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?
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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Chris – thank you for such a wonderfully informational post on Kefir! I just bought my first goat milk kefir and am loving it!
Charlotte
I can’t get raw milk where I live, sigh. Would Kefir be worth doing if the only milk I can get is the pasteurized milk at the store?
Renee, I have been making Kefir for many years using pasteurized organic milk. There are differing views of making kefir using raw or pasteurized milk. Some think that using raw milk will have competing enzymes with the kefir grains and others believe that is is not a big deal. Some people use pasteurized milk because they are concerned with bacteria from the raw milk. It is up to you. If you know someone with a cow or have access to fresh raw milk then use it. If you don’t feel comfortable with using raw milk or don’t have access to it use pasteurized. Personally I use pasteurized milk with no issues it tastes great and never fails to do its thing.
Thanks, Deanna. I ended up getting kefir grains and trying it with the pasteurized milk and it’s working great. 🙂
Hello Chris.
I have Eczema. Just started talking kafir about 2 weeks ago.
Plus with my lifestyle changes of healthy eating am now experiencing a healing crisis. I suppose with the introduction of this super food the detox reaction and the dying off of the bacterial is more pronounced. .
What is your view on this, and how much kafir sould l consumed a day.
Hello Chris. Would milk kefir be suitable for eczema? As I understand dairy products, and therefore milk is not encouraged in the diet. What are your views on this?
I value your advice on this. Also I note that with the consumption of milk kefir, the healing crisis would be more dramatic. Please advise. Thanking you in anticipation.
Hi Chris really Kefir is the superfood!!We love the way you explain and make everything so easy to understand.We hope is ok to copy and paste some of your info about yogurt Kefir in our website We personally take Kefir and we had suggested to many of our clients and they have seen the difference,ps let us know if is there a problem and we take your post off and use our personal experiences with kefir. thanks
lumascolonics.com
I know several people have already asked this but received no answer so I will ask again and hope Chris or someone else might have some commentary…
Is it safe/ beneficial to eat the actual kefir grains themselves?
Thank you!
Yes. The bacteria count in the grains are much much higher compared to the actual milk kefir. Start slow if you want to eat the grains. Eating a teaspoon and for some people, up to a tablespoon at a time sometimes will help populate your gut even more.
Can it help with constipation????!
Aubrey. – You could be deficient in Magnesium I would take two 400 mg tablets one in the AM, the other in the evening. Magnesium Citrate or better Magnesium Chloride more bioavailable – from Alta-.
Ancient Minerals is a company I get topical applied magnesium from. It is a liquid. You can take more because it is applied topically and bypasses the stomach. Too much of taking it internally causes loose stool.
Could normal fermented raw grass fed milk have similar benefits to kefir? Anybody have a clue?
What if you already take a probiotic supplement? I use one from Kirkman that is refrigerated. Can you consume too much probiotic?
Hi! 🙂 I have two questions,and I hope you could answer to me 🙂
1.How long can I use Kefir safely ? Can It cause any harm to my body if I use it for a long time(more than 6 months for example).
2.Does it have any serious side effects ?
Where in the United States can I find Kefir?
I am in NC where are you?
Derrick, just ask the Weston Price chapter leader who is closest to you. Their role is to connect people with local high quality food sources and they will probably be able to find you some kefir grains for free. Most people who make kefir have extra grains since they multiply over time.
Here’s the link to find your nearest chapter leader:
http://www.westonaprice.org/local-chapters/find-local-chapter
This page has a couple of links to different places where you can purchase kefir grains (water or milk) or even get them for free:
http://www.yummykefir.com/get-milk-water-kefir-grains
You can also buy premade kefir from the store (big chain grocery, health food stores, etc) but it does not have as many probiotics as what you can make at home. It is also much cheaper to make from home. (1 quart non-organic kefir is around $3-$5, as opposed to one gallon organic milk is around $6 which will make almost 4x the amount of kefir. Better price and better milk, and more probiotics.)
I have Aids, Hep B Wild Tangent, Hep C and I am currently in remission with lymphatic cancer. I have been making my own Kefir and I’m feeling great from it. I’m not able to find information about medication concern while taking Kefir. This would be a great show idea. This is the site that I found good information (http://chriskresser.com/kefir-the-not-quite-paleo-superfood/print/). Filer Smith @ 206-387-9666 (Cell Phone). You are welcome to call my cell phone directly too.
Hi,
I have been taking Kefir for about a month, however as I have casein intolerance,
I have been getting gassy & pains in the stomach, would fermenting for longer decrease,
increase or have no affect on the casein levels?
