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Kefir: The Not-Quite-Paleo Superfood

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One of the key components of a strict Paleo diet is the complete elimination of dairy products. Unfortunately, this may lead to many dairy-tolerant individuals missing out on some of the most nutritious and beneficial foods on the planet. One dairy product that not only offers a wide range of vitamins and minerals, but also provides a variety of probiotic organisms and powerful healing qualities, is kefir (pronounced /kəˈfɪər/ kə-FEER).

The word “kefir” is derived from the Turkish word “keif”, which literally translates to the “good feeling” one has after drinking it. (1) Traditional cultures have attributed healing powers to kefir for centuries, but it has only recently become the subject of scientific research to determine its true therapeutic value.

What is Kefir?

Kefir is a fermented milk product that originated centuries ago in the Caucasus mountains, and is now enjoyed by many different cultures worldwide, particularly in Europe and Asia.

It can be made from the milk of any ruminant animal, such as a cow, goat, or sheep. It is slightly sour and carbonated due to the fermentation activity of the symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast that make up the “grains” used to culture the milk (not actual grains, but a grain-like matrix of proteins, lipids, and sugars that feed the microbes). The various types of beneficial microbiota contained in kefir make it one of the most potent probiotic foods available.

Besides containing highly beneficial bacteria and yeasts, kefir is a rich source of many different vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids that promote healing and repair, as well as general health maintenance. (2) Kefir contains high levels of thiamin, B12, calcium, folates and Vitamin K2. It is a good source of biotin, a B vitamin that HELPS the body assimilate other B vitamins. The complete proteins in kefir are already partially digested, and are therefore more easily utilized by the body. Like many other dairy products, kefir is a great source of minerals like calcium and magnesium, as well as phosphorus, which helps the body utilize carbohydrates, fats and proteins for cell growth, maintenance and energy. (3)

Kefir has positive effects on gut and bone health

It is a potent probiotic, consisting of both bacterial and yeast species of beneficial flora, and may help protect against gastrointestinal diseases. It has also been demonstrated to improve lactose digestion in adults with lactose intolerance. (4) In addition to providing the gut with healthy symbiotic microflora, many studies have also demonstrated the anti-fungal and antibacterial properties of kefir. (5) Certain bacteria strains from the kefir culture have been shown to help in treating colitis by regulating the inflammatory response of the intestinal cells. (6)

As we know, vitamin K2 is one of the most important nutrients that is greatly lacking in the American diet, but there are some vitamin k2 food sources.  (7) Vitamin K2 is a product of bacterial fermentation, so kefir is a likely a good source of this nutrient, especially if made with milk from pastured animals. (8) Vitamin K2 plays a key role in calcium metabolism, where it is used to deposit calcium in appropriate locations, such as in the bones and teeth, and prevent it from depositing in locations where it does not belong, such as the soft tissues and the arteries. (9) Since kefir is high in calcium and phosphorus and also contains vitamin K2, drinking kefir is likely beneficial to bone health, providing the essential minerals needed for bone growth as well as the vitamin K2 needed to effectively deposit those minerals in the bone.

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Kefir modulates the immune system

Certain compounds in kefir may play a role in regulating immune function, allergic response, and inflammation. One study found that kefiran, a sugar byproduct of the kefir culture, may reduce allergic inflammation by suppressing mast cell degranulation and cytokine production. (10) Another study found that certain bacteria in the kefir culture inhibited IgE production, helping to moderate the body’s allergic response. (11)

Research has also demonstrated that kefir may have an anti-tumor effect. In one study, kefir consumption inhibited tumor growth and induced the apoptotic form of tumor cell lysis, suggesting that kefir may play a role in cancer prevention. (12) When applied topically, kefir and its polysaccharide compounds have even been shown to be effective antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents for improved wound healing. (13)

As kefir clearly has a wide variety of health benefits, you may be interested in including this fermented dairy beverage in your diet. Cow, goat, or sheep dairy are all good choices, and all types of kefir are generally very low in lactose. Raw milk kefir would be the ideal choice for anyone looking for maximum nutritional quality, but may be challenging for most consumers to find.

