Health benefits
Kefir has supposed health benefits in reducing "gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and allergy". A study conducted by the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at McGill University tested "thirteen mildly hypercholesterolemic male subjects" and provided them with a dairy supplement during two, four-week periods. The results showed no significant affect on the previously listed ailments.
Another such study conducted at Georgetown University Medical Center tested the effectiveness of kefir in preventing antibiotic-associated bacteria. Participants drank either an active or a control drink while also being treated with antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections for 10 consecutive days. Results from the study show that there were no significant differences in the rates of diarrhea between the two groups.
There is evidence that Kefir has antitumor properties related to immune system stimulation, though the exact mechanism through which this occurs is still contested. The drink can be consumed in place of non-fermented dairy products with significantly fewer negative impacts related to lactose intolerance; it not only contains less lactose after fermentation but a galactosidase enzyme that aids in its digestion as well.
Kefir's inhibition of tumor growth is more effective than that of yogurt. The lactobacilli in kefir are capable of producing antimicrobial effects, though the grains are stronger than the finished product in this respect. There is limited evidence that the bacteria in kefir are able to survive in the human gastrointestinal tract and act as probiotics, displacing pathogenic bacteria from intestinal epithelial cells.
Another such study conducted at Georgetown University Medical Center tested the effectiveness of kefir in preventing antibiotic-associated bacteria. Participants drank either an active or a control drink while also being treated with antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections for 10 consecutive days. Results from the study show that there were no significant differences in the rates of diarrhea between the two groups.
There is evidence that Kefir has antitumor properties related to immune system stimulation, though the exact mechanism through which this occurs is still contested. The drink can be consumed in place of non-fermented dairy products with significantly fewer negative impacts related to lactose intolerance; it not only contains less lactose after fermentation but a galactosidase enzyme that aids in its digestion as well.
Kefir's inhibition of tumor growth is more effective than that of yogurt. The lactobacilli in kefir are capable of producing antimicrobial effects, though the grains are stronger than the finished product in this respect. There is limited evidence that the bacteria in kefir are able to survive in the human gastrointestinal tract and act as probiotics, displacing pathogenic bacteria from intestinal epithelial cells.
References
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/2/1/
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=382013#Abstract
http://hum.pm/onewebmedia/Ke%CC%81fir%20Composicio%CC%81n%20Aspectos%20Terape%CC%81uticos%20y%20Nutricionales%20.pdf
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=nn2-lqEXdqcC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=kefir+probiotic&ots=ri5bVwhkx0&sig=OW-92fXNHXGZL5hhLeQvdtPAruE#v=onepage&q=kefir%20probiotic&f=false
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1517-83822013000200001&script=sci_arttext&tlng=pt
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/2/1/
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=382013#Abstract
http://hum.pm/onewebmedia/Ke%CC%81fir%20Composicio%CC%81n%20Aspectos%20Terape%CC%81uticos%20y%20Nutricionales%20.pdf
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=nn2-lqEXdqcC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=kefir+probiotic&ots=ri5bVwhkx0&sig=OW-92fXNHXGZL5hhLeQvdtPAruE#v=onepage&q=kefir%20probiotic&f=false
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1517-83822013000200001&script=sci_arttext&tlng=pt