You might have just started noticing kefir milk or have already been seeing them for a while. In any case, it's in the dairy section and we got very interested. What is kefir milk? Is it good for you? Does it even taste good?
Kefir milk is a fermented milk drink made from kefir grains, live bacteria, and yeast. It's name comes from the Turkish word, "keyif," which means "good feelings" because it made people feel good when they drank it. Kefir milk is also believed to have originated from the Caucasus Mountains region between Eastern Europe and Asia.
The drink comes in different forms and flavors. It can be made with cow's, sheep's, or goat's milk and can even be made non-dairy with oats or coconut milk. Kefir milk naturally has a tangy taste like drinkable yogurt but also tastes carbonated because of the fermentation process. Some producers have even added flavored to their kefir like strawberry, vanilla, and pumpkin spice.
Does kefir milk have any health benefits? Well, much of it's known health benefits come from the nutrients it contains like B12 vitamins, calcium, protein, vitamin D, and potassium, to name a few. These nutrients are linked to numerous health benefits based on tons of scientific and medical studies. So, the short answer is yes - kefir milk is nutritious.
Is it better than low fat milk? Maybe. It's lower in lactose than milk so that's great if you're lactose sensitive or intolerant. It can also be made of non-lactose ingredients. But, lactose and nutritious are two different things. Is kefir more nutritious? Hard to say. Milk, and even yogurt drinks, have wonderful benefits of own. Plus, each person's overall diet may pair better with one drink over another.
Does the fermentation, live bacteria, and probiotics make kefir the better choice? Maybe. Studies are linking probiotics and live bacteria to a wide range of benefits that include weight loss to lower cholesterol. They're supposed to promote good gut health that might be a critical factor to promoting even more health benefits. Studies are still on-going. Nothing is absolute but signs are pointing in the positive direction so far.
Our final thoughts? If you like the taste, add it as another drink or ingredient to your full diet. Nothing we've found has compared it to being bad for you like a can of soda. But then again, we don't see anything saying that it's a must-have, everyday nutrient either. We look at it as a great alternative if you want to try a new flavor and want something that helps your body more than it hurts.
Cheers to your health! =)
Interested in Reading More? Here are a few quick links...
Kefir milk is a fermented milk drink made from kefir grains, live bacteria, and yeast. It's name comes from the Turkish word, "keyif," which means "good feelings" because it made people feel good when they drank it. Kefir milk is also believed to have originated from the Caucasus Mountains region between Eastern Europe and Asia.
The drink comes in different forms and flavors. It can be made with cow's, sheep's, or goat's milk and can even be made non-dairy with oats or coconut milk. Kefir milk naturally has a tangy taste like drinkable yogurt but also tastes carbonated because of the fermentation process. Some producers have even added flavored to their kefir like strawberry, vanilla, and pumpkin spice.
Does kefir milk have any health benefits? Well, much of it's known health benefits come from the nutrients it contains like B12 vitamins, calcium, protein, vitamin D, and potassium, to name a few. These nutrients are linked to numerous health benefits based on tons of scientific and medical studies. So, the short answer is yes - kefir milk is nutritious.
Is it better than low fat milk? Maybe. It's lower in lactose than milk so that's great if you're lactose sensitive or intolerant. It can also be made of non-lactose ingredients. But, lactose and nutritious are two different things. Is kefir more nutritious? Hard to say. Milk, and even yogurt drinks, have wonderful benefits of own. Plus, each person's overall diet may pair better with one drink over another.
Does the fermentation, live bacteria, and probiotics make kefir the better choice? Maybe. Studies are linking probiotics and live bacteria to a wide range of benefits that include weight loss to lower cholesterol. They're supposed to promote good gut health that might be a critical factor to promoting even more health benefits. Studies are still on-going. Nothing is absolute but signs are pointing in the positive direction so far.
Our final thoughts? If you like the taste, add it as another drink or ingredient to your full diet. Nothing we've found has compared it to being bad for you like a can of soda. But then again, we don't see anything saying that it's a must-have, everyday nutrient either. We look at it as a great alternative if you want to try a new flavor and want something that helps your body more than it hurts.
Cheers to your health! =)
Interested in Reading More? Here are a few quick links...
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318353#health-benefits
- https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-kefir-1328433
- https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-kefir
- https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-what-is-kefir/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/kefir
- https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/food/healthy-eating/a29773308/kefir-benefits/
- https://www.eatthis.com/kefir-benefits/
- https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a40655426/what-is-kefir-benefits/