Kefir milk is a fermented milk drink made from whole grains mixed with bacteria and yeast to create a symbiotic relationship, which is getting popular lately with high demand by many people because of the benefits of kefir milk which is good for the body.

Although they are both fermented products, yogurt and kefir are two different things. The difference is that yogurt is a bacterial fermentation of milk, whereas kefir is a combination of bacteria and yeast fermentation, which is also called kefir seeds, and the distinctive sour taste of kefir makes some people really like it.

The benefits of kefir milk are closely related to the probiotic content in it, which is the good bacteria, living organisms that can keep your intestines healthy and treat certain digestive conditions. Besides that, your immune system will also increase after consuming this milk.

Kefir made from cow’s milk can be processed into several types, such as non-fat, low fat, and whole fat while having so many benefits can be felt by the body by consuming this milk regularly, such as:

1. Contains a Lot of Healthy Nutrition

As previously explained, kefir is a fermented drink that is traditionally made from cow or goat milk. This is done by adding kefir seeds (consisting of yeast and lactic acid) to the milk.

For 24 hours or more, the microorganisms in the kefir seeds multiply and ferment the sugar in the milk, then turning it into kefir. After that, the kefir seeds are removed from the liquid then stored and reused as long as they are not exposed to the chemicals and extreme temperatures that can kill the bacteria in kefir.

So in essence, kefir is the drink, but the kefir beans are the “starter kit” used to produce the fermented drink. The lactic acid bacteria present in kefir convert the lactose in milk into lactic acid, so kefir has a sour taste like yogurt, but is thinner than yogurt.

Kefir contains about 100 calories and a number of vitamin D, and it also has a variety of bioactive compounds, including organic acids and peptides that have separate functions for the health of the human body.

Not only milk, kefir can also be made from coconut water, coconut milk, or other sweet liquids. However, the nutritional content will clearly be different from kefir made from milk.

2. Has Stronger Probiotics Than Yogurt

There are several microorganisms that have beneficial effects on health when they are in the body and these microorganisms are known as probiotics. These microorganisms can affect health in a number of ways, including digestive health, maintaining weight balance, and mental health.

So far, yogurt is known as a food that contains lots of probiotics, but actually kefir has more probiotics and nutrients. This is because the Kefir seeds contain about 30 types of good bacteria and yeast which is more than yogurt, and that is why it has more benefits than other types of fermented drinks.

3. Reducing Osteoporosis Risk

Bone disease “Osteoporosis” is characterized by deterioration of bone tissue. This disease often occurs in elderly women and will automatically increase the risk of fractures and the only way to prevent it is by ensuring adequate calcium intake is one of the most effective ways to improve bone health and prevent osteoporosis.

Kefir, which is made from full fat milk, not only contains lots of calcium, but also vitamin K2. This content plays an important role in calcium metabolism in the body and has been shown to reduce the risk of fractures by as much as 81%.

Recent animal studies have shown that kefir can increase the absorption of calcium by bone cells, resulting in bone density to increase, which can prevent fractures.

4. Prevents Cancer

Who knows? One of many benefits of kefir is to prevent cancer. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world, and it can occur when there is abnormal cell growth, such as an uncontrolled tumor in the body.

Probiotics in fermented milk are believed to inhibit tumor growth by stimulating the immune system and reducing the formation of carcinogenic compounds (cancer-causing substances).

A study found that kefir extract was able to reduce the number of breast cancer cells more, namely by 56% compared to yogurt extract which was only 14%. However, these studies used animals as intermediates and have not been studied in humans.

5. Acts as Natural Allergies Remedy

The next benefit of kefir is that it can prevent allergy and asthma symptoms. An allergic reaction can be caused by an inflammatory reaction to a harmless environmental substance.

People who have a more sensitive immune system are more prone to allergies and can cause other medical conditions, such as asthma.

According to an animal-mediated study, kefir has been shown to suppress the inflammatory response associated with allergies and asthma, but still, this research still needs to be developed in humans.

Dairy products contain a natural sugar called lactose. Many people, especially adults who cannot break down and digest lactose properly are called lactose intolerance.

The lactic acid bacteria in fermented milk (such as kefir and yogurt) convert lactose to lactic acid, so these foods have much lower levels of lactose than milk.

In addition, fermented milk also contains enzymes that can help break down lactose, and that is why the benefits of kefir can also be felt by people who have lactose intolerance, just like soy milk.

You can also make kefir that is lactose-free by not using the milk in the mixture, but using coconut water, fruit juice or other non-dairy liquids.