Kefir News

Kefiran positive effect on cholesterol reduction.

A scientific study in 2006 investigated if drinking kefir from cow’s milk or soya milk could reduce serum cholesterol.
“Nakajima et al. (1992) found that the consumption of milk fermented with a certain exopolysaccharide-producing lactic
acid bacterium significantly decreased serum cholesterol levels in rats, whereas the consumption of milk fermented
with a non-exopolysaccharide-producing strain did not elicit such an effect. These authors suggested that this was because
the bacterial exopolysaccharide acted in a manner similar to that of dietary fibre and reduced the absorption of cholesterol
and bile acids in the intestine. Pigeon et al. (2002) demonstrated that two exopolysaccharide-producing strains of L.
delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus bound significantly greater amounts of bile acids than was the case for the non-exopolysaccharide-producing strains.
Maeda et al. (2004) reported that an exopolysaccharide produced by L. kefiranofaciens reduced
serum cholesterol level in rats when they consumed excessive dietary cholesterol.
The polysaccharide kefiran is found uniquely in kefir (made from grains), and some researchers believe that kefiran is its active ingredient in cholesterol
reduction (Shiomi et al. 1982; Maeda et al. 2004).

What is an exopolysaccharide? – A biomacromolecule composed of carbohydrate residues which is secreted by a microorganism into the surrounding environment – in other words – during fermentation the kefir grains in milk produce this exopolysaccharide – which is the star performer in real kefir – only from kefir grains

Here is a link to the paper to read it in full

Milk & More celebrate female run businesses who supply our British milkman with delicious products that are delivered to your doorstep.

Milk & More gave us a mention on International Women’s Day on 8th March. Our business was started by Deborah in 2007, her daughter Aurora joined the business in 2021. Milk & More asked Deborah about who inspired her. See the interview here...

Nourish’s award winning cow’s milk kefir is available for breakfast delivery from Milk & More

Pancake Tuesday a la kefir!

Try this quick and easy alternative recipe for Shrove Tuesday also known as pancake Tuesday.
We just made it this morning and it was yummy served with maple syrup…

Great Taste 2021 awarded 1 star to Nourish Kefir
Nourish Kefir Organic Cow’s Milk Kefir and Nourish Goats Milk Kefir drinks have both been awarded 1 star from the judges at the 2021 Great Taste Awards.
The judges commented as follows:
An enticing looking drink with good freshness on the nose. The flavour is delicate and well balanced. Refreshing and easy to drink. We imagine enjoying it with Middle Eastern foods.
This kefir has a delightful aroma with fresh dairy and slight fermented notes. On the palate it was really refreshing and we loved the balance of creamy milk and slight effervescence from the ferment. A very clean and delicious product.

And for the goats kefir the judges noted:
This was lovely – a smooth, creamy, refreshing drink with a delicious earthy tang. There was a ‘farmyard’ element to the taste which was entirely pleasant, and a slight effervescence from the fermentation process on the tongue really made the flavour of the goat’s milk come alive.
This kefir has a wonderful sweet and goaty aroma without bordering into animal notes. This is refreshing and effervescent and it is a tasty, healthy drink. The milk is very rich and creamy and has a good mouthfeel.

Constipation and how to relieve it?
If you suffer with constipation, we have a few tips to suggest that may help you…

Years ago, when I was dealing with my own IBS issues, my bowel would sometimes oscillate between diarrhoea to constipation.  Not being able to go is nearly as bad as not being able to stop the need to go!  I was informed back then, by a doctor, of the 3 things needed to relieve symptoms of constipation:

Water, oil and movement

1 – Water – We are approx 70% water and many of us underestimate how much we need and don’t drink as much as we think.

2 – Oil – Think of your intestines like the engine of your car – it needs oil!  I think pure cod liver oil is best.  My approach is to take a bit more until my bowels function normally, then reduce the amount of oil as movement becomes easier and regular.

3 – Movement – Your body is a muscle machine, it is built to move, so move more!  Exercise more if you can.

Mindfulness
Recently I have begun to have a more ‘Mindful’ appreciation of the food I’m eating, and I wonder if this too will help anyone suffering with constipation or a sluggish digestion?  Here’s what I practice if you want to give it a try:

• Sit and eat at a table for all meals.
• Look at your food (not your phone/TV). Notice the colour and textures of the food.
• Appreciate that someone somewhere in the world farmed and grew the food on your plate. Be grateful you didn’t have to grow or farm the food you are eating – or if you did grow it – appreciate that you were able to do this – what an achievement!
• Take smaller mouthfuls and really notice the flavours of how the food tastes.
• Chew the food well. Chewing well can be a challenge; I know I often scoff food down and sometimes can’t even remember what I had for a meal!  By chewing properly, we enable the saliva in our mouths to coat the food and start the process of digestion.  Chewing breaks the food down into smaller bits (the job of the teeth!) and the saliva starts the digestive enzymes as the food arrives in our stomach.  Interestingly, the layer of internal ‘skin’ membrane of the intestines is only around 0.2mm – although it’s strong, it’s also delicate, so we do ourselves a favour by chewing our food well!

