Kefir for Health: A Fermented Alternative to Yogurt

Kefir! Kefir! HOMEMADE KEFIR! Can't say enough good about this hug-from-heaven-food! I was overrun with wild symptoms of adrenal fatigue and who knows what else (16 MD specialists could do nothing for me) and then I discovered homemade kefir.

I was so very ill few years ago that I had to quit my job teaching school while I prayed for answers to weird and debilitating symptoms from hives to heart palpitations to absolute fatigue. I am not exaggerating when I say that I put aside over $400 worth of supplements each month when I found kefir. Took about a cup or so a day for three weeks before I felt the changes. At first, felt rather unwell, but I know now that there was a "die-off" of so many bad guys living within and their waste and removal from my system led to this unwell sense for a week or two, then the sun broke through! Truly!

Kefir has so remarkably changed my world that I have actually started business teaching about this food and other cultured foods. Having a ball doing something so valuable, something most weary folks don't know exists. Let's spread the news!

God bless you all. Love Earth Clinic! I have learned so much from this amazing resource. So glad to share what I eventually found to be exactly what my frail body needed. Now, more energy than ever and absolutely med free!! When you understand how the microbes in kefir work in your digestive tract, you might be drinking it daily like this grateful gal. :)

I make goat milk Kefir everyday for the last 6 years. I have been using the same grains I got from a friend who has kept them going for many years. I like to second ferment it after pouring off the Kefir into a jar and using a piece of date or thin strip of lemon peel, leave it on the counter for a couple more hours. Chill. It is thicker (not like yogurt) creamy and slightly fizzy. It's called the champagne of yogurt! Totally delicious and mild. Enjoy!

My husband has made homemade milk kefir for about 4 years now and we are both benefiting from it greatly. I was diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus after many problems and an endoscopy. I started the kefir and went back 2 years later for a follow up endoscopy and they did biopsy's. They found no evidence of the Barrett's that time. I'm due again in the fall for a follow up and I'm hopeful they will not find Barrett's again.

My husband has always had many polyps when he has his colonoscopy. He had 13 one time and several were cancerous. He started the kefir, and 3 years later he only had 4 polyps. His doctor told him to keep drinking the kefir.

I get through the taste by making mine into a fruit smoothie. I put frozen red cherries, blueberries and every now and then add a few slices of frozen banana. Blend it in my nutribullet and enjoy!

*Note My husband has used regular whole milk to make his kefir but we are about to try the organic 2% milk. Hopefully with it being ultra pasteurized it will still process. Also, I drink a 1/2 quart in the morning and he drinks a 1/2 quart in the morning and 1/2 quart at night. Try it!

Kefir and Life Expectancy

During tenth century, some shepherds in Bulgaria accidentally discovered Kefir when they kept goat milk in their leather bags lined with goat's intestine. The probiotics in the goat's intestine multiplied in the stored goat milk. When they drank this fermented food, they felt healthier and energetic. They kept this information as secret. They supplied Kefir starter only to their friends and relatives on condition that they should not supply kefir starter to anyone else and also should not reveal its benefits to other people; otherwise, kefir will loose all its powers.

In the year 1905, Russian Government ordered its scientists to rediscover kefir. Russian scientists went to Bulgaria and rediscovered kefir. Then kefir production started in Russia. Russian doctors gave kefir to tuberculosis patients and people with intestine problems initially. According to the document available in the net " Home remedies that some people have said worked for them ", some people are still taking kefir to cure tuberculosis. Kefir contains about 30 probiotic strains whereas ordinary yogurt contains only 2 probiotic strains.

Russian microbiologist who won Noble Prize in the field of medicine (year 1908) " Ilya Mechnikov " did a study on kefir. He divided the population of Bulgaria into two groups:

1) Kefir consuming population

2) Non-kefir consuming population

He counted the number of people who were above the age 100 in each group. The number of people who were above the age of 100 per 10000 population in Kefir consuming population was very much higher than that of Non-kefir consuming population. His conclusion was kefir consumption increased life expectancy.

My own feeling is if a person takes one half of kefir in the morning on empty stomach for about 2 days in a week regularly, can expect his / her life expectancy to go up and will face less number of medical problems since a considerable number of diseases originate in the digestive system.

Best wishes P. Raghavan.

Bibi,

There is a typo error. It should read as " If a person takes one half cup of kefir in the morning ..." instead of " If a person takes one half of kefir in the morning ...". Sorry for this error.

Some probiotic strains in kefir may not survive in stomach acid. Stomach acid will not be there in the morning on empty stomach. If one takes kefir in the morning on empty stomach, the effectiveness of kefir will be high.

Best wishes. P. Raghavan.

