Why Water Kefir

Water Kefir - A Simple Habit That Makes a Big difference to the Digestive System

Over the last few years, I needed to make different lifestyle choices and became increasingly interested in nutrition, gut health and the important role our digestive system plays in how we feel every day.

I was drawn to kefir a naturally fermented drink as an alternative to fizzy drinks which consists of carbonated sugar and artificial ingredients (let’s not go there). Kefir particularly interested me because it was something I could easily make myself.

I tried different methods and now make a water kefir, you can use milk but the recipe that is our preference is made with water kefir grains, organic golden sugar, organic dates, and organic fruit juices.

Eating Healthy All the Time Isn't Always Easy

I think many of us know what it feels like to eat a food type and afterwards feel bloated, heavy and uncomfortable. Apart from the ease of making it kefir also improved my digestive system.

Making your own kefir is about creating good habits that support your overall health so that you can manage those times of eating the ‘not so healthy’. I find since drinking water kefir regularly my stomach generally feels much more comfortable, even when I occasionally eat foods that aren't as healthy as I would normally choose.

The biggest change for me has been how my stomach feels. It has gradually become one of those lifestyle changes that I notice how I feel when I don't live it!

For me, making water kefir has been one of the simplest and most enjoyable nutritional habits I have introduced to my everyday dietary needs.

It has also opened the door to learning much more about fermentation, probiotics, prebiotics and the fascinating relationship between the microorganisms living in our digestive system and the foods we eat.

Recent human research has shown that drinking water kefir regularly can change the balance of bacteria living in the gut, including increasing certain bacteria associated with the production of butyrate. Butyrate is an important substance that helps nourish the cells lining the bowel, supports the gut barrier and plays a role in controlling inflammation. The gut contains an enormous community of microorganisms, often referred to as the gut microbiome, and fermented foods have traditionally been one way of introducing a greater variety of microorganisms and fermentation products into our diet.

Research into water kefir is still at an early stage, and there is not yet enough evidence to say that it can treat conditions such as IBS, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. It is best viewed as a fermented food that may support a healthy and diverse gut microbiome rather than as a treatment for illness.