Kefir and digestion:

Kefir made from grains is a great support to your digestion from the first mouthful, as it encourages your natural metabolism to help you digest your food.  Due to its slight sour taste, drinking kefir before a meal will activate your mouth saliva and the digestive juices in your stomach.
Kefir is nutritious and full of good gut bacteria and enzymes that will help push out the bad bacteria and replace with the good; these in turn will help the intestinal tract to absorb the nutrients from the food we eat, and in doing so, kefir will support normal bowel functions, which are digestion, assimilation and elimination.

And finally, as we’ve always been told… remember to regularly eat fibrous foods including lots of fresh green veggies and fruits – such as an apple a day!

Real Kefir vs Covid Study
Learn about the immune protecting properties of real kefir (made from grains) in scientifically proven research
We provide a link to the full study – but here are a few snippets here to get you as excited as we are about the scientifically tested effects of real kefir on various bodily functions to help potentially protect against the effects of covid 19.

What does the real kefir vs covid study tell us?:
“With respect to human health, kefir has antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory potential. Kefir has been shown to inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme levels, cholesterol metabolism, accelerate wound healing, suppress tumour
growth, and cause alterations in the immune system to improve asthma symptoms and allergy.”

“Kefir and its probiotic contents can modulate the immune system to suppress infections from viruses (e.g. Zika, hepatitis C, influenza, rotaviruses).”

“Kefir can act as an anti-inflammatory agent”

“It has been postulated that some COVID-19 patients die after the massive inflammatory response resulting from a cytokine storm … Kefir can inhibit the activity of proinflammatory cytokines. Using kefir (and its byproducts) as an inhibitor of
proinflammatory cytokines in COVID-19 patients could be a viable policy.”

References: Reham Samir Hamida, Ashwag Shami, Mohamed Abdelaal Ali, Zakiah Nasser
Almohawes, Afrah E. Mohammed, Mashael Mohammed Bin-Meferij,
Kefir: A protective dietary supplementation against viral infection,
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Volume 133, 2021, 110974, ISSN 0753-3322,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110974.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332220311665)

Boost your Gut – protect against covid.  An article in the Daily Mail online reports recent scientific studies suggesting that people with healthy gut microflora could be better able to fight off an attack of the corona virus, compared to someone with an impaired gut micro-flora.

A gut that functions normally and has a rich and diverse range of friendly bacteria is better able to support the body’s overall immune system and potentially better able to resist infection.
Drinking kefir is a good way to obtain a diverse range of good bacteria.  It is a low cost, natural food that could boost your gut and protect against covid.  Kefir made from grains is the best quality you can get.  It provides a naturally fermented range of good bacteria, good yeasts, enzymes and beneficial exopolysaccharides.  Real kefir’s acidity and sour taste can also help reduce bad bacteria and repopulate the intestines with good bacteria.  How long this takes varies from person to person and how much kefir is consumed each day.

A balanced, nutritious diet and eating fresh fruit are other simple measures also reported to make a difference.

Ferment your own (so cheap to do) or buy our premium kefir – and drink some every day.
Stay safe and stay well!

Links are provided above to scientific studies investigating the benefits of drinking kefir. In our opinion, kefir made from grains offers the best gut boosting support.  Photo shows MD Deborah with kefir grains that have been fermenting in organic cow’s milk.

Milk & More Doorstep Delivery

As of 30th November 2020 our original, organic cow’s milk kefir will be available in 500ml size glass bottles! These will be available exclusively through Milk & More (milkandmore.co.uk) the online fresh groceries morning doorstep delivery service (aka the milkman!).

It is exciting to be supplying a business we admire.  One that provides an essential service (especially during lockdown), in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way.

From Monday Milk & More customers will be able to enjoy the taste and goodness of real kefir, delivered to their doorstep.  Nourish Kefir is produced in our artisan dairy in South Croydon. We ferment real live kefir grains in organic cow’s milk.  We believe this is the best quality kefir and provides a naturally abundant and diverse range of gut friendly bacteria.  So it’s the same great tasting kefir – now in glass bottles!