Interesting, I didn't know some people could get diarrhea from kefir. I've been making and drinking a half gallon a day after work for 8 months now with no side effects that I'm aware of other than it calms me and it's delicious. (Which is weird because I am not a sour food loving person, at all, but kefir really hits my satisfaction button) Oh one side effect if you want to call it that is I eat less but I'm assuming the half gallon of fermented milk is replacing about half my normal solid food intake. I'm 5'11" 45 yrs old 185 lb, a little soft around the middle but being a welder and moving steel around all day burns calories. I think my strength has increased because everything is easier to to at work, assuming due to the increased protein intake from the milk coupled with my normal job activities. my pants have loosened around the upper thigh and my belt is one notch tighter lately. Hope that adds to the conversation. Have a good day.

I found a recipe to make ginger ale kefir with milk grains used in water, mmmmgood.

Kefir grains, 2 quarts water, 2 large tablespoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon tumeric, 1/4 lemon, 1/4 lime, 5 thin slices of ginger.

Let sit in dark spot 1 to 3 days.

Every one likes it even though they don't like the milk kefir.

I started making homemade kefir early September after hearing such great results from our Thousand Oaks, California Lisa. I purchased the grains online and used organic milk to make the kefir. I agree with Lisa that it makes your skin look great and your nails grow like crazy! Unfortunately, however, I am one of the few people who react badly to the enormous amounts of what we figured must be tryptophan in the kefir. It makes me unbelievably sleepy and happy-goofy with brain fog. I put up with the side effects for 2 weeks before giving up. I even tried putting the grains in goat milk to see what would happen. Same reaction, though not quite so potent. I had a similar reaction to hyaluronic acid containing inositol that Alfred from Bangkok, Thailand had recommended! Incidentally, the kefir does not have the same effect on my husband, who feels nothing, good or bad, after drinking kefir for the last few weeks. The uniqueness of each person's brain chemistry truly amazes me. I would love my siblings to try the homemade kefir to see if they react the same way as I do. I suspect they would!

On the subject of brain chemistry -- I accidentally discovered that my brain craves B vitamins when I bought a gluten and dairy free chocolate bar with (surprise, surprise) added B vitamins. 2 hours after eating a bar, I feel a calm and somewhat euphoric state set in that lasts for hours. I am also discovering some concoctions of fresh vegetable juice having the same effect; namely parsley greens, celery, apple, lemon and ginger.

Good luck, everyone! Thanks for all your wonderful sharing.

Hi GertJr,

I also consumed the homemade milk kefir for a few years, as advised by a poster named P. Raghavan. I ordered the grains on the internet from a reputable seller. While I wanted the probiotics, I did it as an experiment, also, to see if it reduced sugar for a relative with Type 11 diabetes. My usual blood sugar is about 99, but by using the keifer for several years, eventually brought it down to 82. My daughter informed me that it may be too low, so I stopped taking it. My blood sugar is about 99 again. I, too, had a hard time with the taste, but found it better when mixed with blueberries.

Kefir should be started at a tolerable dose of 2 TBSP and then work your way up as your gut restores the enzymes gradually... I can tolerate two cups a day . No diarrhea

Over the last couple of weeks I've been making kefir from organic whole milk, and enjoyed the results. I've also made some delicious kefir cream cheese. But I've found since having it that my appetite has shot through the roof, and especially a desire for sweet food. I've always had a good diet but have a tendency to put on weight. However, recently lost two stone in weight at Weight Watchers, so obviously do not want to put this back on through an overactive kefir driven appetite. When I stopped having the kefir my appetite returned to normal. Has anyone else experienced this?

I know you will probably not see this but thanks for making me laugh! ;D I mean.... it's wonderful to read 'not many people like my grains' - because I guess I'm like you.... I try to give stuff and generate enthusiasm but it doesn't always work. Thanks again....

I've been fermenting my own grains for dairy kefir for years now and still cannot stand the taste. I've been choking it down all this time for the health benefits, but can't really tell you that I've seen any. I love full-fat plain unsweetened greek yogurt and, occasionally, make it myself at home. Kefir has something like 57 different strains of probiotics; yogurt only has, at most, 5.

So, my question is, what if I use fermented kefir milk instead of unfermented milk for the yogurt? Would the abundance of probiotics in the kefir proliferate in the yogurt? If they stay active but don't reproduce, I could keep on fermenting with the grains and use fresh kefir every time for the yogurt. Any thoughts on this? I have, recently, taken to mixing the kefir into the yogurt and consuming that, but it's not thick as I like it. Or am I totally wasting my time with the kefir since I can't see any health difference? I have ibs-d and insomnia and the kefir is said to help with that as well as with so many other health issues. And, I must admit, when others get sick or have allergies to pollen, I don't so maybe there's a benefit that I'm not seeing.

