Does anyone drink Kefir?

acmorris77

I bought some for extra gut strength and probiotics, but it has a ton of sugar. Anyone have a lower sugar option?

jroy1999

I drink plain kefir. Has 7g naturally occurring sugar and 8g protein per cup. I use it in smoothie type recipes-- add frozen unsweetened berries and some banana for sweetness. I haven't found a flavored one that doesn't have added sugar, so this works out great.

amtyrell

I love peach kefir

psuLemon

It's a great source of probiotics and protein. Also, do you have a concern for sugar? Most of it is naturally occurring sugars, but the flavored ones might have a bit of added sugar.

tabletop_joe

It rules. I switch to it when I'm tired of yogurt.

Unknown

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coreyreichle

acmorris77 wrote: »

I bought some for extra gut strength and probiotics, but it has a ton of sugar. Anyone have a lower sugar option?

What do you mean "extra gut strength"? And, what do you feel you need probiotics for? (ie, what problem does it solve)

tabletop_joe

^^^It helps replenish your natural gut flora so you stay regular.

coreyreichle

tabletop_joe wrote: »

^^^It helps replenish your natural gut flora so you stay regular.

Your gut colony does that, all on it's own, though, unless your diet is absolute crap, and devoid of fiber. Or, if you just got over a bout of something like gastroenteritis...

ceiswyn

I get Nourish kefir, which has no added sugar.

I love the stuff, it's like yoghurt but more tangy. Great for breakfast on some fruit, or with a little cereal instead of milk.

olgacara100

I have a fungus with which I do myself Kefir. It's delicious!

acmorris77

@coreyreichle I've had issues with IBS in the past, and it's been bothering me again. I was told that Kefir helps to regulate the good bacteria. I eat a ton of fruits and vegetables and my diet is pretty healthy overall. Just looking for added support. I did buy the blueberry commercial brand, that's probably why it has so much sugar.

toxikon

I tried it but it gave me the runs. Which is sad, because I really liked the tangy yogurty flavour.

coreyreichle

acmorris77 wrote: »

@coreyreichle I've had issues with IBS in the past, and it's been bothering me again. I was told that Kefir helps to regulate the good bacteria. I eat a ton of fruits and vegetables and my diet is pretty healthy overall. Just looking for added support. I did buy the blueberry commercial brand, that's probably why it has so much sugar.

You'll probably have the best luck making your own, in this case, or taking an actual supplement.

holliebaker90

coreyreichle wrote: »

acmorris77 wrote: »

I bought some for extra gut strength and probiotics, but it has a ton of sugar. Anyone have a lower sugar option?

What do you mean "extra gut strength"? And, what do you feel you need probiotics for? (ie, what problem does it solve)

<<<<< Some of us don't have very well behaving gut bacteria, or it has been damaged in the past, so we need that extra boost. You, sir must have a very lucky gut to not experience what comes along with a messed up tummy.

acmorris77 wrote: »

I bought some for extra gut strength and probiotics, but it has a ton of sugar. Anyone have a lower sugar option?

If you are concerned with the extra stuff in Kefir, try Kombucha and greek yogurt. Kumbucha has tons of good bacteria in it. I consume both on a regular basis to keep my stomach in check!

JeromeBarry1

I got grains from http://www.culturesforhealth.com/ last year and make a quart of whole milk kefir as often as it takes me to drink it. I have 4.0 oz with 50 grams of protein powder, some ice and water all blended together in a protein shake several days each week. It tastes really good with the Body Fortress Chocolate. I also will use kefir with cocoa-flavored breakfast cereals. Don't try it with Rice Krispies.

I started doing this because my lactose-intolerant daughter asked me to. It was for her, but now I'm the one using it almost all the time. Just this morning I put a quart of milk with kefir grains out to ferment. In the morning I'll carefully extract the grains from it and set the kefir out for another day of secondary fermenting.

Here's a link that includes nutritional values for several differently sourced varieties of kefir.

https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/how-many-calories-in-kefir/

vingogly

I love the Icelandic version by Siggis, filmjolk. It's tart and not too sweet. I like to pour it over berries or cherries or a sliced banana, and add a couple spoonfuls of granola for crunch.

Christine_72

I just take regular refrigerated probiotic capsules, 0 calories or sugar.

tabletop_joe

coreyreichle wrote: »

tabletop_joe wrote: »

^^^It helps replenish your natural gut flora so you stay regular.

Your gut colony does that, all on it's own, though, unless your diet is absolute crap, and devoid of fiber. Or, if you just got over a bout of something like gastroenteritis...

Does it? Can I send you a sample so you can run some test to confirm? :P

My diet is good, kefir helps and is a good source of calcium to boot. No to low lactose in the brand I get as well. Supplements aren't monitored by the FDA, so I'll stick with what works for me, thank you.

acmorris77

Thanks everyone! I'm going to try ALL of your suggestions. I'll try anything I can at this point. Constantly needing to know where there's a bathroom is no way to live!

savithny

There are an number of different cultured milk products with different strains of lactobacilli, as well as the different pills you can take with different cultures. Mix it up! Just buy them unsweetened.

annacole94

I brew water kefir. It's delicious and inexpensive. If it's also good for me, great. The only downside is it's hard to guess the nutrition content, as the bacteria eat some but not all of the initial sugar.

SCoil123

I use the plain kefir in my protein shakes