Kefir is becoming more mainstream for health-conscious Americans, so you may be able to find full-fat, plain kefir at your local grocery store. Look for a brand with minimal additives and extra ingredients. Good commercial products include Redwood Hill Farm’s Traditional Goat Kefir and Lifeway’s Organic Whole Milk Plain Kefir.

Making your own kefir at home

Finding high quality kefir at your local store may not be an option for you. In this case, you can make your own kefir at home. Making kefir is surprisingly simple, and Cheeseslave has a great instructive blog post on how to make kefir at home. You can buy kefir grains online at sites such as Culture for Health, and provided you take care of the culture, it should last indefinitely. Making kefir from raw dairy products is ideal, but if you don’t have access to raw dairy, you can use organic full-fat dairy, preferably from a grass-fed animal. For those who cannot tolerate any form of dairy, kefir can be made from coconut milk, coconut water, and even just sweetened water, which will provide many of the benefits found in dairy kefir.

Kefir is a great source of vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and a variety of other unique compounds that can greatly contribute to your overall health and wellbeing. I highly recommend including this nutritious superfood in your diet, even if it doesn’t fall under strict “Paleo” guidelines!

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567 Comments

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  1. I love the definition of the word, “feel good” after one drinks it, because kefir is one food that I notice how good I feel after I have it. Almost like I can feel it go through my body.

    My question is about dairy and auto-immune diseases. I’m not understanding why dairy is to be removed when one develops an auto-immune problem. Especially with something like kefir that can restore good gut bacteria.

  2. chris, i’m hoping to hear your opinion on store bought vs. homemade kefir. would you agree with lisatruitt’s comment above? also the debate between kefir grains and a powdered culture. any comments on body ecology’s culture?
    i’m also wondering about the casein content. i’m in the process of getting off dairy for awhile to see how i feel, not sure if i need to include staying off kefir for this analysis, or just milk and cheese.

    • lisatruitt’s comment is very much what I’ve read when I extensively researched kefir…and finally decided that to get the full probiotic benefits I would need to make my own. The powdered culture supposedly will not keep producing forever while kefir grains when properly cared for (they are alive) will last a lifetime and multiply.

  3. Chris,
    I’m a big kefir fan but I find that even fermented dairy gives me some acne. Do you recommend eliminating it altogether or is there another way to mitigate this effect?
    Thank you for all of your excellent advice.

  4. Commercial kefir is nowhere near being as beneficial as real kefir. Real kefir made from living kefir grains that reproduce and increase in number, the kind that are all descendants of the ones used by the original kefir makers in the causasus mountains, is illegal to sell. Real kefir has between 40 and 60 beneficial strains where powdered factory made has less than dozen. Commercial kefir is a fabricated food. I have used both. The real stuff healed my colitis. The fake stuff didn’t. I make my own from real grains.

  5. would commercial kefir be pasturized, and therefore have killed off the beneficial probiotics?

    • not always, since it’s generally marketed toward the more health-conscious, however, check the label to see if it says pasteurized on it. If it says “live and active” cultures it’s probably not pasteurized (though the cultures could I guess have been added after pasteurization. . . you’d still at least be getting the probiotics though)

    • The milk in commercial kefir is pasteurized, but the fermentation of the milk (i.e. turning it into kefir) is what adds probiotic microorganisms to it.

  6. Can you simply state who should restrict or avoid kefir? Yeast-sensitives, casein sensitive, any others?

    I’m not dairy sensitive (likely due to my scandinavian heritage), but I’ve dialed back my dairy intake while on Paleo except for some cheese now and then. I’ve been looking for a good way to bring in some probiotics into my diet so I’m tempted to try kefir.

    • People who are casein intolerant often need to avoid it, but some seem to tolerate it okay. Same for people with yeast issues. There’s no black or white here – experimentation is key.

      • I’m curious to hear more about whether and when kefir is good for people with yeast issues?

        (After a bumpy start, I tolerate home-fermented kefir well, but now after two months I just found out I have esophageal candidiasis. Really hoping that wasn’t caused or exacerbated by the kefir but rather that it would have been much worse without it.)

