Don’t you drink kefir? You will regret. The doctor explained why this drink works wonderfully.

Origin. We all know kefir and have tried it. Humanity has been using it for thousands of years. Kefir originated in Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Caucasus. The name kefir comes from the Turkish language and means pleasant taste. Traditionally, kefir is made from the milk of cows, sheep, goats, or buffalo, sometimes camels. However, in some countries, low milk consumption due to its high cost, dietary restrictions, religious customs, or unpopularity has led to attempts to make kefir from a variety of plant food sources, such as soy, coconut, or rice.

Chemical properties. Kefir is a sour (fermented) milk product with a sour taste and a creamy consistency, produced during bacterial fermentation of kefir grains. The mixture of microorganisms (bacteria and yeast) in the grains, together with the casein and the compound sugar (polysaccharides), interact to produce a unique fermented dairy product. The main kefir polysaccharide is kefiran, which consists of glucose and galactose. Kefir polysaccharide has health promoting properties: it inhibits the action of rotavirus, has a positive effect on immunomodulation or epithelial protection. Microorganisms in kefir include lactic acid bacteria (Leuconostocs, Lactobacilli, Streptococci, lactococci, Enterobacter, Acinetobacter, Enterococcus and Pseudomonas spp., Bacteria and yeasts of acetic acid (Kluyveromyces, Candida, Torulopsis, Saccharomyces, Rhodotorula and Zygosacchary)

Yeast plays an important role in creating the environment necessary for the growth of kefir bacteria. The microorganisms in the kefir grains produce lactic acid (lactate), antibiotics, and bactericides that inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms in the milk from which the kefir is made. The main probiotic bacteria used in commercial products are Lactobacillus and Bifido bacteria. Kefir is active against pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella, Helicobacter, Shigella, Staphylococcus, Escherichiacoli, Enterobacteraerogenes, Proteusvulgaris, Bacillussubtilis, Micrococcusluteus, Listeriamonocytogenes, Streptococcuspyrogenes, Streptococcus faecalis KR6, Fusariumgraminear)

The characteristic smell and taste of kefir is made up of volatile and non-volatile compounds during fermentation. Kefir has an acidic taste, its pH or acidity value is approximately 4.6, and it is also approximately 0.5-2 percent. ethanol (alcohol). Furthermore, the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast flora contributes to this sour and sour taste. The carbon dioxide content of kefir depends on the amount of kefir grain and increases accordingly with a higher grain content.

Nutritional value. Kefir constitutes 90 percent. humidity, 3 percent. protein, 0.2 percent. fat, 6 percent. sugar, 1 percent. lactic acid, 0.48 percent. ethanol and a certain amount of carbon dioxide (201.7-277.0 ml / l).

Kefir is rich in B vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, B9 B6, B12), as well as vitamins C and K, minerals (calcium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, magnesium, zinc, copper) and amino acids. Kefir contains amino acids such as serine, threonine, alanine, lysine, valine, isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine and tryptophan, which are especially important for the functioning of the central nervous system. The rich amount of amino acids in kefir regulates the metabolism of proteins, glucose and lipids, has a positive effect on weight control, the maintenance of the immune system and energy balance. The branched chain amino acids (valine, leucine, isoleucine) present in kefir may have a positive effect on restoring cognitive function after injury, but detailed clinical studies are still needed to fully confirm this claim.

The fermentation process increases the content of vitamins B1, B6, B9, B12, vitamins C and K, as well as calcium and amino acids. The chemical composition of kefir mainly depends on the type of milk used, the mixtures of kefir grains or microorganism cultures, additives and the technological process. Cow’s milk kefir was found to be rich in protein, fat and lactose. Buffalo milk kefir is characterized by a higher viscosity, a higher content of yeast and, therefore, a higher content of ethanol. Ethanol gives an exotic and refreshing aroma.

Sweet kefir is also produced (ang. sugar kefir) It is another possible alternative to kefir. This type of kefir is made from fruit and molasses and has unique organoleptic properties.

Nutritional value of kefir:

100 ml of kefir (or 94 g):

61 kcal

• 3.76 g of carbohydrates: of which 3.76 g of lactose
• Fat: 3.29 g
• Protein: 3.10 g
• 11.3 percent. (daily rates) of calcium
• 9.4 percent. (daily rates) of phosphorus
• 4 percent (daily rates) of potassium
• 3 percent (daily rates) selenium

Health benefits. Due to the proteins (amino acids), fats, vitamins, and minerals in kefir, this fermented dairy product has anti-stress, modulatory, and immune-system-strengthening, cholesterol-lowering, anti-allergic, anti-asthmatic, anti-diabetic, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer drugs, in addition to helping wound healing. kefir grains). Regular consumption of kefir can alleviate many intestinal disorders (including irritable bowel syndrome), promote intestinal peristalsis (bowel movements), reduce bloating, and create a healthier digestive system.