Also, to ORH, hang in there. If you know Jehovah God, then you know Who wins this battle. Embrace His will and all will be well.

Dear Gertjr,

If you are not enjoying it, have been using it for years, and are not really noticing a benefit, it seems to me that at least taking a break from it would make sense. Then you can see if it perhaps did help. Meanwhile, enjoy your yogurt! :)

I had my daughter on homemade milk kefir (and nettle) for a year. Her health (primarily asthma) improved greatly over that year. She hasn't taken kefir since. She takes nettle once in a while if allergies are bothering her. My point is that she had long term lasting benefit even though she didn't keep on using the kefir.

I don't know the answer to the question of making yogurt with fermented kefir. An intriguing idea, though!

~Mama to Many~

First you will to discontinue consuming kefire for a few days and see the result. Diabetes most often is cause of SIBO, so the main thing you must do is to reduce, even exclude all fats from your diet. It will stop your diarhea&gas immediately. Milk&all milky consist of sugar called galactosa, non -digestion of which, in your case, may lead to serious problems with liver, so as globuls of triglycerides( milky lipids). Make the changes in your diet only and you will avoid al troubles.

Wish you best.

If in the right environment (good quality milk) Kefir grows endlessly. I do not waste the grains ever. I share or eat them. Many years ago the medications I was given caused me chronic Gastritis. Bleeding at both ends etc. No medications helped. Drinking Kefir helped, made me feel better, but didn't cure, until I started eating the grains. Nearly immediately I started to get better and better. By eating Kefir nearly on every day basis I maintain this condition. As I mentioned above, that was 25 yrs ago. I am also using Kefir "very successfully" to treat chronic folliculitis. It brings down the inflammation, reducing itchiness. Everything starts in our digestive system. Kefir and all the goodies in it keeps me in a tip top condition. Prevention is the best cure. I drink it every day. I can mix it with oats/muesly add ice cream, honey, banana and this is my breakfast/dinner, or drink it plain. Finally my wife started eating it as well. Olle! Kefir is my "Doctor Everything", by using Kefir you make THE DOCTORS UNEMPLOYED.

Espetacular, magnifico o kefir. Curou-me varias enfermidades que me acompanhavam desde adolescência, como gastrite, colite ulcerativa diarreia e falta de absorção de vitaminas, minerais, enzimas e produção de hormônios a níveis ajustados.

Dear Sandy,

It might. I think kefir has more probiotics than yogurt but I'm sure that depends on the quality of the kefir and the yogurt.

It would be with a try if that's more convenient!

~Mama to Many~

Hi Merryanne,
I have been making kefir for about 3 months now quite successfully and have been enjoying the benefits even more! I will try to answer your questions.

First, the grains start off small and they are yellowish in color and yes, as they grow, they look like tiny cauliflowers. Those living grains will grow over time and you can then give them to others so they can enjoy the benefits of kefir for themselves or you can eat some of them for even more benefits. You will usually see them start growing after about a couple of weeks.

As for the kefir, it can be different consistencies and that is contingent on time, weather conditions, the amount of milk to grains. I live here in CA so it's pretty warm most of the time. In the 24 hours that I let my grains do their work, my kefir often separates. That's when you see the curd separate from the whey. The whey is the yellow liquid, the white is the curd. I just shake my jar up so it all comes back together and then I strain it into a bowl before putting it in a glass bottle. I drink my kefir straight but people often add fruit, juice, etc for flavor.

As for growing the grains, you want to add a sugar in your milk as well because the grains feed on it. You have to use a real sugar, no substitutes. I like to use blackstrap molasses in mine because my grains really thrive on it and I'm also getting the benefits of BSM as well. If you want to make a useable spread, you can strain the kefir through a nut milk bag or cheese cloth and then you'll have kefir cheese which can be spreadable.

The health benefits are countless. So as not to repeat myself, I have a few posts here on earth clinic in the kefir section and give a couple of website links you can go to to learn all the health benefits. Hope this info helps, Lisa

Dear Amit,

Thank you for sharing your kefir story!

I love milk kefir. I found it interesting that it lowered your blood pressure. I thought I would mention, for those who do have low blood pressure, that I tend towards low blood pressure (90/60) but have never had trouble with it lowering my pressure further. Perhaps kefir, like many natural remedies, has a normalizing effect.

I will have to pay attention to whether or not the most fresh kefir seems more effective. A very interesting observation.

~Mama to Many~

Don't quote me, but I thought I heard somewhere that natural death (as opposed to an accident) starts in the gut.

I have come up with a new way to use kefir, its like making greek yogurt but with kefir.

