Nowadays, people are always on the lookout for alternative, healthy foods. A very popular probiotic drink is homemade water kefir. In order to be able to produce this drink at all, you need so-called kefir cultures as a base. These look like a collection of small jelly balls. The beads consist of yeast fungi and lactic acid bacteria
Water kefir and its origins
It is believed that water kefir has been drunk for thousands of years. Mexico is traded as a possible country of origin. According to reports, water kefir was first mentioned in 1899. The crystals had been discovered on Mexican ear cacti (Opuntia), which apparently fed on the sugary excretions of the cacti.
However, there are also stories that point to Tibet, the Caucasus or even southern Ukraine as the country of origin. Wherever water kefir originates from, it has been used in all these countries for many years.
If you used to like carbonated soft drinks, you can quickly give them up with the help of water kefir. It tastes similarly sparkling, but – unlike soft drinks – has a whole host of health benefits.
Water kefir – The effects
Water kefir is said to have many positive effects. However, there are few scientific studies on this. However, water kefir is a very old drink that has been consumed by many peoples for many years. This means that empirical medicine can certainly be believed here.
The following healing effects are based on experience reports:
- Water kefir influences the intestinal flora and alleviates inflammatory bowel conditions. It can be used to build up the intestinal flora (e.g. after antibiotic therapy) and can support weight loss.
- Water kefir regulates digestion and thus optimizes the utilization of nutrients. It also often has a very positive effect on skin diseases.
- It is not uncommon for allergies to subside if you drink water kefir every day.
- There are also positive reports for arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome. Migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), depression, ADHD, acne, rosacea and many other complaints are also said to disappear or improve when water kefir is drunk regularly.
Water kefir – refreshing, probiotic and quick to prepare
To make the water kefir drink, place the jelly beads i(water kefir cultures) in sugar water, juice or coconut water. The probiotic yeast fungi and bacteria now set a fermentation process in motion.
They metabolize the sugar and produce carbon dioxide, vital substances and a little alcohol. At the same time, the probiotic microorganisms multiply and pass into the water.
Active in water kefir: Yeast fungi and bacteria
The yeast fungi and bacteria work in symbiosis in the production of water kefir. The yeast fungi are responsible for the production of vitamins and make the minerals in the water usable for the bacteria. The bacteria now use these vital substances for their own metabolism and produce lactic acid. Yeasts, on the other hand, love and use lactic acid for their metabolism.
The formation of lactic acid gives water kefir an acidic pH value. This acid ensures that neither putrefactive bacteria nor pathogens can spread and that kefir therefore contains a purely beneficial spectrum of microorganisms.
The probiotic cultures
Many people use water kefir as a natural and inexpensive probiotic. This is because many probiotics on the market only contain three or four strains of bacteria. However, water kefir is said to contain around 60 different strains and relatively high quantities of them (0.5 to 1 million CFUs (colony forming units per ml)).
The vitamins
In addition to probiotic bacteria, various vitamins are also produced during fermentation, in particular the vitamins of the B complex incl. of folic acid, kefir is also said to contain vitamins A, C and D.
How much water kefir should you drink?
At least 0.5 l is recommended to achieve the full effect.
Water kefir – The side effects
Many people do very well with water kefir, others tolerate it less well. Others can only tolerate one glass a day, but have problems with larger quantities. Some people need a certain amount of time to get used to kefir before it is well tolerated.
It is also important to remember that kefir naturally cleanses the digestive system due to its high probiotic content. Therefore, diarrhea and flatulence can occur during this clearing process. After a few days or weeks it gets better. This is a sign that the intestines have slowly regulated and regenerated.
It is therefore very difficult to judge on the basis of initial reactions after the first water kefir trials whether these are intolerance reactions or “only” detoxification and healing processes. You would simply have to try it out.
2-3 tablespoons of water kefir crystals (also known as “Japan crystals”) in ready-made water kefir drink
1 liter of water
around 80 g sugar (approx. 5 tablespoons)
20-30 g dried fruit (to taste: figs, raisins, prunes, etc.)
1-2 lemon slices (untreated or previously peeled)
1 fermentation vessel for at least 1 liter (e.g. screw-top jar)
1 plastic sieve, 1 funnel and the corresponding quantity of bottles for filling
Quick guide:
Pour 1 liter of water into your fermentation vessel and dissolve the sugar (80 g) in it. Add the water kefir crystals (around 2-3 tablespoons, approx. 30 g crystals) without the water kefir drink. Add approx. 20-30 g of dried fruit, e.g. 2-3 figs or half a handful of raisins. Add 1-2 lemon slices to the mixture. Close the fermentation vessel so that the resulting carbon dioxide can still escape. Place the fermentation vessel in a warm place and after 1-3 days the water kefir drink is ready! Remove the dried fruit and the slice of lemon. Pour the finished drink through a plastic strainer into plastic or glass bottles. Briefly rinse the water kefir crystals in a sieve with cold running water. Pour out the hot fermentation vessel. Now you can start again as described above.
IMPORTANT! Never bring your water kefir culture into contact with metal, as this could seriously damage it. Therefore, only use plastic sieves and spoons.