Hi,
well I have been drinking kefir at least 3-4 times a week for several years now. I play football competitively and, although not blessed with the greatest touch, I do outrun every one (same age) with ease. I also don’t get the same injuries everyone else does and when I do get hurt I heal very quickly. Its extremely easy to be better than the rest, because most of them will eat crap even when they know better… but kefir truly is one of those foods that give you that super edge.
I think the probiotic aspect is overplayed in my opinion. For me Its not about being an innoculant (we should all have that gut-flora already) but more about consuming vast amounts of highly absorbable nutrients – minerals and vitamins. Those you DO NOT get from a bit of sugar, couple of strawberries and water (water kefir). If you want to get the most out of milk kefirf, in my experience, drink at least a pint made from the highest quality milk you can find every day, not forgetting to consume the grains and lots of them. It can and should, IMO, replace meals when drunk in sufficient quantity.
If professional athletes are taking kefir I suspect that none of them would talk about it for fear of helping the competition. In fact if you look into the history of kefir, this is the reason the shepherds of the Caucasus mountains kept it to themselves for milenia. Google “dom’s kefir’ for the most well researched kefir information available. Like everything else, pay attention to how it was consumed traditionally!
My experience is like yours, Mark. I wonder if someone who needs it can overdo it with a daily gallon of pastured raw goat milk kefir when in conjunction with a diet heavy in veggies? I want more, feel so good on the stuff, like I’ve got my life back after (I know athletes drink a lot of milk so don’t make me feel a glutton)! 3 gallons in 6 days. I wonder if I can be overdoing it?
Thanks.
Thanks for all the information on kefir. I love it and drink it every day. It’s easy to make and if it separates into curds and whey, I just give it a shake after I’ve strained off the grains.
Roxanne, two things. First and foremost, I would suggest making the homemade, raw cow or goats milk formula for which you can find the recipe here:
http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/recipes-for-homemade-baby-formula?qh=YTo2OntpOjA7czo4OiJob21lbWFkZSI7aToxO3M6NzoiZm9ybXVsYSI7aToyO3M6ODoiZm9ybXVsYXMiO2k6MztzOjk6ImZvcm11bGEncyI7aTo0O3M6ODoiZm9ybXVsYWUiO2k6NTtzOjE2OiJob21lbWFkZSBmb3JtdWxhIjt9
Second, do not start with kefir, but yogurt. Kefir will be quite strong to start your baby on, yogurt is a more gentle but very beneficial food. Make your own, raw-milk yogurt with either cow or goats milk. I just warm my milk very gently until it is very warm to the touch, about 113 deg. Then I pour it into a warmed glass jar and add my starter (1/4 cup whole, plain yogurt or powdered starter). Wrap it up in towels and put it in a thermal container and close it up tight. After 12 hours you should have yogurt. If it is still not thick enough, immerse the jar in a hot water bath for about 10-15 minutes.
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Hi I have a question my baby is on formula since day one and he is 4 months now and want to start introducing him to kefir cause he suffers from gas and reflux and I believe kefir could fix his gut since he never was breast feed and never able to 🙁 what milk can I use for my baby to make Kefir ??? Please help
I highly recommend making homemade baby formula (two versions available) developed by the Weston A. Price Foundation to closely replicate mother’s milk. All commercial formulas contain questionable ingredients and are lacking in the nutrition and immune-building factors babies need. Babies absolutely thrive on these homemade formulas. (Donor milk is another option but it must be from a well-nourished mother.) Instructions for the homemade formulas are available in the form of online videos and written instructions (http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/recipes-for-homemade-baby-formula ) and an ingredient kit is available through Radiant Life Catalog (http://www.radiantlifecatalog.com/product/nourishing-traditions-kit-homemade-baby-formula/baby-child-care ).
How did you get the vitamin K2 info on kefir? I couldn’t find it anywhere.
Ha I would love to see the published reports showing direct link between drinking milk, milk kefir and leaky gut. I have been looking for 7 years and have found none.
Hello, just stumbled upon this wonderful site after doing a google search for kefir. I just turned 40 and felt as if my body declared war on itself. Any dairy caused gas, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea. I experimented with cutting out different foods to test for sensitivity. It seemed dairy was the culprit. I have never been able to digest yogurt–it actually causes bacterial vaginosis for me (apparently I have a high pH, diagnosed by my obgyn). I am now battling my weight, having gained almost 40 lbs. eating the same foods I always have–frustrating. I make a daily smoothie, using green tea as the liquid base, and was using almond milk for vitamins, minerals, and creaminess. Soy was a disaster. I’ve been reading so many wonderful things about kefir, just added it to my smoothie this morning. My question is, am I lessening it’s effectiveness by blending it with strawberries, kale, and hemp protein powder? Thank you in advance for any advice.
