by Carolyn Miller

Created on: May 02, 2009

Research suggests that a good digestion system can keep you from getting sick and a bad one can be the cause of allergies and disease. Research and many supporters of Kefir say that it can bring your digestive system back to good health, making strengthening your immune system and boosting your resistance to allergens.

Kefir is made from "grains" that do not look at all like a grain. Kefir grains are small, soft, cauliflower-looking living organisms. They could be as small as the head of a pin or several inches across. When added to milk, kefir grains actually begin to change the milk. Kefir is a culture, in some ways like yogurt, but unlike yogurt, you do not sterilize and heat milk before adding kefir. Kefir grains digest bad bacteria and leave in their place good bacteria. After sitting in milk for 24 hours, kefir grains are strained out (and used again). The resulting drink is tart and effervescent. It is thicker than milk, but not as thick as yogurt.

Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt: Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species to name a few. It also contains beneficial yeasts, which help balance the intestinal flora and destroy pathogens even E-coli and parasites. These probiotic organisms help to clean out the intestine and actually mend weakened areas. These weakened areas are sometimes called "leaky gut." If you have leaky gut syndrome, partially digested food, toxins, and bacteria are able to escape into the blood system causing a reaction an allergic reaction. Probiotics or friendly bacteria can actually heal leaky gut syndrome. The friendly yeasts help with the destruction of harmful yeasts which contribute to leaky gut syndromes. Unlike yogurt, kefir actually helps colonize the intestinal tract, so it lives there and continues to create healthy bacteria, continually improving the digestive tract.

Kefir is a rich source of vitamins including the B vitamins, vitamin K, and important minerals such as calcium and magnesium. With all of it's health support, kefir has been reported to help a variety of conditions including hypertension, heart disease, metabolic disorders and of course allergies.

While many people love the taste of plain kefir, others prefer to flavor it. If you don't like plain yogurt, you might want to try a flavored kefir first. Here is an easy recipe:

1 C Kefir milk

1 C fruit

2-4 T honey

1 tsp vanilla

Blend all ingredients, pour into a glass and enjoy.

Kefir grains are not hard to find. There are plenty of people who sell them on-line, but there are also plenty of people who give them away. Kefir grains multiply so if you make kefir regularly you will soon have more than you need. Try searching for "free kefir grains" and include your city and state. You will likely find someone who is happy to share some grains and instructions with you. By the way, once you have extra kefir grains, besides giving them away, you can just toss them into your next kefir drink and blend them up. You will have a super-probiotic drink that day.

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