Latest news with #kefir
Vogue
23-05-2025
- Health
- Vogue
I've Made My Own Kefir For Years—Here's How
'Here you go,' my friend announced, plonking a glass full of lilac yogurt on the table. The breakfast of my dreams it was not, though the health benefits she (and her whole family, on reflection) touted were second to none: improved digestion, a boatload of probiotic strains, and better immune system function. The key to this source of good health? Kefir. And, after slugging that first glass (blended with blueberries, mind you), I became a quick convert, transitioning from drinker of kefir to maker of kefir within the month. The benefits I noticed stretched from less bloating to fewer acne bumps on my back and upper arms, with fewer cravings and energy slumps thrown in, too. Each evening, my flatmate and I would drain and rinse our sacred kefir grains, collecting the gently bubbling yoghurt in a glass jar. We would then re-submerge the grains in organic whole milk, place a muslin cloth over the top of the jar, and leave it on the counter to work its magic. 24 hours later, we'd repeat the process, replenishing the endless stock of kefir in our fridge. (If you're vegan or sensitive to dairy, there's a coconut kefir option, too.) It was easy, like caring for a child who only needs you for 15 minutes each night. So easy, in fact, that I annoyingly encourage everyone I come across to try it for themselves, which now includes you. What is kefir? First things first. Kefir is actually a grain that ferments when placed in milk or water. Confusingly, kefir is the name given to both the grain and the drink it produces after straining the grains out of it. While most kefir is made with milk (dairy or plant-based), it can also be made with water and sugar. It's tangy but can be made sweeter by adding ingredients like fresh fruit, honey, or cinnamon after straining. If you use whole milk, the kefir grains 'eat' the naturally occurring sugars, and you won't need to add any extra to the mix. If you use non-dairy milk or water, you'll need to add some sugar for the grains to have something to react to. It's this 'eating' process (aka fermentation) that stimulates the production of beneficial bacteria.
Vogue
22-05-2025
- Health
- Vogue
I Drink a Glass of Kefir Every Day—Here's What I've Noticed
You may have heard about the benefits of drinking kefir for a healthy gut. A fermented food somewhat similar to yogurt, kefir increases the diversity of gut microbes, which is generally associated with better gut health. After all, the more diverse the microbiome, the better we're protected from germs, as a Stanford study shows. A healthy gut may even lower certain inflammatory markers. To get the real benefits of kefir, however, experts say you should drink it everyday. To find out if I'd notice a difference in my own gut health, I decided to give it a shot. Here's what I discovered. The health benefits of drinking kefir You could say that kefir has it all. The fermented milk product—which is made from milk and 'kefir grains' consisting of bacteria and yeast—is rich in probiotics, B vitamins, vitamin C, and calcium. All of these nutrients help support gut health and consequently, the immune system, which in turn helps prevent disease. Kefir also contains antioxidants and is said to improve nutrient absorption. While kefir is often compared to yogurt, it generally contains a broader spectrum of bacteria and yeasts; unlike cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products, the fermentation of kefir involves both. The symbiotic relationship between the bacteria and yeasts help ferment the milk and turn it into a probiotic drink. The yeasts also ensure that lactic acid, a small amount of alcohol, and carbon dioxide are present in kefir. How to make kefir If that sounds complicated, kefir is actually surprisingly easy to add to your daily life. Of course, you can purchase pre-made kefir from the supermarket—which is what I did at first. That is, until I learned how easy it is to make kefir at home: You just order the kefir grains online and add them to any kind of milk. That's it. The active preparation takes a few minutes; depending on the quantity and temperature, the fermentation process takes 24-48 hours. Here's how I do it: I put 30 grams of kefir grains per liter of milk into a glass, which I then fill up with 2% milk. Next, I seal the jar so its airtight and keep it on the counter in my kitchen where it is protected from light and heat for about 24 hours. The longer the kefir ferments, the creamier the consistency—and the more sour it becomes. You can vary the fermentation time to influence the taste and consistency, but personally, I like it best at 24 hours.
Times
21-05-2025
- Health
- Times
The best yoghurt for your gut health — is it Greek, skyr or kefir?
The milk aisle of the supermarket often takes the crown for being the most confusing — stacked with an ever expanding choice of products. The yoghurt aisle, however, is a close runner-up. There's natural, Greek, flavoured, low-fat, no-fat, kefir, skyr and sugary gloop that you squeeze out of tubes. So what should we be stocking up on and what ought to be left on the shelves? 'It may be an acquired taste but kefir is king,' says James Vickers, a nutritionist at Vitality health insurance. This tangy, fermented dairy product is made by fermenting kefir grains — clumps of bacteria and yeast that look a bit like sprigs of cauliflower —rather than live cultures, so it's not strictly a yoghurt but usually ends up in