Interaction of intestinal and brain activity. The human intestine is one of the most complex and abundant ecosystems. An adult gut microbiota (a colony of microorganisms in the gut) consists of 500-1000 species of bacteria, formed mainly during the first three years of a child’s life. The number of bacteria in an adult is approximately 10 times greater than in human cells. The interaction of the gut microbiota and the body is essential for the maturation of the nervous and immune systems and the development of the intestine. Later, an adult’s gut microbiota has a significant impact on the functions of its host nervous system: behavior, mood, learning skills. Furthermore, different bacteria, commonly found in many foods, travel through our intestines every day, interacting with the food itself, the body’s microbiota, and the body’s cells in a pathological or health-promoting context. Many of the latter microorganisms are known as probiotics. Probiotics are preparations of microbial cells or parts thereof that have a positive effect on the health of the human body. One of the most famous probiotics is kefir.

Kefir has recently become the subject of research by neuroscientists, as an important link between probiotics and cognitive and behavioral processes involving neurological, metabolic, hormonal and immune signaling pathways has already been demonstrated. Changes in the listed systems can change a person’s behavior, emotions and cognitive functions (cognitive functions are mental processes that allow us to perform any task): learning, orientation, memory, attention, language, etc. There is a growing body of research testing the regularities of brain activity and bowel activity. Interestingly, kefir is classified as a psychobiotic: a substance that acts on the brain, suppresses inflammatory processes (increases mood, reduces anxiety), synthesizes (produces) a biologically active compound: serotonin, which regulates the state mood, sleep, appetite, digestion, learning opportunities and memory.

More and more studies show that people who take kefir have a large number of probiotic bacteria in the gut that is associated with better health. Curiously, by drinking kefir, we can normalize and even change the composition of the intestinal microbiota (bacteria that live in the intestine). Therefore, kefir is very suitable for use on healthy and sick adults, the elderly, athletes and preschool children (1-3 children who use kefir, consult a family doctor, babies up to one year the best breastmilk). Inadequate and malnutrition in children is closely related to the deficiency of certain important intestinal bacteria, and such a weak intestinal microbiota strongly affects the brain activity and behavior of children (adults as well), has a negative effect on mood and cognitive processes. Due to its nutritional and healing potential, kefir and related products are highly valued.

Deauville experiment with frozen kefir: the result exceeded expectations and the taste was unique

Interesting and useful facts about kefir:

• Made from sugar-free kefir yeast, sweeteners and flavors, goat kefir is highly recommended.

• Drinking kefir is recommended in the morning, before breakfast, because the precursor to serotonin, the amino acid tryptophan (which is rich in kefir), actively affects the brain only on an empty stomach.

• It is recommended to drink kefir completely separate from all other drinks. This is very important, because only then does the good kefir bacteria enter the intestine, that is, the intestinal walls, and the “garbage collection” process begins.

• Kefir is suitable for lactose intolerant people who are unable to digest milk sugar, lactose. The lactic acid bacteria in fermented dairy products (kefir, yogurt too) convert lactose into lactic acid (lactate), so kefir contains much less lactose than milk. In addition, the amount of enzyme that breaks down milk sugar (beta-galactosidase) in kefir is higher due to fermentation, thereby accelerating the breakdown of lactose.

• Kefir is much more powerful than yogurt in its activity, because kefir is dominated by some 61 different species of microorganisms.

• Kefir is easy to make at home, it just needs to be consumed quickly.

• Kefir has many health benefits, but it also has side effects. These can include constipation and abdominal cramps. These side effects usually occur when you first start taking kefir.

• People with autoimmune diseases (type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis / psoriatic arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Sjogren’s syndrome, AIDS, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.) should consult their doctor before drink kefir. The bacteria in kefir are beneficial for people with a strong immune system, but they can increase the exacerbation of infections or diseases in people with an immune system. However, this is only a recommendation. Be sure to discuss everything with the doctors who treat you.

Sandrija Čapkauskienė – PhD in Biomedical Sciences, LSU Associate Professor and Nutritionist.