Kefir - The Keeper of Your Gut Health
Kefir drink is renowned for its probiotic content, as it contains a diverse array of beneficial bacteria and yeasts, including strains such as Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, and Saccharomyces. These probiotics are believed to contribute to gut health by promoting a balanced intestinal microbiota, aiding digestion, and supporting immune function.
Kefir is typically consumed as a refreshing drink, but it can also be used in smoothies, salad dressings, or as a substitute for milk in recipes. It comes in various forms, including milk kefir, water kefir (made with sugar water or fruit juice), cashew kefir, and coconut kefir (made with coconut milk).
How to say / pronounce Kefir
Its pronounced "KEE-fur" by some people and "kuh-fEEr" by other people. I pronounce it as in the first option.
Yogurt Kefir
Similarities : Both Yogurt and Kefir are fermented milk drinks with a tart and tangy flavor. They also have similar looks and many times similar consistency. So many people get confused between the two.
Differences :
- Strains of probiotics are different in Yogurt vs Kefir, so you get different nutritional benefits.
- Kefir is made by culturing the milk with Kefir grains which are creamish white in color and look like small cauliflower florets. Yogurt is made by culturing the milk with a sample of yogurt itself.
- For Yogurt, fermentation takes place at warmer temperatures while for Kefir we use cold milk or milk at room temperature.
Science and Story of Kefir Drink
To understand the science behind fermented foods like Kefir, read my previous post. Current post is all about story - My story on how I got introduced to Kefir.
Last year (2022), I was facing vague health problems like brain fog, anxiety, difficulty holding conversation with acquaintances, lethargy, cold hands and feet, etc. I felt something was off in my brain. The symptoms would fluctuate from highly disruptive to tolerable, followed by periods of relative relief. It was also the time when some days I would get a really itchy throat and cough that would not let me sleep at night. It went on for 2 months when I got an MRI scan of my brain done but nothing significant came out apart from sinusitis. Also got my blood work done. Everything came in normal except ferritin (which was very low at 6). My father, a doctor, said its nothing significant and gave me antihistamines to address the sinusitis and Iron capsules to address the ferritin issue. But the symptoms continued more or less in the same way.
I scoured reddit forums and suspected that it's Long Covid as many people in that forum were suffering from similar symptoms. When I talked to my father about it, he dismissed the whole notion of Long COVID, saying it’s nothing but kind of a scam. He advised me not to overthink. Got a similar response from another doctor here in Bangalore. It was depressive to live like that. In the Long COVID forum, the usual prescription in other countries (US, UK, etc.) was antihistamines to manage the symptoms. I was already taking antihistamines prescribed by my father for the last 2 months but they only seemed to work half heartedly. I tried changing brands but that also didn’t work any better. Basically, I kept on trying many different things (multivitamins, Ahwagandha, Ayurveda, JalNeti, etc) but nothing seemed to work concretely. Exercising often made things worse - would give more lethargy.
One sunny day, feeling especially cold and tired, I felt like lying down in Sun (I am really grateful for having the privacy and the luxury of direct sunlight on my balcony). I sunbathed for half an hour and felt really energized that day. So I made it into a routine and felt better in managing my symptoms. Gradually, the problem disappeared and I forgot about it.
A few months later, the problem returned. But this time maybe I was better prepared, so I felt less of an impact. A few months further down, the problem again came back…. but with a twist. Basically, the symptoms were still unexplained and vague but they were different than before. This time I was also experiencing flatulence, shakiness / jittery body, muscle pains (thighs and leg in particular) in addition to anxiety. On the positive side, brain fog was mild this time.
By now, I was able to see a pattern in my sickness episodes. The episodes would usually last for 2-3 months with fluctuating levels of symptoms; 5-6 days would be intense, then they gradually decrease in intensity for the next week or so before coming back again in some form or the other. Is there some link that I am missing? Are those very different sets of symptoms connected at a deeper level?
Based on my research and reading, I conjectured that my symptoms are due to inflammation of some kind, most probably in / near the brain. I also suspected that they get triggered by viral infections. What should end with a cold/cough of 3-10 days is getting lingered on for months and also producing vague, erratic symptoms. May be by the time one viral infection subsides, I catch another one. If that's true, it means that somehow my immune system is not working as it should. But why and what to do about it ? I was clueless on the root cause and the cure.
One day, I chanced upon a video on gut health and it connected many dots in my mind. The creator of the video is a practising cardiologist in US and has years of experience. He said that the imbalance of gut bacteria is the root cause for most of the low grade - chronic inflammations seen in many lifestyle diseases like high bp, high sugar, coronary heart diseases, fatty liver, IBS, gastric problems, etc. And it is also responsible for the vague symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, etc.
This imbalance, called Dysbiosis, means that bad bacteria have become dominant. These harmful bacteria produce toxins and inflammatory compounds that damage the delicate lining of the gut. This damage can lead to "leaky gut," which means gaps form between the cells of the intestinal lining, allowing toxins, undigested food particles, and harmful bacteria to leak into the bloodstream. This can trigger immune responses and inflammation in the body, contributing to a range of health issues far beyond the gut, including autoimmune diseases, allergies, and chronic inflammation. The inflammation further disrupts the balance of the gut microbiota, creating a vicious cycle.
To solve this root cause, he proposed 2 things - fermented food and fasting. And among fermented foods he stressed most on Kefir. This started my journey into the world of Kefir.
I searched on the internet and found out that Kefir grains are available on Amazon. I ordered the grains and started to make my own Kefir at home. To tell you the truth, the results were not instant or specifically spectacular by any standards but when I look back at the period of last 6 months (the time I started kanji and kefir) , I have not had to take any antihistamines and more importantly viral infections are starting to become more normal - 3-7 days cycle with minimal sore throat and runny nose and NO vague or unexplained symptoms. I have a feeling that the balance is getting restored gradually in my gut. I am writing this with a bit of apprehension - who knows my perspective is still limited and the episode comes back again right after I finish this blog :D No but seriously, I feel I am on the right track so far. So much for the story today. Wish me good luck guys! 😀