Kefir has digested most of the milk proteins- created its on environment for the good bacteria and yeast and has the fermentable ,soluble fibers , both PRO and PRE Biotics. It is truly a SUPPER FOOD. but lets look at some other underlying problems that face most people.
the PH of your stomach acid is to high…as with most people…carbonated drinks ,,antacids, raise the PH in the stomach not allowing the ENZYMATIC activity to cleave apart the milk proteins, and other proteins, leaving them whole to pass into the small intestine robing you of Nutrition… simple carbohydrates, processed foods usually anything white like sugar, white bread ,pasta,cookies ,cake, icecream;; and so on, are absorbed quickly before any complex nutrient rich food in the same meal; also robing you of nutrition , and simple carbs can destroy the environment in the intestines again robing you of nutrition ;you get the picture. Soluble, (FERMENTABLE) ,insoluble ,resistant fiber…create the proper environment for the good bacteria ;;; the soluble fiber in the lining of the gut protect and nurture the micro villi ,; which filter out vitamins, minerals,and nutrients,and absorb them into the blood , also separating them from waste or indigestible food products, the lack of these fibers and the good bacteria allow for and over growth of bad bacteria causing the villi and micro villi to thin out and allow the bad bacteria against the GUT lining which can cause all kinds of digestive track bacterial infections. The thinning out of the villi and micro villi also allows some of the whole proteins to be absorbed into the blood, the body reacts as tho these proteins are pathogens, which causes an immune response attacking the proteins, giving you an allergic reaction. Try Cutting out the simple carbohydrates , carbonated drinks ,,antacids. Add (KEFIR) along with other soluble,(FERMENTABLE) insoluble ,resistant fibers (COMPLEX CARBS) to your diet…. this is Essential and must be maintained every day
Thanks Eddy for Info. I lost 70% Gut Lining. Have Gluten,Dairy (Milk Allergic),Soy,Starch,Sugar, Yeast,Nightshade Problems. Can’t tolerate any Grains (have Ankylosing Spondilitus) Shallow Breathing, Hives (Histamine/Amine Probs). Suffer Headaches (Rare Form of Migraines) Leg,Foot, Stomach Cramps. Depression (SAD) Flushing,Malabsorption (Furry Tongue, lots of Cuts,Grooves) Allergies. Eat only Meat, Tinned Fish, Salad Greens, Nuts, Seeds (Nut Milks) 1xpiece Fruit per day. I’m at wits end. Live in Spain, can’t afford Doctors or health insurance. Had severe reaction to Organic Sheep’s Yogurt. Been given Kefir Grains. Can only source Carton Milks (Pasteurized) mostly UHT. Do I attempt Kefir with Goats Milk or just give up. What a Question!!! HELP!!!! Marion PS: I won’t blame anybody for info. I have researched on-line for last 10 years, so pretty well informed.
I thought this comment was from Chris’s B12 Deficiency posts, your symptoms sound so much like the folks commenting there. Have you looked into B12 deficiency? Also check your magnesium intake, as a deficiency can also cause wide ranging systemic problems.
Hi Amber,
Thanks for your comment. Am taking Magnesium (needed this big time). Have been continually looking up my symptoms on the Internet. Narrowed down most things. Yes, I have information on B12 Deficiency. Don’t have Medical Insurance here (the cost is our income here). Had few Blood Tests (Birthday money). Ruled out Diabetes,Thyroid and AS HLA-B27 Gene Negative (although I could still have AS).Can’t tolerate any Starch.Could also be Carb Intolerance.So many things.Actually all these Symptoms are an Immune Problem.Difficult to sort though.Fermenting my Kefir, going to try some Cheese.Tried ordinary Yogurt and paid for that two days of agony! Oh well, back to drawing board.
Thanks again
M x
I also, thought – magnesium def. Most people are deficient. Is important as it is an electrolyte .Probably can’t get enough through oral means as it will cause diarrhea. Ancient Minerals has a topical applied liquid magnesium which I use. My husband has restless leg syndrome at night and I of course couldn’t sleep, so I got up and got the spray of magnesium and he stopped jerking in half hour. At least search it out.