KEFIR HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
lifeway.net
The word probiotic might be new to the lexicon, but kefir is not. In fact kefir is the grandfather of the probiotics and its roots can trace back more than 2000 years. Originating in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia where people live well past 100 years, the word kefir is thought to have been derived from the Turkish word "Keif" for "good feeling," probably due to the sense of well-being experienced after drinking it.
Over the years a combination of medical research, anecdotal evidence and cultural tradition has turned kefir into much more than a power food with ancient roots.
It is generally thought that kefir was first discovered by nomadic shepherds who noticed the fermenting of the fresh milk they carried in leather sacks. Since its first appearance in the Caucasus Mountains, kefir has been credited with possessing a dizzying array of health benefits. Depending on the source, everything from cancer to a hangover can be improved by kefir consumption. Some of the more common health benefits of kefir include:
? Balancing the levels of "good" and "bad" bacteria in the intestinal tract, thereby preventing infections.
? Boosting the immune system.
? Easing digestion, especially for those with lactose intolerance.
? Controlling cholesterol levels, maintaining heart health.
"The Champagne of Dairy Products"
Kefir grains are most commonly consumed as a beverage made by adding the grains to fermented milk and allowing the yeast and bacteria to replicate, adding a fizzy, distinctive flavor. The milk in kefir drinks adds to the health benefits by providing 30% of the recommended daily serving of calcium.
Beyond the medical research that has buoyed kefir in recent years, stories periodically emerge adding to the aura of health surrounding kefir. Canadian researcher Ted Farnworth has called it "the champagne of dairy products" because of its naturally fizzy taste and seemingly endless list of health benefits. Pet shops have fed it to sick animals, Marco Polo mentioned it in his writings, patients recovering from abdominal surgery are encouraged to consume it. Some claim it prevents the development of allergies, helps achieve a glowing complexion and builds resistance to the common cold.
However, it is the European cultural tradition of drinking kefir that has kept the drink popular across thousands of years and several continents. In the Caucasus Mountain region where kefir originated, many people live active lives well past their 100th birthday. Russian nursing mothers often feed kefir to their babies in hopes of fostering a strong immune system and it's a constant on hospital menus. Outside of Europe, however, the "magic of kefir" is largely unknown, for now.
As yogurt, a distant cousin of kefir, rises in popularity in the United States and companies like Lifeway Foods (the country's largest supplier of kefir products) offer kefir beverages in soy and dairy varieties in thoroughly modern flavors like strawberry, vanilla and strawberry-banana, the perception is bound to change.
No longer just a mystical beverage from the Caucasus Mountains, kefir is an ancient drink whose time has come. |
