Dr. Steven Novil, Ph.D.
 
The drink we now call Kefir (it is sometimes pronounced Kee-fur) originated in ancient times when Eastern nomadic shepherds discovered that fresh milk carried in leather pouches would occasionally ferment into a deliciously effervescent beverage. Once the accidental process was discovered, this bubbly refresher became popular throughout the known world. It is thought to originate from the Turkish word "Keif" meaning "good feeling", for the sense of well-being experienced after drinking it.
 
Outside of the Balkans, kefir was scarcely known. Marco Polo spoke of kefir in his travels. After that it was forgotten for several hundred years in the West. Renewed interest in kefir occurred in the West in the early nineteenth century. As it was found to be useful therapeutically for the treatment of tuberculosis at sanitariums. The World Health Organization says that many other countries have successfully used kefir in the treatment of tuberculosis.
 
Kefir is extremely high in lactic acid. One of the foremost studies of lactic acid was conducted by a European, Dr. Johannes Kuhl, who recommended as a protection against cancer, a wholesome natural diet reinforced with liberal daily amounts of lactic acid fermented foods. Dr. Kuhl mentioned kefir, sourdough dark bread, sauerkraut, pickled beets, and pickled cucumbers.
 
In many parts of the Caucasus Mountains, the natives (many who are still active and live past 100 years of age) drink kefir. The kefir grain with its fermenting yeasts and bacteria is added to fresh milk which is then permitted to sour.
 
What are the unique properties of kefir? Many Naturopathic doctors consider kefir to be the best remedy for digestive troubles because it has a very low curd tension. This means that the curd breaks up very easily into extremely small particles. The curd of yogurt, on the other hand, holds together or breaks up into lumps. The small size of the kefir curd facilitates digestion by presenting a large surface for the digestive agents to work on.
 
Kefir, because it is such an easily digested nutritious food is ideal for infants, pregnant women, nursing mothers, convalescents, the elderly, people who suffer from constipation or those who have other abnormal digestive activity.
 
An international Nobel prize winning researcher, Elie Metchnikoff (1908) found that kefir activates the flow of saliva, most likely due to its lactic acid content and its slight amount of carbonation. Kefir stimulates peristalsis and digestive juices in the intestinal tract. For these reasons it is recommended as a post-operative food since most abdominal operations cause the bowels to stop contracting and pushing food along (peristalsis).
 
Candida is usually a condition where there is an excessive growth of yeast cells. In reference to Candida, Dr. Orla-Jenson, a noted Danish bacteriologist specializing in dairy research states that "Kefir digests yeast cells and has a beneficial affect on the intestinal flora".
 
Kefir has mild laxative properties. In Germany and many parts of Asia it is used extensively with cases of chronic constipation and is used for a wide variety of intestinal disorders. It is also recommended to restore the intestinal flora of people who are recovering from a serious illness or being treated with antibiotics. It has also been effective for people who can not tolerate dairy products. Kefir is predigested due to the fermentation process and is therefore much easier to digest.
 
There are many types of commercially available kefir cheese, also known as pot cheese or farmers' cheese. Kefir also comes in a variety of flavors. One of my personal nationally distributed favorites is Lifeways Kefir made by Lifeway Foods in Morton Grove, IL. They make plain and flavored kefir as well as old-fashioned kefir farmers' cheese.