Use 3% milk to make the kefir, let sit for 2 days, strain off the kefir grains, pour kefir into a towel suspended in a container so the whay can drip off. ( not cheese cloth, to big of a weave ) let it sit on counter for 2 days, after 2 days you will have 1/4 kefir left and 3/4 whey, #1 with the kefir make whip cream by adding sugar and vanila extract, no need to beat, or #2 add salt to taste and spices to your taste to make cream cheese. great on crackers. you can find recipes to use the whey to make several things, I like lemon pie.

The easiest way to drain kefir is to heat it up to around 35-40°C inside and then drain through the cheese cloth or muslin. It drains within a couple of hours, not days this way. I make fresh cheese (Tvorog) this way. All bacteria and enzymes are still intact at this temperature, Tvorog keeps fermenting in the fridge.

Elena

Hi everyone, I haven't written for quite awhile but I wanted to say that my most recent journey has been with kefir. Those of you who know me know that I have been through many of the remedies here on earth clinic and each has been wonderful and beneficial. Still, I am always in search of alternative remedies/ protocols for ultimate health. I continue with my hyaluronic acid, once to twice a week I take apple cider vinegar and baking soda in water in the morning and zeolite once to twice a week as well to remove heavy metals/toxins.

For 3 months we were about 90% raw and had green juices everyday for 10 months. I had been dealing with excruciating pain in my body for 5 years and the juicing and raw really brought that to an end and all within about a week. I continue to not eat pasta or mainstream bread and no dairy. With that, I began to learn about kefir and had been making my own young coconut kefir for about 4 months drinking it daily. Then, I began to learn a lot about milk kefir. I was concerned about it because I had pinpointed the culprit of my pain was dairy so I was hesitant about milk kefir. I did a lot of research and what I learned was that those who are dairy intolerant rarely have a reaction to real kefir. I say "real kefir" because I'm not talking about commercial kefir but rather making it yourself at home with living kefir grains. It has been a little over 2 months now that I have been drinking it daily and have fallen in love with it. The benefits are amazing. Although I saw my skin change with green juices and going raw, I saw it change yet again with milk kefir. I have had melasma for the last 10 years or so and with the kefir have seen it disappear. Also, I notice my lungs feel very strong and when I'm teaching my voice is very strong and I can speak all the way to the other side of the room. I feel steady and calm when I drink it too. My nails grow unbelievably fast now and my digestion is really good too.

When I first started researching this, my thought was, this sounds miraculous but could it be true? The history of kefir is also fascinating. So far, it is proving to be a miraculous food. It contains over 30 strains of bacterias and yeasts that the body needs to stay healthy and strong. It can combat candida and prevent candidiasis. Anyway, if kefir is something that interests you due to its benefits you can google it and find lots of info. There are sites you can order living kefir grains from which I believe is the way to go to truly get the benefits that are claimed about kefir. Don't just get the commercial kind in the store. Also, if you buy the grains, they live forever because they are self-propagating so you never have to buy them again!

Here's to our health! Lisa

P. Raghavan, you wrote, "If a person takes one half of kefir in the morning..."

A half of kefir? Do you mean a half cup? I take 4 ounces of dairy kefir daily for my ibs. I have done some research, but I don't think I ever heard of on an empty stomach. I'll have to try it that way and see if it makes a difference. I usually take it before bed (over 2 hours after my last food) so that I get the tryptophan. I also add turmeric paste to it before drinking. Not so very tasty, but I am blessed to be able to drink it down without actually tasting it.

For those who don't like the sourness, do a second ferment to mellow the taste. (Strain out the kefir grains, then cap the strained kefir milk tightly and let sit on the counter, unrefrigerated, for several hours. If it gets effervescent and you don't like the sparkle then just don't leave it so long. Mine is thick, creamy and not sour at all after 2 hours out like this. Then put in refrigerator.)

Have you ever considered Colostrum for your leaky gut?

I was able to get milk kefir grains on ebay. They worked very well for me. I followed directions that I found online. Making it was easier than any description of the process, by the way.

~Mama to Many~

Hello, I make my own kefir by using an instant pot and 1/2 cup of kefir mixed into 1 liter of milk and set at the yogurt setting for 8 hours, it works well. It gets thick.

Good news. I made my yogurt with about 1/4 kefir milk added to the yogurt mix before going into the yogurt maker. 20 hours latter the yogurt was thickened and I had yogurt that was 400 to 800 times more probiotic bacteria than plain yogurt, plus about 10 times the bacteria strains. The yogurt is vinegary tasting so next time I will us 1/2 the kefir milk. So this means that for those who don't like the taste of kefir can eat yogurt and get all there probiotics since yogurt is easy to make. Next I have plans to make kefir cream cheese and kefir ice yogurt.

I thought I heard that you weren't supposed to use honey with Kefir because it would kill the grains? How many times can you use the kefir grains doing this?