        • Hi N.E.

          Have you tried ACV; garlic; raw organic honey? http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/articles/art_cidervingarlichoney.html

          Also, you can try a tincture of wormwood and black walnut dropped into warm water sipped very slowly so that it coats the throat/esophagus. Vitacost has a good brand: Nature’s Answer. I also buy my organic raw honey from them for a very reasonable price. I use the YS eco bee farms brand but there are others…..

          Best,

          Jen

  7. I have been diligently and desperately looking for ways to heal my gut, and fermented vegetables and Kefir have been suggested to me. I am grain, lactose and fructose intolerant. I have not been able to find any brand of enzymes or probiotics after many years of trying that don’t cause more gut problems and a migraine. I was hoping a real food might be tolerated. Should I try Kefir if I am lactose, fructose and grain intolerant???

    • Hi Suzanne,

      I’m fructose and grain intolerant and borderline lactose intolerant, and I can tolerate homemade kefir very well. (I sometimes have trouble with the store brands because they add either sugars, have lactose remaining, or contain fructo-oligosaccharides.) You might try making your own and doing a long ferment (I do a full 48 hours). Just be very slow adding it to your diet — really start out with a teaspoon and work your way up to a cup! It’s a lot of probiotics to handle at once.

    • i read that people who cannot tolerate lactose arent eating enough greens. Have you tried chlorophyll

  8. My son suffers from migraines. I recently had him tested, and he is gluten intolerant and his gut is impaired. His MRT150 results reveal that he does not react to cow’s milk. For a while I’d been giving him fermented vegetables daily, but I backed off from that in case he was not tolerating fermented foods. (I’d read about this but can’t find the article anymore). I’d like to re-introduce fermented vegetables, and also kefir, and anything else to help heal his gut. How can I determine if he’s a person whose migraines are worsened by fermented vegetables and dairy – anything to look for in his MRT150 results? Or simply give it to him and see how he reacts?

    • Sarah:

      The major players in Migranes are: Cow’s milk, Wheat, Chocolate, eggs (whites and/or yolk) and oranges. With youngsters you may suspect a “Leaky Gut Syndrome” which will perpetuate any food to trigger an immune system response. Look at his eyes (Shiner’s sign) which is a darker circle underneath the eyes. This is not from lack of sleep, but from a constant irritation of the small intestine caused by foods. You are ahead of the curve since the MRT 150 is very accurate and measures the IgG (long term effect 2-72 hours) after the ingestion of a food.
      Consider:
      Step 1: Remove
      Toxins in food
      Gastric irritants (e.g., caffeine, alcohol, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
      Food allergies, sensitivities, or reactions
      Chronic low-grade infections in the gut (e.g., yeast and parasites)

      Step 2: Replace
      Stomach acid (or stimulate stomach acid with bitters)
      Digestive enzymes
      Step 3: Reinoculate
      Restore beneficial bacteria to reestablish a healthy balance of microflora in the gut (Kefir is the best).
      Step 4: Repair
      Provide nutrients to heal the gut wall or lining. (Glutamine is best)
      Support the immune functioning of the gut.

      Hope this helps.

      Joel

  9. Chris, I always enjoy your posts and learn something new from each of them; thanks! I’ll just add to what you’ve already said that for those on a GAPS diet and/or who are very sensitive to lactose/casein/dairy in general, fermented on the counter for an additional 24 hours after straining, and removing, the grains often helps. I’ve known several people who find they need to do this, but definitely do benefit from the kefir. Like you mentioned, a lot of people do water, coconut, young green coconut water, etc. kefir. But I’m with you-you can’t beat the nutrients from the dairy variety! Besides, I’m of the persuasion that dairy has been a part of many people’s diets way far back, perhaps from the beginning…

    • Yes, i totally agree with you, and why wouldn’t they drink the milk from cows and sheep and goats, its silly to think they wouldnt have.

  10. I also would like to know if the casein is predigested or altered in a manner that would make it not problematic for those of us with casein problems. Lactose doesn’t bother me.

