Want to live longer? Eat or Drink Kefir!

My grandparents live in Germany and every 3-4 years, my family and I go there. When I am there, in the mornings,I go downstairs and eat breakfast. I either eat toast and jam, a bowl of cereal, a pretzel, or occasionally my favourite, pancakes (because we get to flip them). With my breakfast, I also have a glass of the BEST juice ever and some kind of fruit. As my sister and I sit at the kitchen table, still half asleep, my grandpa is eating his kefir. He eats this every morning.He practically lives by it and he always says that it makes you live longer. I never really believed him when he said this, so when this essay was assigned, I decided to find out what the real deal with this stuff is.

What is kefir? Kefir is a cultured, creamy product that has amazing health benefits when it is consumed regularly on a daily basis. It is similar to yogurt and is loaded with vitamins and minerals. It is made by fermenting milk with the kefir grain. The grains contain the bacteria/yeast mixture clumped together with casein (milk products) and complex sugars. It also contains proteins. Kefir has a slightly sour taste somewhere between buttermilk and sour cream, and a mild yeasty aroma. It may have small amounts of carbonation and alcohol. It is very easy to digest and even people that are lactose intolerant can eat it.

http://www.kefir.net/intro.htm

Now that we know what kefir is, lets take a look at some of the benefits. First of all, kefir increases the production of saliva, which helps with digestion before the food gets to the stomach. This leads to better gastrointestinal health and a longer life. It can also help to prevent certain types of cancer because of the lactic acid that it produces. Some of the other benefits include: helping with sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression, relieving most intestinal disorders, preventing some infections, and reducing the risk of heart disease. It can also help with hangovers.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Kefir
http://www.articlesinaclick.com/health-and-fitness/nutrition/kefir-health-benefitsadvantages/

Kefir has all these health benefits and is considered to be the key to good health. What is the difference between kefir and yogurt? Is kefir better? Many people think that because they are both fermented dairy products they offer the same benefits. This is not the case! They are actually quite different. Kefir has different types of beneficial bacteria than yogurt does. It can colonize the intestinal tract (something that yogurt can't do), and it contains several major strains of probiotics. Some of the probiotics kefir has are: Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leucomostoc, and Acetobacter species, that are not present in yogurt. Bacteria in yogurt will last a few days in the digestive tract and you need to keep re-introducing it. Kefir repopulates the digestive tract with good organisms. Since kefir is a small and curd-like size, it is easier to digest, which makes it more edible for infants, elderly, and people with chronic fatigue and digestive disorders. Looks like kefir is more superior here!

http://www.probiotic.org/Kefir.htm

In conclusion, kefir is a great food and is very beneficial for our bodies. It helps nurture your hair, prevents acne and wrinkles, and even helps the brain! I remember one morning in Germany I decided to try kefir. I didn't like it. In fact, it made me feel like throwing up, mainly because of the texture though, not the taste. However because of all the benefits, next time you are at the grocery store, say goodbye to yogurt and hello to kefir! Be bold and give it a try! After all, the effects are only positive.. who knows, maybe you will be one of those lucky folks who live past 100!