I have been using the milk kefir grains in the water ginger ale for a couple months.

I made the Ginger Ale Kefir, thanks for recipe, it is really good, and I drink it often.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I am using Kefir made from young coconut water. I tried it 2 or 3 months ago and stopped because of side effects. I have started it again and I am having the same side effects - dermititis or some fungal disease on my feet and herpes. Last time my sleep was also disturbed. I take 20 to 30mls a day. Has anyone else had this result and will it pass? There have been good side effects as well - the puffiness around my eyes went, my bowel worked better and I had more energy (despite having herpes regularly which really drain me). Any feed back would be appreciated.

80/10/10 can be googled and it is a ratio of carbs/fat/proteins which has been debunked. Paleo diet is now leading and is based on the latest research (Chris Masterjohn, ChrisKresser).

Don't blame Kefir for your symptoms.

Read about candida on "candida" page. https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/candida.html

You can't cure your symptoms unless you overhaul your lifestyle that includes not only diet.

Planky: I make kefir everyday from organic whole dried cane juice, called sucanet or rapadura, and organic buckwheat flour. If you use white sugar you have to add some blackstrap molasses for nutrients. You probably got kefir grains that were dormant. It takes around 4 days for them to fully wake up. Put 30g sugar in a pint of water. Wait 24 hours. Taste. When slightly sour add another 30g. Repeat this proceedure. When the kefir is fully awake the water gets vinegry instead of slightly sour. Drink. Start the next batch with 4oz. from the previous batch. Bubbles rising to the surface show that the kefir is fermenting. After the kefir grains wake up you can make more than 1 pint. I make a gallon per day. You have to feed them 30g sugar per pint.

Soy is very dangerous for our health unless it is first fermented. You are a vegan and not used to dairy. Start with a small amount of kefir and build up. Being a vegan is also very dangerous for your health.

I am not lactose intolerant, but kefir give diarrhea, but I can eat butter, youghurt, cheese, milk. I love kefir.

It's been great to see all this talk about kefir for this past week or so. I don't remember who posted first but, it was a great reminder of my kefir grains. I had been wanting to go back to kefir making since I've returned to making fermented veggies. Well, yesterday, I dug them out of my fridge where they have been residing in milk for well over a year and a half. I know kefir grains are extremely hearty because of Dom's kefir site but wasn't sure how they'd fair after such a long time in a jar of milk and neglected... Well, this evening, I am happy to say, they are alive and well and ready to make their amazing kefir once again. Good luck everyone in kefir making! Lisa

Kefir grains don't like fridge temperature. Low temperatures disturb the balance of yeast and bacteria in the grains. It is mainly yeast surviving and working after the fridge, that's why resulting kefir may be runny and yeasty. Other lactic and yoghurt making bacteria in the grains are affected and it may take some time for them to develop again. Kefir is generally thicker if made at higher temperature but may lack flavour, due to more yoghurt making bacteria and less yeast working.

Elena

Hi Merryanne, what did you do with the original grains? How you described the way your grains arrived in the mail was about how mine got here to. It sounds to me like you got kefir on your first attempts. What I do is let it ferment for about 24 hours. What you described is what I usually get. I use a 48 oz. Pickle jar, add about 32 oz. of milk maybe a little more. I do not add sugar of molasses. Although I have read you can even use coconut milk, but your grains wont grow. I would use my extra grains for experimenting. If I didnt have time or I didn't use my last batch of kefir I just put the jar in the refrigerator, with the grains in it. I have noticed this seems to make a creamier kefir. When ready I put a mesh strainer over a 1/2 gal pitcher. I take a wooden spoon and gently push the globs of kefir around.

Then all I have left is the grains, they as of late seem to have a slime on them. From what I have read this is normal. It takes about 3 or 4 dumps of the pickle jar to empty it. I think that is where you may be falling short. Putting it through a strainer emulsifies the kefir, so it is like drinkable yogurt. I have heard of people who put the kefir in the blender after they get the grains out. You can do it the way you are doing it but it is much more enjoyable as a beverage to me. I add stevia for sweetener, a drop or two of vanilla. I sometimes put grated coconut in it and stir. I have a coffee sock, that is a cone shaped piece of like cheese cloth that is on a round plastic piece. I use that to pour my unstrained kefir in. I get a whipped cream type consistency ball of kefir. I put that on fruit, or baked sweet potato. Oh you have to fish the grains out before putting it into the coffee sock. I got that in the Spanish store, they use it to out coffee in and pour boiling water through. I also want to mention they say not to use metal when making kefir, utensils or vessels. Also chlorine like in the public water supply will kill the grains. About the only thing that will. I put water in my tea kettle, fill it up. When I am done straining my kefir, for the next day. Like you would let tap water set before adding it to a fish tank. My grains have grown tremendously in a couple of months. I got about 1 tablespoon and have already gave some away, still I have over 1/2 a cup. The amount of grains and milk directly relates to how long it will take to make the kefir.

