Guest guest Posted February 21, 2002 Report Share Posted February 21, 2002 >What's good about kefir? Please don't refer me to kefir making >message board. To hear those people " everything " is kefir. Anyway >just wandering what is in kefir that's better than yogurt or >comparable. Good question, and I'm not sure I can answer usefully, but I'll try. Kefir grains are made of a much wider variety of organisms than yoghurt, which at least in theory could be quite beneficial as they'll tend to displace a wider range of pathogens and perform a larger number of functions. In addition to lactic-acid-producing bacteria (like yoghurt) kefir has acetic-acid-producing bacteria and beneficial yeasts. Also, kefir is supposed to be more effective at building and strengthening the intestinal mucous layer. However, I make both yoghurt and kefir, and while I like both, I couldn't tell you whether one is better than the other from any response in my health. They both seem to be good. There is one definite advantage to kefir, though -- you don't have to keep buying starter. <g> In fact, the grains actually multiply, so you can sell your surplus, give them away, and/or make other things with them, like kefir kraut, kefir-fermented fruit juice, etc. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2002 Report Share Posted February 21, 2002 Benefits of kefir vs yogurt Objective: Wider range of beneficial bacteria Less heating needed Yeasts (yogurt has none) Useful for things other than dairy Drinkable! Subjective: Tastes just as good as yogurt Very slightly carbonated (I love carbonation) Drinkable! I still haven't made it myself though. :-( -----Original Message----- From: dkemnitz2000 [mailto:dkemnitz2000@...] Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 6:42 PM Subject: kefir vs. yogurt What's good about kefir? Please don't refer me to kefir making message board. To hear those people " everything " is kefir. Anyway just wandering what is in kefir that's better than yogurt or comparable. Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2002 Report Share Posted February 21, 2002 - > Objective: > Drinkable! > Subjective: > Drinkable! Actually, once I switched to un-homogenized milk, my yoghurt started coming out thinner than my kefir. I drink both of them now. <g> - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2002 Report Share Posted February 21, 2002 And multiply!!! Thanks that was a very useful answer :-) I will tell you from my clinical experience that while raw milk and raw kefir could work wonders, yoghurt didn't do squat. The heating process affected it in such a way that it was useless therapeutically speaking. You had to raise the temperature above what the milk would have reached inside of the animal and that just never produced an effective product. I thought I read some earlier posts of folks making yoghurt without heat? On Wed, 20 Feb 2002 20:09:17 -0500 Idol <Idol@...> writes: >What's good about kefir? Please don't refer me to kefir making >message board. To hear those people " everything " is kefir. Anyway >just wandering what is in kefir that's better than yogurt or >comparable. Good question, and I'm not sure I can answer usefully, but I'll try. Kefir grains are made of a much wider variety of organisms than yoghurt, which at least in theory could be quite beneficial as they'll tend to displace a wider range of pathogens and perform a larger number of functions. In addition to lactic-acid-producing bacteria (like yoghurt) kefir has acetic-acid-producing bacteria and beneficial yeasts. Also, kefir is supposed to be more effective at building and strengthening the intestinal mucous layer. However, I make both yoghurt and kefir, and while I like both, I couldn't tell you whether one is better than the other from any response in my health. They both seem to be good. There is one definite advantage to kefir, though -- you don't have to keep buying starter. <g> In fact, the grains actually multiply, so you can sell your surplus, give them away, and/or make other things with them, like kefir kraut, kefir-fermented fruit juice, etc. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2002 Report Share Posted February 21, 2002 One of the lactobacilli that is in Kefir that is missing from yogurt is lactabacillus plantarum. Plantarum is similarly beneficial to the yogurt lactobacilli, but supposedly is more easily maintained in the digestive tract. I would imagine, however, that is relative to the individual's diet and the amount of cellulose and oligosacharides present since I believe it is also one that is closely involved with plant fermentation. If you're on a low vegetation diet, your mileage may vary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2002 Report Share Posted February 21, 2002 >The heating process >affected it in such a way that it was useless therapeutically speaking. >You had to raise the temperature above what the milk would have reached >inside of the animal and that just never produced an effective product. That's why I'm trying to make yoghurt without any extra heating of any kind. :-\ >I thought I read some earlier posts of folks making yoghurt without heat? Me too, I think. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2002 Report Share Posted February 21, 2002 Soo, someone who can't tolerate milk can drink kefir? (I can do yogurt alright) I bought some kefir grains from the health food store but now I'm wondering if I have the same kind of " grains " that you all are talking about. Kefir starter is not the same as grains, is it? The directions say nothing about reusing anything. In fact, it says to heat the milk to 180F or to the boiling point. This doesn't sound like the same kefir that you all are talking about. HELP!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2002 Report Share Posted February 21, 2002 >Soo, someone who can't tolerate milk can drink kefir? (I can do >yogurt alright) Yup! As long as you let the kefir culture long enough to consume all the lactose. >I bought some kefir grains from the health food store but now I'm >wondering if I have the same kind of " grains " that you all are >talking about. Kefir starter is not the same as grains, is it? Hmm, sounds like you might have gotten powdered kefir starter, which is not at all the same as kefir curds/grains. The grains look kind of like lumps of tapioca pudding, and you transfer them from one batch of milk to the next. Powdered starter doesn't make real kefir, and can't be reused like real kefir grains. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2002 Report Share Posted February 21, 2002 You probably got kefir powder, which I use. (my grains died, but I think they were doa from someplace in Canada). I don't heat the milk to 180; I put it in my dehydrator and get it to about 90, and then add the powder and leave it on the counter for 24 hours. Works great. You also don't need a dehydrator - just make sure the milk is room temperature before you add the powder (or grains, if you use them). It takes a little longer for hte milk to warm up without the dehydrator. ----- Original Message ----- From: lisamc8898 Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 7:00 PM Subject: Re: kefir vs. yogurt Soo, someone who can't tolerate milk can drink kefir? (I can do yogurt alright) I bought some kefir grains from the health food store but now I'm wondering if I have the same kind of " grains " that you all are talking about. Kefir starter is not the same as grains, is it? The directions say nothing about reusing anything. In fact, it says to heat the milk to 180F or to the boiling point. This doesn't sound like the same kefir that you all are talking about. HELP!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2002 Report Share Posted February 21, 2002 I have been making yogurt this week without heating it. I have been taking my raw goats milk out of the fridge adding yogurt starter right out of the fridge to it and then sticking it in my dehydrator at no higher than 100 degrees and it has been turning out great. It is thick before it gets put in the refrigerator! Marcella >From: bianca3@... >Reply- > >Subject: Re: kefir vs. yogurt >Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 17:19:03 -0800 > >And multiply!!! Thanks that was a very useful answer :-) > >I will tell you from my clinical experience that while raw milk and raw >kefir could work wonders, yoghurt didn't do squat. The heating process >affected it in such a way that it was useless therapeutically speaking. >You had to raise the temperature above what the milk would have reached >inside of the animal and that just never produced an effective product. > >I thought I read some earlier posts of folks making yoghurt without heat? > >On Wed, 20 Feb 2002 20:09:17 -0500 Idol <Idol@...> >writes: > > >What's good about kefir? Please don't refer me to kefir making > >message board. To hear those people " everything " is kefir. Anyway > >just wandering what is in kefir that's better than yogurt or > >comparable. > >Good question, and I'm not sure I can answer usefully, but I'll try. > >Kefir grains are made of a much wider variety of organisms than yoghurt, >which at least in theory could be quite beneficial as they'll tend to >displace a wider range of pathogens and perform a larger number of >functions. In addition to lactic-acid-producing bacteria (like yoghurt) >kefir has acetic-acid-producing bacteria and beneficial yeasts. Also, >kefir is supposed to be more effective at building and strengthening the >intestinal mucous layer. > >However, I make both yoghurt and kefir, and while I like both, I couldn't > >tell you whether one is better than the other from any response in my >health. They both seem to be good. > >There is one definite advantage to kefir, though -- you don't have to >keep >buying starter. <g> In fact, the grains actually multiply, so you can >sell your surplus, give them away, and/or make other things with them, >like >kefir kraut, kefir-fermented fruit juice, etc. > > > >- > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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