<<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*
|