Hello All

Lowering of blood pressure is the first thing that happened to me after the very first consumption of home made milk kefir( 30 -40 ML). It has a sedative like effect, maybe thats what people are calling brain fog...( actually I experience a kind of sleepyness which goes away after 20-30 minutes). But the blood pressure remains lowered for a long time. This is very good for someone like me who has high blood pressure. I almost dont feel the need for my BP meds but I stay on them to be on the safer side.

Once the sleepyness goes away, the head clears up and feels sharper and more alert.

The skin look and feels better.

My Breathing is better.

(Initially after taking kefir, my sinuses started clearing , a lot of mucous came out. for a couple of days.)

Another good effect of the milk kefir which I observed upon myself was that my acid reflux was GONE! This happened inside 2 days. I have a feeling that taking too much of kefir brings back some acidity. So now I just take about 5-6 tea spoons at a time(1 mouth full).twice in a day and give a break of 1 -2 days after every 5-6 days.

I would recommend taking the milk kefir fresh and directly after straining the seeds/grains. It did not seem so potent when I had it after keeping it in the fridge.So if I want to have it after an hour, I cover it and let it sit in tumbler at room temp.

incidentally the kefir I make comes via a "milk kefir "culture I bought from someone who got it from Australia.

I would recommend Milk Kefir. I think its heart friendly too.Its definitely lowered my Blood pressure.

Google> Dom Kefir to go to Dom's site. A load of Info there on Kefir.

Warm regards ,

Amit Nayar

Hello Deirdre... You probably have made many more discoveries since writing in 2010 all valuable. At least now you know if you ever have trouble getting to sleep what to do... and the rest of us have more proof of it if we use it for that which am just beginning to do. If anyone can ever find book(s) by someone who wrote under the name Gurudas and was published by Pegasus Products get the book - there are details in it that go far beyond what usually we find - the foods you mention, for example - all the esoteric values of them. Have the flower essences book myself - which contains fruits and foods which bear resemblance to their flowers in terms of properties - spiritual, physical, and mental. There is a Spiritual Properties of Herbs book, and two volumes of gem and mineral information - have read them all and signatures having to do with properties and effects are all over. Celery is one: note the stringiness of it which relates to nerves - which it calms.

I am an avid fan of kefir and have been drinking it for almost a year now. I grow so many grains that I have been able to start over 20 people on it. They are starting to call me the kefir lady. We have gotten great results on it in our family. My 11 year old twin daughter has Type 1 Diabetes and getting great results with blood sugars. It is as though her body is trying to work, We also have celiac disease in our family and it soothes the gut and helped heal the gut. We havent gotten sick on this except for mild detoxifying My twenty year old daughter had mrsa and had great results on a natural supplement with no scarring or reaccuring bouts it was scabbed over in a week to the doctors amazement. She did not take kefir but I wanted that info for the mrsa patients.

All I can say is that kefir is part of our daily healthy living along with supplements and all natural antibiotics. Lynn

My very restricted vegetarian diet with sea salt and turmeric, has helped my MRSA boils condition tremendously, but I wanted to tell you I just began making and drinking kefir. After only one day, the wannabe boil which was trying to form on my bottom for over a month, receded and is extremely small now. I bought my kefir "grains" from Mike who is in Daytona Beach, Florida and who does NOT overcharge for the grains or postage as do many people on the net. His website is www.bacteriapimp.com and he also sells on eBay which is where I found him. He has Kombucha grains too, which I have not tried as yet because I am getting used to making kefir correctly. Kefir contains approx. 30 kinds of good bacteria and helps to jumpstart the good bacteria in the gut. Mike gives a lot of good information and he is a truly kind and wonderful caring human being. Anyone can please write to me anytime. My skin is clear now and my energy is back. Is my diet icky??? YES. Does it work to inhibit boils? YES.

I have been making and using kefir for about a month or so and like it drink 20oz or more a day, morning+night. I have recently been experiencing very loose stool and gas. I have high BP and type 2 diabetes. But I take metformen twice a day 1000m for it and stays around 100. For BP I take lisinopril, amlodipine, metaprolol, hydrochlolothiazide (! )

Could any of these with kefir be the source of the diarrhea?

Hello Mr. Raghavan,

I was reading on kefir, also started making it, and having it for week. While reading I came across this site and it was wonderful to read. I have a problem that somewhere within a day or two, I got a very bad pain in my back and it is still persisting. I took pain kill too, as it was difficult to breath..I think I started with a cup..I want to continue...Please if you can give some suggestions.

