Kefir

Probiotics are expensive, generally ‘doing their job’ in the upper reaches of your digestive system… KEFIR on the other hand is practically free, totally natural and carries probiotic microbes all the way down through to your lower bowel! (1)

Studies show regular consumption of kefir is associated with better digestion and tolerance to lactose and, that kefir’s healing effects are anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic and
​anti-oxidant! Kefir provides protective immunity by enhancing our health status. (2)

Kefir grains can contain up to 60 strains of bacteria and yeasts which I like to call ‘beneficials’ - a very rich and diverse probiotic source.(3)

Kefir is created via the process of Lacto-fermentation. Kefir ‘grains’ are added to organic milk creating lactic acid as a by-product meaning that the ‘beneficials’, already accustomed an acidic environment, pass through your stomach unscathed going on to populate your entire digestive tract.  

Kefir is one of the oldest functional foods and here’s why; Just 175mls of kefir contains 3-6 grams of fat, 4 grams Protein, Phosphorus: 15% of the Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDI), Vitamin B12: 12% of the RDI, Riboflavin (B2): 10% of the RDI, Calcium: 10% of the RDI, Magnesium: 3% of the RDI and vitamin D. (4)

And, after an often one time purchase of the grains, your lifetime probiotic supply costs just the price of milk! Pilbara Natural Medicine Clinic recommends purchasing grains from the ultra - reliable and authoritative KEFIR DOM and only, ever, always, using and supporting our environmentally and health conscious farmers like MARGARET RIVER ORGANIC MILK (available from Coles).  

Straining your kefir through muslin cloth will give you curds from which you can make labneh (a soft cheese) and whey, the best kind of ‘inoculant’ for making your fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut extra beneficial.
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Most probiotic supplements will not survive your stomach acid - you might want to check this out with the manufacturer and, while you’re at it, you might also want to check that your probiotic is not genetically engineered...