Kefir - what exactly is it?  Well, it is something like yogurt as they are both cultured milk products.  However, they are made in a very different way which means probiotic content is incredibly different, which is a great thing!  Yogurt is the result of adding bacterial cultures to milk which is food for your good gut bacteria but they are transient - they pass through.  Kefir is the result of adding kefir “grains” to milk.  These kefir grains are a mix of a huge variety of bacteria and also contain good yeasts - these will colonize (AKA setup camp) in your intestinal tract.  Get the good guys back in control!

Note that there is also coconut Kefir as well as water kefir, but most common is kefir made with milk. Kefir is more “liquid” than yogurt.  Kefir will taste more sour than yogurt.  It can be used in replacement of milk for smoothies, cereal, or even just drinking.  The different probiotics are a great benefit as we have a number of different good bacteria needed for our micro biome so getting different sources is very helpful to our gut health, digestion, and immune function - our overall whole body.

Kefir is not a new food, in fact it has been around for a long time, but it’s origins are not straightforward.  Russian doctors have documentation of its name since 1884 and in the early 1900’s they used kefir specifically for health improvements.  Give it a try and see what you think!