Can you buy lactose free kefir?

[Backtobasics95]

Very good probiotic food, but I'm lactose intolerant

[Zest]

Hi Backtobasics95 ,

I don't know much about Kefir, but I found this article which is quite interesting. Hopefully someone will be able to answer your query about buying lactose free kefir, but the article does suggest you can drink regular Kefir, and explains the reasons why, so see what you think:

fitlife.tv/why-you-should-d...

Zest

[Backtobasics95 in reply to Zest]

Thank you zest ☺️

[Hidden]

You can buy Coconut Kefir, is made with lactose free kefir.

rhythmhealth.co.uk/product/...

[BeFitCoach]

Hi Backtobasics

as Dottie and Zest suggested, even if you are lactose intolerant,you can drink the real kefir as the lactose content is reduced due to fermentation, and the resulting substance is actually improving the intolerance.

However, if you insist on lactose-free variant, there are few options. One of them is a coconut kefir suggested by gy-beth. Another is a real diary kefir, but made with goats milk, which in itself is used by many people with lactose intolerance, because of lower amount of lactose. Making kefir from goats milk further reduce the amount of lactose,making it viable option for people with lactose intolerance.

[BeFitCoach]

One more thing to add. I will copy - paste some info on kefir and some medication here. If you are on any of them, please talk to your GP first

PLEASE NOTE: Warfarin and kefir are not a good combination, as kefir is very high in Vitamin K, which de-stabilises the warfarin. However we have recently been informed that a recent generation of blood thinner called Edoxaban may not be antagonistic to Vitamin K, and therefore can be used while taking kefir. This is a conversation that you should have with your GP.

PLEASE NOTE: Kefir boosts your immune system and helps it work properly. This which is an opposite action to immunosuppressants, which suppress the immune system. Taking both kefir and immunosuppressants at the same time is like trying to drive your car with your foot on both the gas and the brake. If you are currently on immunosuppressants, you need to make a decision about which treatment path to choose; we don’t recommend taking both at the same time. This is a serious decision that you will need to make in cooperation with your GP.

[BadHare in reply to BeFitCoach]

Vitamin K1 helps blood clot, so may cause an issue with warfarin, however, it's vitmin K2 in kefir. This helps direct calcium into bones rather than arteries, so prevents atherosclerosis.

[BadHare]

Reposting this from another thread re kefir:

The issue for most people who are dairy intolerant is lactose, the sugar found in milk, rather than the protein, casein. Kefir is made up of a symbiosis of yeasts & lactobacillus which use lactose as their food source, so some milk intolerant people can eat it without a reaction due to the lactose being consumed by the kefirans.

I drink kefir every day, & have found it beneficial to my digestion, as well as my nutrient intake. I started making it from commercial kefir, then progressed to kefir powder, then kefir grains which look like tiny cauliflower florets. The latter should last indefinitely if cared for, ie, fed with a suitable substrate for it to grow, & kept at an ambient temperature. It takes about the same time to make as a pot of tea, so is very easy & not time consuming. I have always used fresh unhomogenised organic wholemilk for the grains, as homogenisation alters casein molecules, & antibiotics in non-organic milk will kill the grains.

I've kept mine happy enough to grow from 10g 2-3mm to 200g 5-10mm with countless tiny grains, as they especially like gold top milk with extra fat. They can be kept alive in lower fat milk, or nut milks, even watered juice, bit they won't reproduce as well, or have the same nutritional value, especially protein, K2 & B12. I also do a daily batch of drained kefir & add some chopped organic apple, lemon, or grapefruit for a second fermentation. It's not fruity as the kefir eats this as well, but makes the kefirans reproduce so rapidly, the carbon dioxide makes it slightly fizzy. If it's left long enough, it can be made into cheese, similar in texture & taste to cottage cheese. They whey should be drunk as this contains the water soluble B vitamins.

I've posted these articles several times:

chriskresser.com/kefir-the-...

chriskresser.com/vitamin-k2...

chriskresser.com/how-to-res...

chriskresser.com/heal-your-...

Also of interest: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/250...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/242...

There are thousands of articles available on the internet regarding the health benefits & how to grow your own kefir. I've not read anything negative about kefir, but you need to try it yourself, & perhaps every day for several months to feel the benefit. What it won't do is make up for a poor diet, so it's not a quick fix.

If you really want a dairy free probiotic, try kombucha. It's just as easy to grow.