Herbal,

You may be either allergic to kefir or have infection in the pain area. Find out the problem.

Best wishes,

P. Raghavan.

If you use kefir itself, not the grains as a starter, inoculate milk with a small amount of kefir, then your next kefir will be milder in taste. Kefir made with the grains is actually a starter in the commercial setting, it may have too many bacteria and yeast.

If kefir is left on the bench to ferment more after it is ready (thickened) it will have a buildup of lactic and acetic acid which will eventually suppress the yeast and bacteria. Not really good to have too much acid.

Elena

Hi, thank you for posting. I must know how to obtain kefir starter please...I have suffered so with leaky gut agony for nine years now and tried everything to no avail. Please tell me how do I get/find/make my own starter. Thank you, Connie

What did you exactly feel the first 2 weeks of taking kefir? Did you feel more fatigue, sleepy, lethargic and seem like your symptoms got worse? Did you have fever?

Do you think water kefir would work as well? Did you start with particular brand? thanks!

I am going through the beginning stages now myself, This is about a week in and I have been sore everywhere. I have been feeling like ugh and I was saying this has to be the storm before the calm. Thank you for your comment, it was just what I needed to hear.

Hello Mama to Many,

Do you think home made butter milk also will work in a same way as kefir? Butter milk is made with Yogurt and after adding some water and churning it.

Zahira: I take 1 gallon home brewed water kefir daily. I get more energy than the 120g organic whole flour and organic whole cane sugar I put in. I believe kefir is the most potent of all remedies. The microbes change matter into gases that pulsate at very high energies. The nutrients are more active and available. You are experiencing a detox reaction. I am going to tell you what you must do to get well like me. I went through this myself so I understand this is not going to be a pleasant experience. For 24 hours eat raw organic fruit and raw honey, make green smoothies from organic baby leaves, and 0 fat. Dr. Doug Graham candida at naturalnews says the candida does not eat sugar in the presence of insulin when there is 0 fat. The lifespan of candida is measured in hours. Dieting is not an option because low levels of atp increase the diseased state according to Andrew Kims 3 blogs. Candida eats the sugar in the blood causing low blood sugar and chronic fatigue. Some of the candida dies and the rest hides behind biofilm makes spores and goes dormant waiting for some food. After 24 hours follow the 80/10/10 program. This nourishes the cells and creates an atmosphere where candida does not reawaken. Watch raw food for candida videos.

What do mean by 80/10/10? You didn't explain it very well.

Gasses don't 'pulsate' at high 'energies.' This is your typical bla bla of people without any science education. If you experience problems then I would think twice before taking any of the replies seriously!

Real kefir WON'T give you what you call side effects.

Hello everyone, the kefir consumers,

I have been consuming kefir for the last 6 months. It really has done wonders for me for my bowel.

Please do not use metal utensils when dealing with kefir. It spoils in time. Instead of the benefits you will see ill effects. Metal containers, spoons, strainers and any other metal utensil will destroy your kefir. Wooden, glass and plastic utensils are the ones to use. You will see your kefir grow healthy and you will also take pleasure by sharing it with your friends.

Happy kefir making to all.

Ozmel.

Kefir is my GOD. I use it already on and off for over 25 yrs. I use it for many internal/external problems. Kefir lives/grows "only on full cream milk". I use it as a milk tester. If it doesn't ferment the milk, I know the product might be marketed as milk, but according to my very reliable expert "Kefir", the fluid I bought as milk is only some overpriced coloured water. I did experiment with just about any milk on the market (soy included). It will probably ferment some of the not so good milk as well, but it wouldn't grow on it. The growth factor of my Kefir is an indicator for the quality of milk. If the culture/Kefir grows like crazy, I know I bought a top quality milk. If after the fermentation I am being left with some murky fluid, I wouldn't touch it at all. Treat Kefir as you would treat any food product! It can go off. If it goes off it still doesn't mean it is dead! Strain it and add fresh milk. Repeat the process a number of times. If the Kefir responds and grows, it will revive itself and can be used again with no problem at all. As long as one follows the simple rules of the Kefir cultivation, I never ever met anyone who ever developed or had any health problems or complications caused by Kefir, maybe with stupidity. (There are always some odd ones, mainly because their body just doesn't respond to anything any longer. THE BODY'S NATURAL RESPONS/COMMUNICATION IS ALREADY IRREVERSIBLY DAMAGED BY DRUGS/MEDICATIONS, therefore gives misleading info.)

