Posted by Gut health has been a very popular topic in the past few months and solutions to improving our health are becoming vast, but differentiating what’s fact from fiction is the real mission here. There are countless brands that advocate a healthy solution that improves your digestion and then promotes a healthy and natural weight loss option. A good example would be the super green drinks that promise all of your bloating is gone but it was just a green-powered version of veg into a drink that would have been just as effective if you ate your vegetables.
So, Kefir became popular, and I wanted to find out if this was another way to promote a weight loss product or if it’s actually good for our overall health.
What Is Kefir?
My first introduction to this gut-health drink was when my partner bought a rather large bottle. I was confused at first, but he explained it to be some kind of yoghurt drink similar in consistency to Actimel.
Kefir is a fermented drink traditionally made from milk. According to a Cambridge article, it originated thousands of years ago in the North Caucasus region of Russia. Knowing its history from the start makes me believe that this product holds more validity than others on the market today.
Nevertheless, people began producing and consuming kefir more widely beyond its original areas during the 19th century. Over time it has gained popularity across the Westernised world to the point you can pick up a bottle from your local Tesco Express and so forth.
With multiple conversions about gut health, it seemed only right that this drink made its place on the shelf, and its selling points have been the probiotics, more famously known as ‘good’ bacteria, which can do wonders for your guy, creating a more balanced stomach. Kefir is a collection of bacteria, yeast, and other microorganisms that are fermented and produced into a drinkable form. When clumped together, it tends to look like cottage cheese, which wouldn’t be appealing to most people.
What Does Research Say?
While its rich history can be enough to steer people into buying Kefir, which to an extent makes sense as there are old wives tales that we still do to this day, but then in the same breathe, they used to think that beer was hydrating, so there are limits to what you can believe without research.
There have been countless studies to test certain effects that kefir is said to have on your body. For example, kefir is said to have anti-hypertensive, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant purposes.
Anti Hypertensive
In a current study conducted by Brasil, the anti-hypertensive role of a soluble non-bacterial fraction of kefir on blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy in hypertensive rats was investigated. They found that long-term treatment of the non-bacterial kefir promoted a handsome decrease in both measures of mean arterial pressure and heart rate.
This is just one example of the many studies conducted to prove Kefir’s significant benefits to your overall health. Here are some other examples of the outstanding impacts it can have.
Anti Cancer
Cancer is one of the world’s leading causes of death and is a huge concern in everyone’s lives. It is said to occur when abnormal cells in your body grow uncontrollably, such as in a tumour, and slowly deteriorate your body from the inside out.
The protective role of kefir has been tested in several tude studies. As the probiotics in fermented products have been linked to reducing tumour growth but stimulating your immune system, it wouldn’t go a miss adding it into your daily routine to minimise your risk of cancer and help treat it.
One older study found that kefir extract reduced the number of breast cancer cells by 56%, which is outstanding; this is compared to only 14% with the yoghurt version. It is important to note that human studies are limited, but this is still a promising health solution to incorporate.
Asthma
Allergic reactions are more than often caused by inflammatory responses against certain foods, substances, and so forth. It’s not uncommon for individuals to be allergic to things like dust, nuts, and milk.
People with an oversensitive immune system are more prone to allergies, which can provoke conditions like asthma. In animal studies, kefir has been shown to have positive effects on inflammatory responses related to allergies and asthma. While human studies are yet to be conducted, it’s still a positive insight into the potential effects of Kafir.
Bone Health and Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is characterised by the deterioration of bone tissue and has been a real issue within Western countries. It is especially common among older women and dramatically raises the risk of fractures.
Ensuring an adequate calcium intake is one of the most effective ways to improve bone health and slow the progression of osteoporosis. Kefir has been noted to be a great source of calcium compared to your bog standard milk, also because Kefir is rich in vitamin K2, which plays a huge role in calcium metabolism.
Supplementing with K2 has been shown to reduce your risk of fractures by 81%, which is a substantial percentage with just a drink. Recent animal studies associate kefir with increased calcium absorption in bone cells. Human studies are needed to gather more accurate data.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to Kefir and if it delivers what the mass media is sharing, the research is there. Most health trends tend to miss the mark, Kefir has had a long history of use and effectiveness, so this product has already had a good reputation for having a long-term positive impact on our health.
So when deciding which health trendy products to get behind, I really have no issue with Kefir other than the fact most studies are on animals; they are still only showing positive effects rather than any negative. It seems like an affordable treatment to add into your morning or afternoon routine to drink alongside your pre packed sandwiches, and with its location being in stores, it’s not something that is hard to come by.