A Health Tip from Doris Jäger

She is a naturopath, lecturer, health educator, and resilience trainer in Wolfurt, Vorarlberg.

Kefir Can Do It

Kefir is a very healthy fermented milk drink made from milk and kefir grains. It contains a small amount of alcohol (0.6-1.0%). The grains consist of many microorganisms and are rich in nutrients. It is ideal for a healthy gut flora and proper digestion.

What is Kefir?

Classic milk kefir is made from kefir grains of the kefir fungus. Visually, these grains resemble the “florets” of cauliflower. Once the kefir grains reach a certain size, they break into smaller grains and multiply in this way. They form because yeast and lactic acid bacteria clump together. The milk sugar in the milk serves as a food source for the fungus. Kefir has had a fixed place in naturopathy in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe for many years.

What’s in Kefir?

These active substances are found in the fungus:

• High levels of minerals (calcium, iron, iodine)

• Vitamins A and B (B1, B2, B6, B9, and B12)

• Proteins, polysaccharides, lactic acid bacteria

When kefir is made from cow’s milk, it has a high folic acid content. Kefir made from sheep’s milk is rich in calcium, iron, and iodine. Kefir made from goat’s milk is rich in vitamin D.

According to studies, one milliliter of kefir contains more than one billion lactic acid bacteria and more than one million different yeast colonies. This makes it superior to all available probiotics.

Effects

• Regulates digestion and positively affects the gut flora (for heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, stomach ulcers, gastritis, etc.)

• Positive effects on cardiovascular diseases (such as angina pectoris, arteriosclerosis)

• Positive effects on exhaustion states

• Ideal supplement for gut flora during antibiotic use

• Optimizes metabolism

• Strengthens the immune system

Preparation

Add kefir grains to milk (cow, goat, or sheep milk) and let it ferment for 48 hours.

Application for a Stomach/Gut Cleanse with Kefir

For a cleansing stomach/gut cure, take 100 ml of kefir each morning and mix it with a teaspoon of flaxseed flour or ground flaxseeds. Drink this mixture on an empty stomach. If the taste is too sour, you can add a teaspoon of organic honey. After one week, a significantly improved digestion is usually noticeable.

Recipes

Strawberry Kefir Daiquiri

Blend ½ kg of fresh organic strawberries and the juice of one lime with vanilla sugar in a blender. Add ½ liter of chilled kefir and serve with fresh mint.

Mango Shake with Kefir

Cut 150 grams of mango into small pieces. Add 200 ml of kefir, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 3 tablespoons of lime juice, then blend.