Kefir—The Natural Super-Powered ProbioticFebruary 06, 2012

Filed under: Natural Living - greenacres @ 4:23 PM

Like yogurt?  Heard of kefir?  If you love the way your tummy feels after a nice cup of tangy yogurt, you’ve got to try kefir!  This runnier, tangier version of the yogurt we all know and love packs a huge probiotic punch for your digestive system.  It’s cultured with little crystals known as kefir grains that contain yeast and live bacteria.  These little probiotic gems give kefir a slight effervescence, sort of like sparkling water or soda. 

So what’s so great about that?  Consuming probiotics—i.e., the good bacteria that live in our stomachs—is one of the best things you can do for your body!  Providing our delicate intestinal systems with all of the enzymes and bacteria that they need helps them to do their jobs better—to digest our food, maintain regularity, promote healthy immune response, and more.  There have even been studies that correlate certain strains of probiotics common in kefir and dietary supplements to successful management of blood pressure and cholesterol.  Not too shabby, eh?

If you feel inspired to try it, check out some of the great deals this month on kefir.  Nancy’s kefirs are a great start!  They’re small, just a 99¢ investment to try something new, and flavored and sweetened to mask some of the intensity of the probiotics.  If you’re new to probiotics, start with just a few ounces a day.  For some people’s bodies, the sudden onslaught of all that good-for-you bacteria can cause intestinal upset.  Don’t be afraid to start out small and increase gradually—your body will love the little doses of probiotics it’s getting, while becoming accustomed to the extra help. 

If you’ve been taking probiotics, drinking kombucha, or eating your yogurt faithfully, you might be ready for Lifeway’s new Bio-Kefir shots.  Containing more than 20 billion units of probiotic activity in each bottle, it’s twice as potent as normal kefir.  These neat new shots are also available with targeted probiotic strains:  Pomegranate/Blueberry and Kiwi/Passion Fruit are designed to offer the best immune support; Blackberry and Cherry are targeted for heart health; and Vanilla is specifically formulated to give you the most digestive aid.