Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Kefir

Donna at Quiet Life asked about kefir.















Here's a little blurb about its nutritional value copied from Kefir.net.

Both kefir and yogurt are cultured milk products...
...but they contain different types of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there. But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match.
Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt, Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species.

It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir, which dominate, control and eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts in the body. They do so by penetrating the mucosal lining where unhealthy yeast and bacteria reside, forming a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and strengthens the intestines. Hence, the body becomes more efficient in resisting such pathogens as E. coli and intestinal parasites.

Kefir's active yeast and bacteria provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy.

Because the curd size of kefir is smaller than yogurt, it is also easier to digest, which makes it a particularly excellent, nutritious food for babies, invalids and the elderly, as well as a remedy for digestive disorders.



It's refreshing to the tastebuds and soothes the lining of my stomach when it's irritated. It's not too sweet like these new-fangled coffee drinks. I tried a Bolton Farms, Vanilla Chai (soy), and I think it's too sweet and too carb-laden.

I never have cultivated a taste for buttermilk, which is also very nutritious. Loads of Southern folks like it plain and with cornbread broken up in it.

What's your favorite *wierd* drink?

5 comments:

  1. My mother liked buttermilk. She was the only one :o)

    I have grown to like cran-water :o)

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  2. Buttermilk is the best treat! I like it very cold with a little salt on the top. And it really has less fat than 2% milk.

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  3. I didn't know you could buy kefir. I thought you had to make it!!

    I don't mind buttermilk.

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  4. I had Cherry Kefir for breakfast.
    I liked it. :o)

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  5. I was surprised how easy it is to 'make' kefir--friends who were visiting brought theirs from NC and after I'd tasted the smoothie they made, I was hooked. Go online and you will find several sites explaining how easy it is to make. However, I'm overflowing and need to share--anybody live near Canton, GA who'd like some?

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