<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> I've posted three times this week about kefir: (1) how it helped with candida infection & constipation, (2) how delicious it is as a salad dressing ingredient, and (3) how I had a mild Herxheimer reaction when I first began using it. Because so much of this information is overlapping, I'm going to try to combine the summaries from all three posts. Most of the responses I received were actually questions about kefir: where to get it, how it's made, it's safety, etc. I received a few responses from list mates who said kefir has been beneficial to their health. First I'll include these responses then I'll do my best to answer all the questions. Many of the questions may sound "contrived" because they are actually composites of the same questions asked by several people. I hope this information is beneficial to you, my valued list mates. ~Valerie in Tacoma --------------- I began drinking Lifeway Kefir (Whole Foods and several other large health food stores carry it) 6 years ago. It has totally healed my very damaged gut and also helped my immune system. I buy it by the case now.....if I'm out of kefir, I'm out of food. It's that important to me. There's another brand that came out a year or so ago that I do not like. It has the FOS in it, which actually seemed to give me some problems. I could not have any milk products 6 years ago.....truly a lactose intolerance at that time. When I read about Lifeway Kefir . . . I was skeptical about the "no lactose due to the fermentation process". So when I first tried it I was wary. However, I had no ill effects and then began reading about all of the natural occurring probiotics in it. The fatigue I had been feeling and the messed-up GI system that I was still dealing with after a year of GF living, was suddenly so much better. And it has been a steady progression of health over the past 6 years that I attribute to this drink. As far as making it myself, I know it would be much more economical, since I pay $2.50 per bottle for it, but I LOVE the taste and thickness of the plain, low-fat Lifeway kefir. I don't ever buy the flavored ones, since I do not want the sugar. But the plain I could drink until I weighed as much as a semi truck! ): I always have a cup or a cup and a half before going to bed. Christie in TX --------------- [Speaking of the Herxheimer reaction "war inside" ...] That's funny! I used the same words ... when I first tried kefir I was sure a little war was going on in there. But it made a huge difference really quick. I was afraid for the kids to try it, for that reason, but they didn't have that reaction at all. Nor my gut-sensative hubby. I've been using it for my son's tube feeding and he's been doing great. He had constant diarrhea before we started. I've been using kefir to ferment leftovers for the chickens and meat for making jerky ... it seems to be able to overwhelm any bacteria or mold or anything else quite easily in a bucket. I suspect it does the same in your gut. Heidi -------------- Q: This is the most disturbing e-mail I ever read on the list. Never thought people suffered so much. I would like to wish you health and peace of mind , and I am glad you've found remedy for your symptoms. Personally, I have had some IBS in the past, mostly cured by diet. However - this info might be of interest to you too. In Israel where I live, the Negev Biotechnology center has fantastic success with various colon therapy using Organic Camel milk. The 30 Camels are in a special farm, and the milk is clinically used in hospital with fantastic success rare for IBS/Chrohnes/Diabetics diseases and other abdominal syndromes. Ilan 1. Farah Zakaria . Composition and characteristics of camel milk. J.O.Dairy Research 1993;76 (10): 2845-2855. 2. Elagamy E.l. Effect of heat treatment on camel milk proteins with respect to antimicrobial factors: a comparison with cows' and buffalo milk proteins. Food chemistry 2000; 68: 227 -232. 3.Mehaia Mohamed A..Vitamin C and riboflavin content in camels milk: effects of heat treatments. Food chemistry1994;50 (2):153-155. 4.Restani -P, Gaiaschi - A, Plehani - A, Beretta - B, Cavagni -G, Fiocchi - A, Poiesi - C, Velona - T,Ugazio -AG, Galli - El. Cross reactivity between milk proteins from different animal species. Clinical and Experimental - Allergy 1999; 29(7): 997-1004. A: Hmmm..... it's against Tacoma city regulations to keep livestock. I wonder if my city officials would consider a camel a pet???? ha ha! Yes, I have battled IBS all my life -- 50 years. I've tried every diet trick & treatment available to me in the USA, but absolutely nothing has helped with any consistency before I began using kefir. Now everything seems to help. I still eat a wholesome whole food diet, drink plenty of fluids, exercise, etc. I don't want to give anyone the impression that I believe that kefir will neutralize the consequences of poor diet choices. -------------- Q: What does it taste like? Steve A: It tastes kind tart like plain buttermilk or yogurt, but with more zip. It is effervescent if allowed to ferment long enough. Some people instantly love it, others have to develop a taste for it. How tart it is depends on how long you let it culture. The longer it cultures the stronger & bubblier it gets. Valerie ---------------- Q: How is it possible to be able to take milk and make kefir and be able to digest it without symptoms if it is made from milk? I have a casein intolerance and it reacts the same way gluten does. Is yours like that too? Or do you get a rash from milk? I am very interested to make this kefir but afraid it will set me off. Rosalie A: According to blood tests done by Great Smokies laboratory, I have a rare, bona fide allergy to lactalbumin, the other major milk protein. I don't know about casien sensitivity or lactose intolerance, but I have a three year history of being VERY sensitive to milk, reacting to very small amounts with headaches, mood swings, depression, fatigue, abdominal pain, heartburn, etc. (much like my gluten reactions). According to what I've been told and read, kefir culturing breaks down the milk proteins so they don't trigger an allergy or sensitivity reaction. I really can't say whether that's true or not, but I can say I'm tolerating goat milk kefir very well. There's only one way to tell if you can tolerate it and that is, of course, by trying it. When you culture your own at home with either kefir starter or real kefir grains, the longer you let it culture the less "intact" proteins and lactose remain in the milk. So if you're a little hesitant, start out with small amounts of strongly cultured kefir. It's usually cultured 24 hours, but according the website, it can be cultured to 36 or even 48 hours. BTW, there is such a thing as non-dairy kefirs. See DOM's website: http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html#what's-kefir It contains instructions for alternative kefir beverages. But, if I were you, I'd try goat milk kefir first. If you react, try processing it a longer time, if that doesn't work, then you can switch to one of the alternative fluids. Remember that what may seem as a reaction may actually be a symptoms of the little war going on inside and be prepared for a Herxheimer reaction. [See my post Feb 2004: What to expect when you start KEFIR and this website that explains what a Herxheimer reaction is: http://www.flora-balance.com/whatotexpect.htm ] Also, one of my sons is experiencing what he believes may be a Herx' reaction. He started kefir just about a week ago and he is using significantly less than I started with. He's had restlessness and some very large unusual stools in the last couple of days. Only time will tell if this is a Herx reaction or an intolerance to kefir. ----------------- ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! *Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*