesterol levels decrease.
What does this all mean?
I’ve been drinking kefir almost since childhood. It tastes like a strong yogurt and I love it!
The kefir health benefits found in medical research are indeed extraordinary! Of course, we still need more research.
However, as we learn more, personally, it’s exciting to think how many more health benefits we’ll discover!
I’ve always considered prevention to be key. It’s so much easier to prevent a disease than it is to treat it. Not to mention how much less stress that is on ourselves.
Therefore, many of the benefits that have been mentioned above are important because they may aid in diseases you already have. On the other hand, kefir may be able to also prevent certain diseases from ever occurring.
And isn’t that something work drinking to?
Have you tried kefir? What did you think? I love hearing from you, so leave a comment below or feel free to reach out to me on Instagram!
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Have a wonderful week everyone!
