Does anyone here use Kefir? I’m thinking of adding it in to my diet, but not sure if you’re supposed to drink it straight, or what…
Found this research review on it…
Kefir has been a semi-regular thing for me. I tolerate dairy reasonably well, and I buy into the notion of probiotics being good for gut health. I don’t go crazy, but I just pick up one bottle of kefir (or a kombucha) whenever I go to the grocery store and have it whenever I feel like it that week, not necessarily on a schedule.
I just drink it. The consistency is somewhere between milk and yogurt. You could also definitely pour it over granola / berries if either of those are part of your diet.
I have generally stuck with the plain, whole-milk (full-fat) variety. The few times that I’ve had low-fat, I found the taste less appealing, a bit too tangy. Perhaps the presence of fat cuts the tangy-ness a little bit. I avoid the flavored versions because, as with flavored yogurt or milk, that generally means a bunch of sugar dumped in.
I just read the article you posted…so just a word of caution, that research review is in the “this might kinda sorta have some possible promise as a carcinoprotective agent” zone but please know that is very, very far from conclusive evidence. Couple things to be aware of:
- Publication bias - this is a problem in all of science, but it is ESPECIALLY a problem in the basic sciences. “Significant” findings are more attractive (both from the publishing scientist’s perspective and the journal’s perspective) so it’s possible that a number of studies where kefir had no effect did not make it to publication.
(I know many non-science people who are skeptical that this could have a large effect, but as someone who works in this field and understands the probabilities at work here…if there are enough scientists looking at enough hypotheses in enough small studies, some will appear to show a “benefit” out of sheer chance. If the studies that showed a “benefit” of an agent are aggregated and published while the studies that showed “no benefit” are left in the file drawer, it appears that the agent may have a real “benefit” only because we’ve never published the studies where it didn’t work)
- Many of those were animal studies, not human studies. That’s fine - all research has to start somewhere and animal studies have been a crucial early step in MANY important developments of science. However, there are also many historical examples of things that showed promise in animal studies which never translated the same way into humans. This is partially due to biologic differences and, in all likelihood, also due to the publication bias above (i.e. things that didn’t REALLY “work” in animals but APPEARED to because of the phenomena described above were tested in humans and proven to NOT work in a more rigorous human study).
There’s probably somewhat better science right now behind kefir’s benefits on our gut health than there is on kefir as a carcinoprotective agent. But hey, that would be great…
All of this process-of-science stuff is not a reason to NOT drink kefir, by the way. There’s no evidence (that I know of) that it would be harmful, and it’s delicious (IMO) and nutritious. You could even make your protein shakes with it, they’d be extremely creamy and would taste great. I would just caution that the research review you linked is not very compelling evidence of a carcinoprotective effect…yet.
I make my own kefir and put it in my morning smoothie every day. So many more probiotics in the homemade kefir. I’ve been doing this for two years. This is only anecdotal evidence, but I no longer fart. I haven’t been sick in two years, not even a sniffle.
You still fart.
(fuck this 20 character shit)
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I’m Russian and my grandma made me drink this everyday when I was a kid. Just like American school lunches have chocolate milk, Russian school lunches have kefir. It’s like milk. Drink it, you’ll be strong.
I don’t know how anyone can stomach it. It’s horrible to me. But my wife drinks it. She likes it. Fermented foods in general are useful. It’s probably worthwhile.
Really? I think it’s pretty good…admittedly kind of weird at first because it’s like a “tangy” yogurt.
Quick question - what brand did you have, and perhaps more importantly, was it full-fat or reduced-fat? I think the full-fat is really good but the few times I’ve had a low-fat version I thought it was gross. I think the fat helps cut the tanginess and gives it some creaminess, or at least that’s my working theory.
I like the taste of kefir too. I keep meaning to buy some grains but never get round to it.
I’ve been bedridden the last couple of days with probably the worst stomach bug I’ve ever had. Loaded up on sauerkraut today to try and restore some order to my innards. I much prefer kefir but it’s hard to find unpasteurised stuff.
Sauerkraut is pretty sharp, but it’s a means to an end.
Order the kefir grains and make your own.
Have you done it? Is it quite easy?
Super easy. Put the grains in a mason jar. Add organic, whole milk. Leave on the counter for 24 hours. Strain through a plastic colander to separate the grains from the kefir. Then just cover the grains with milk and refrigerate until you need more. Been doing it for over a year. You can flavor the kefir with fruit, honey, vanilla, etc. I use it plain in my smoothies every day.
cool, thanks for that. Think I may have to finally pick up some of those funky little grains
North Texas Kefir club sells great quality grains and they’ll buy your extra from you as yours grow.
full fat. I don’t like yogurt either. The tang just really isn’t for me. Can’t get over it. I have trouble enjoying most fermented foods. Only a few are really tolerable to me. My wife LOVES them though. Sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, etc. She makes all of those regularly too.
Kefir is one of the best health foods around. Just don’t purchase the fruit kefir far too much sugar. I buy plan kefir something like 8 grams of sugar in 12 oz. I add my own fruit with a scoop of protein powder. Been doing this ritual every morning for probably a decade.
Try Skyr. It’s awesome.
Not even in the same ballpark.
For those that make their own try straining the kefir for a day with a cheese cloth it will get the consistency of cheese, add some salt and add it to other foods. It is awesome.