  11. I would also love to know if the kefir is less insulinogenic than regular milk. If so, I might give it a try.

  12. I usually get a stomach upset when I drink raw milk kefir by itself. However, I’ve discovered that if I mix a raw egg into the kefir, I can tolerate it very well.

  13. I *love* dairy kefir, but a few years ago I became so intolerant of dairy (even ghee) that I switched to water kefir. Recently, I had occasion to go off of water kefir for a few days and noticed that I felt much better. I added it back in, got worse, removed it and got better. I am very sensitive to yeast. Do you suppose that I am sensitive to the yeasts in water kefir? Is there anything that can be done to overcome my yeast sensitivity? I don’t tolerate komboucha at all because of the high oxalate level of the black tea and I even have problems with sauerkraut.

    • Have you tried kombucha with green tea? That is how we brew ours, though it sounds like you may be sensitive to the yeast in kombucha.

      • Thanks for the idea, but I can’t tolerate green tea either because of the caffeine content. I can’t tolerate even decaf green tea or coffee. I brew roasted chicory root “coffee.” It is actually a caffeine free tea. Do you suppose it would work for kombucha? The yeast might get me anyway, but I might try it.

        • ReneeAnn, you may be salicylate sensitive. I’m too, and sadly cannot tolerate any camellia sinensis – black, green or oolong teas, whether decaffeinated or not. Camellia sinensis is very high in salicylates.
          (lots of info down at salicylatesensitivity.com)

          Interesting you should mention you don’t tolerate Kefir well: same here, though I tend to add it to my regime every once in a while, assuming it is good, and because I like it so much. I do better on (sheep) yogurt, actually.

            • Antonio, I haven’t but only because I can’t find it here – neither sheep milk nor sheep kefir. Only sheep yogurt and sheep cheese are available (Houston), both of which I do eat. I’ll probably tolerate it much better than goat and cow kefir (and I bet it tastes great).

  14. Hey Chris,
    Nice article. I’ve got a gallon of kefir brewing on the counter as we speak:) In the article you said Kefir is a good source of ‘folic acid’ (the cancerous man made chemical). I’m sure you mean to say folate.

    • Hi Greg,

      I think that Chris already corrected himself in a past post above.

      I take certified organic folic acid made from lemon peel extract by Futurebiotic. The only additives listed are rice maltodextrin; rice concentrate; and rice extract. It seems that you are pretty familiar with supplements. Any thoughts on this one? I have recently been very careful with what supps I buy and the fillers/additives in them.

      Thanks 🙂

      Jen

  15. Chris – how long do you normally ferment your dairy kefir? My assumption is that the kefir grains are fermenting the lactose sugar and after 24-36hrs most of the fermentation should have happened take place… leaving little to no lactose. Have you seen any research or indications that most of the lactose would be gone? Thanks!

    • Hi Steve,

      Over on Dom’s Kefir site he has some research suggesting that 24/36-hour kefir has <1% lactose. We do ours for about 24 hours.

    • Also just like most fermenting processes, ambient temperature plays a huge roll in the time it takes to ferment completely. However, the longer you ferment, you run the risk of killing some of the grains. A great trick I have been doing for years is letting the kefir ferment to a point, removing the grains, and then letting it sit for another 12 hours or so without grains.

      • What do you do withh te grains after removing for 12 hrs? Put in jar in fridge with a little milk?

  16. Hi Chris

    Great article. I have one question. A few of the Kefir brands I see add FOS to their product. I have read that companies add this to probiotic food to help “feed” the good bacteria. Is there any truth to that? It seems like it is sugar that could help feed that bad bacteria.

  17. mamatha-
    i have tried kefir knowing the benefits; but really struggled with the results (the good offered outweighing the bad symptoms i got)… too many gastro side effects for me… even leading to migraine!

    i am coureous as to how Chris answers your question….
    and if i possibly was simply not drinking a ‘high quality’ enough brand….

  18. I love eating kefir the times I have tried it. So thick, creamy and yummy. I love making it and seeing it on the counter and watching it ferment. Too bad my body reacts and doesn’t have the same idea about “love” that my brain and emotions have!! 🙁

    Becky
    WholeandWell.com