Kefir should be kept in a dark place, maybe in a glass jar, with the lid lose. Fermentation needs oxygen. Kefir lives preferably on full cream milk. Any type of milk can be used, but the growth and the quality of the culture/Kefir is always an indicator! Time for the fermentation depends on the amount of Kefir, the amount of milk, and the temperature. Fridge isn't a good place. Cold slows down the growth/fermentation. May even kill the culture/Kefir, just like heat can. The best quality you've achieved when the milk is fermented and lightly thickened all the way through. If it separates, you are being left with a level of conglomerate/waterish liquid, and thickened Kefir, smells acid and not pleasant (light lemonish, sourcream smell), you left it too long. Can be used maybe for another condition, but most of the time it is an indication it is off. You left it too long. I definitely wouldn't drink it, or wouldn't offer it to my friends. In my experience the best time is around 18-24 hrs. Again the amount of milk, the amount of Kefir and the temperature, plays an important role. Make sure the Kefir you use is Kefir and not something else. People in Health Food stores should have the knowledge to give you the proper information. Although there is a problem! It grows endlessly, therefore "THANKS GOD" nobody can make any real profit out of it. The legend says it was given to the Muslims by their GOD. A more reliable version says! It originates from the Caucasus in Russia, where the mountain people used to carry their goats milk down to the villages and on the way back the grains they bought down there in exchange for their milk. The two things started to germinate creating the culture called Kefir. Good luck!

Joy from falls, you need to drink water kefir not soy it is made with water and is wonderful contact me and I will tell you how pjaco (at) cox (dot) net.

Water kefir? Are you talking about kombucha? Kefir is made from milk, cow or goat. Goat kefir is available even at some Walmarts.

Stay away from any form of soy unless it is fermented.

Take everything you read with a grain of salt. GOOD, reputable sites to educate yourself, based on the LATEST research are

The Daily Lipid and Mercola.com. If some scientist or doctor makes sense, Dr. Mercola woould interview him. Period.

Hi Paula, I posted not that long ago to someone else looking for kefir grains. When I first started my interest in making kefir, I didn't know better and bought mine from a commercial site. As I would research more and more, I found you could obtain them for free. There are kefir groups all over the internet. I'll post a link to a couple of them for you.

http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/kefir/kefirlistUSA.php

http://www.webaware.com.au/ferment/finding_kefir.php

You can google and find more. Many are willing to just share their grains. When you start making your own kefir, your grains will multiply and you can then share them with your friends and family. I did with mine and everyone really appreciated that.

Also, I made all my kefir with raw milk. It was my preference but it isn't necessary. If you can get raw milk, by all means use it. It's full of real nutrition and healing.

Best to you, Lisa

It is not spoiled. It is just a separation of whey (liquid watery substance) and kefir. Strain the whey, and add some more milk. It is good to use. I have in my refregirator for more than 6 months the kefir grain without getting spoiled. when I need to start a fresh batch I take the kefir grains and use it.Good Health

I have been using kefir for a few years but in the food matters one of the Dr. said milk kefir reacts with the fat and is not good, has anyone else heard of this? Lardiver

I have since found that this was not what the Dr in Food Matters was saying. I am still drinking my kefir and eating the grains. Not too many people like my milk kefir so I have a lot of grains, I keep them in the fridge and change them around now and then. I tried making water kefir but just couldn't get it to work, it did not taste good. some time I will try again.

Thank you for the information, at least now I know the name to the different parts on the stuff in the jug. ha, ah.. But I still can't find the little yellow dots that I paid $4 for. I hope she has sense enough to be ashamed of herself, but I was stupid enough to keep them and not make a scene on eBay. But, I have to say, her grains(dots) made a nice smooth tasting curd, um, I do love growing it, I am learning to grow yogurt, then I may cross some of both my kefir grains and see how they taste, um.. Have a um-my weekend everyone, and be Blessed EC

Hi Deidre - That is really interesting. I was just cruising the internet looking at the Kefir thing and Lisa's posting on it last night. I know a few people who would pay money for those side effects on a Saturday night. Lol (just kidding I think). ;-) I am really wondering what it tastes like. Is it like drinking liquid yoghurt ? Do you think it may have been the infamous "herxheimer" effect? Everything Lisa and the web says about it just sounds so darned good. I am still considering it.
Thanks for the feedback and your experience with it! Carly :)

Deirdre from Atlanta, Georgia, you might try water kefir. I doubt if the water kefir microbes make tryptophan.

Deirdre, The brain fog you experienced from kefir is what Donna Gates, author of the Body Ecology Diet, states comes from an over growth of yeast (candidiasis). Check out her website at www.bodyecology.com - her diet has changed my quality of life by giving me good health back & now I drink kefir without the brain fog symptoms.

I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome a few years ago and I was taking medication for it and they said I was going to have to be on the medication for the rest of my life but when I started drinking the kefir I dont have any side effects from it and I have been drinking it for months. In fact, it totally lowered my blood pressure and it is even getting rid of my pcos and my cysts.