Friday, February 22, 2008

What is Kefir?

Kefir is a fermented food made from milk. It is rich in beneficial yeast and bacteria. These friendly micro-organisms play an important role in our digestion, help balance our “inner ecosystem” and are useful in building immunity or regaining health. Kefir contains minerals and essential amino acids including: tryptophan (relaxing effect on nervous system), vitamin B12, vitamin B1, and vitamin K. It has a tart taste, similar to drinking yogurt.

Without sufficient friendly bacteria and yeast (also called “flora”), the “unfriendly” ones take over our system causing poor digestion and limiting our absorption of nutrients. This leads to nutrient deficiencies and is expressed through a variety of symptoms including headaches, depression, skin rashes, food allergies, joint and muscle pain, menstrual irregularities, digestive problems, environmental sensitivities, and other immune related disorders.

Kefir is different from yogurt in that it contains beneficial yeast and bacteria. Yogurt contains only beneficial bacteria.

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. He is an expert in the field of Nutrition and Erectile Dysfunction. His office is in Thiensville, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

2 comments:

dhan said...

whether the difference between kefir and yogurt?
Which is better between them?
It looks very tasty

Bernard Rosen, PhD said...

Both are fermented dairy products. Kefir is generally thought of as "drinkable" yogurt due to its consistency. The main difference is that kefir has both beneficial bacteria and yeast, while yogurt typically just has bacteria. Kefir is often used when battling candida.