Why Kefir rules over Yoghurts

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.

I FRIGGIN LOVE MY KEFIR !!!

http://www.kefir.net/kefiryogurt.htm

Would the massproduced Kefir in the supermarket be good/healthy enough?

Misirlou wrote:Would the massproduced Kefir in the supermarket be good/healthy enough?

NO.

It is more like youghurt. So is the 'kefir starters' you can buy on Iherb and elsewhere. And they cant reproduce.

Get the authentic full spectrum live bacteria and yeast colony. Mine is growing bigger everyday. I am sure you can find someone who can pass some grains to start with.

If I, despite your advice, would choose from a industry produced Kefir, what would I want to look for and what would be garbage?

Misirlou wrote:If I, despite your advice, would choose from a industry produced Kefir, what would I want to look for and what would be garbage?

Thats right, it would be garbage.

You kefiroholic!

Why would they call it "Kefir" if it was totally garbage? Should I look for a Kefir with low suger content? Or added bacterial culture?

Thanks for the info CPIO. I was looking at that kit and it suggests using cow's milk or coconut milk. What type do you suggest. They also say near the bottom: "Kefir is traditionally made with cow's milk, but can be made with soy, coconut, rice, goat, or sheep milk (other varieties of milk yield a more watery kefir than cow's milk)". I was thinking of using organic rice milk because I don't have access to raw cow's milk and I don't drink pasteurized hormonal milk anymore.

I am a new to making kefir myself so I dont have much advice to offer, except getting a real living colony and
not a powder culture. Yeah it can be made with a variety of "milks". I add a little organic brown cane sugar to the milk and it ferments faster.

Where would one go to get a real live culture?

hapyman wrote:Where would one go to get a real live culture?

Any day time TV stage show will give you a shot of "Real Live Culture"....

The closest thing I have found is a freeze dried culture on iHerb.com

Maybe I'll try one out and see what type of results I get. This shouldn't be too hard to gauge since there are signs that it is working.

For a commercial product you are better of with Ohhiras probiotic, although it has no friendly yeast species.

Hapy--

I took CPIO's advice and e-mailed Connie. She was real nice and sent the Kefir in the mail today. She said to just mail her $5 cash when I receive it to cover the shipping...no cost for product. Very nice person.

Yeah, her email is in another thread which I forgot .. I did not get my grains from her though but from an exchange student that brought them with her from Slovenia to Copenhagen. I'm sure there are many ways to get the initial grains.

So all commercially available organic kefirs are worthless? If I'm not gonna make my own, would I just be better off eating yogurt as opposed to store bought kefir then?