Benefits of Kefir and How to Use to Lose Weight

Kefir is a fermented milk rich in probiotic bacteria that improve intestinal flora, helps immunity and improves intestinal transit, helping to maintain the general health of the body.

Kefir bacteria can be safely grown at home, and beverage production is easy and resembles the production of natural yogurt.

Being a probiotic food, the main benefits of kefir are:

1. Decrease constipation, as good bacteria improve digestion and correct intestinal transit;
2. Combat intestinal inflammations, as having healthy flora is the main factor to avoid diseases;
3. Facilitate digestion ;
4. To lose weight, because it is rich in proteins and has lower calories;
5. Fight osteoporosis, being rich in calcium;
6. Prevent and combat gastritis, especially gastritis caused by H. pylori bacteria;
7. Strengthen the immune system as it keeps the intestinal flora healthy, which prevents infection by microorganisms through the intestine.

In addition, kefir balances the intestinal flora and improves the absorption of nutrients, being great for those who have undergone antibiotic treatments and need to regulate the intestinal transit.

How to use Kefir to lose weight

Kefir is a low-calorie food because 100 g has only 37 calories and is a good option to use in diets to lose weight. It can be used to replace milk or yogurt intake, making it an excellent choice for those with bowel movements.

You can consume once a day, for breakfast or a snack, for example. To make the taste more pleasant you can sweeten it with a little honey or add fruit like banana or strawberry in the form of the vitamin.

Kefir helps to loosen the intestine and so when evacuating more regularly you can see that the belly becomes less swollen in the first week, but for a long time to lose weight, you should follow a diet to lose weight and exercise regularly.

Where to buy kefir

It is possible to buy kefir grains on internet sites, and kefir milk can be found in supermarkets or health food store, but donations between friends or on internet sites are very common because the grains are grown in liquid environment, multiplying, and a parcel must be removed to prevent overgrowth, so those who have at home usually offer to family and friends.

Kefir grains are also called Tibetan Mushrooms, Yogurt Plants, Yogurt Mushrooms, Yogurt Fungus, and Lotus of Snow. They originated in the Caucasus and are made up of different microorganisms that are good for regulating the intestine.

How to make milk kefir

The preparation of kefir is very simple, similar to the homemade production of natural yogurt.

Ingredients

• 100 g of kefir
• 1 liter of cow's milk or goat's milk

Method of preparation

Put in a glass container the kefir grains, fresh milk, pasteurized or not, skimmed, semi-skimmed or whole. The contents are left at room temperature for about 24 hours. The fermented milk is strained to separate and recover the grains that are added to more fresh milk, repeating the process. 

The already fermented liquid kefir that is cooked can be consumed immediately or can be kept in the refrigerator for later consumption.

Contraindications and side effects

Although there is no formal contraindication, fermentation of kefir leads to a small production of alcohol and therefore may be harmful to people with liver diseases. In addition, it is also contraindicated in cases of lactose intolerance and milk allergy, and it may be used as an alternative water kefir, which is made from water or coconut water with demerara or brown sugar instead of milk.