10 REASONS TO ENJOY KEFIR

Kefir is a dairy product that is basically fermented milk with a variety of yeast and bacteria strands; in many ways, it is similar to drinkable yogurt. You can make kefir from different types of milk, including cow, goat and sheep; but also use products of vegetable origin such as soy milk, rice and coconut water. For this reason, there are varieties of kefir that are vegan friendly. Kefir is very well regarded for its beneficial properties for our health and its high nutritional value.

1. PROBIOTICS 
   Probiotics are strands of good bacteria that you can incorporate to your system through certain aliments that contain them, and kefir, as a fermented dairy product, has a huge amount of good bacteria, with over 30 different strands. Probiotics promote your gut health and help you balance the different functions of your body, including your nutrition. Probiotics are live microorganisms that may provide health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts. The benefits of these good bacteria may include supporting immunity and a healthy digestive system. Not only do the probiotics and nutrients of kefir boost our immune system, but also some of them have a direct effect on germs, killing them before they can do us any harm. Perhaps the most relevant component of kefir is an insoluble polysaccharide (a type of sugar with high molecular weight that can travel in a watery medium without dissolving) called kefiran, that has powerful antibiotic and antifungal effects, especially against the fungus known as candida, which causes candidiasis.
2. IMMUNITY

   One of the main roles of probiotics is to help your immune system fight the infections and diseases that you could catch when malicious germs enter your body. Many of these germs enter your body through your digestive system, such as the case of food poisoning or eating contaminated aliments. Your good bacteria are a protective barrier of microscopic soldiers that act as a frontline, fighting these germs.

   What is great about kefir is that not only it is one of the richest probiotic sources in the planet; it also has a special probiotic that you can’t find in any other food or place in the world, a bacterium called lactobacillus kefiri. This probiotic is excellent for fighting very well known harmful bacteria such as salmonella and Escherichia coli. Additionally, kefir is rich in some nutrients that boost your immune system, such as folate and biotin.

   The probiotics in kefir may help support a healthy gut, where 70-80 percent of the cells that make up the immune system are located.
3. HEALTHY WEIGHT
   Kefir is high in protein, which increases satiety and reduces hunger cravings throughout the day.
4. SKIN
   Kefir contains Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), a popular ingredient in skin care products. Some rashes and irritations of the skin can be relieved by improving the function of our gut. Also, the before mentioned kefiran, the polysaccharide that is exclusive of kefir, has great beneficial properties for the quality of your skin, so it can make you look better over time. Kefiran is also known to protect your joints and connective tissue, which is also affected by a poor gut function.
5. CIRCULATORY HEALTH
   Kefir is a great addition to our diet because it has many great properties that improve our circulatory health. For example, studies show that the daily intake of kefir can help fight high blood pressure, which is a risk factor of cardiovascular disease, dementia and other severe conditions. Moreover, adding kefir to our diet helps us lower our cholesterol levels; high cholesterol is linked to cardiovascular disease as well, especially heart attacks and strokes.
6. PROTEIN
   An 8 oz serving of milk kefir contains 11 grams of natural protein.
7. LACTOSE DIGESTION
   Our unique fermentation process and specific kefir cultures ensure Kefir is up to 99 percent lactose-free and suitable for most people who are lactose intolerant. These probiotics are known to help fight digestive conditions or digestive derived syndromes such as Crohn’s disease, ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome. Also, they restore the intestinal flora that is often harmed after taking antibiotics, because these substances can kill good bacteria as well. The disturbances in the population of good bacteria in our guts are responsible of many of the negative side effects of antibiotics, including abdominal pain and diarrhea, so kefir helps prevent them.
8. CANCER
   Our bodies have a natural way of fighting these cancerous cells, called apoptosis, which is the programmed massive death of cells. The probiotics found in kefir are known to induce apoptosis of cancerous cells in the digestive system. Also, the enzymes found in kefir help decrease the growth ration of tumors and even make them benign, which means that they stop growing altogether and can be removed surgically.
9. BONE DENSITY
    Kefir has high concentrations of calcium, also has bioactive components that increase the absorption of calcium through our larger intestines, such as vitamin D. Other minerals and nutrients that help protect and strengthen our bones and are present in kefir in big concentrations are vitamin K2, magnesium and phosphorus. Drinking kefir alone or combining it with a healthy dish or salad can work wonders with your bones. Kefir provides 30 percent of your daily calcium needs.
10. ALLERGIES
    Allergies can be mild, moderate or severe and, in the worst case scenario, they can be deadly. Many allergens can help fight this abnormal reaction by regulating the activity of the immune system. Thanks to its many beneficial components, kefir is excellent to get your immune system back in track, especially respiratory allergic syndromes such as asthma. Kefir helps reduce the inflammation of cells in your lungs and airways which close up and make it difficult for you to breathe; also, they reduce the production of mucus which causes allergic cough.