Water kefir is one of the best dietary sources of probiotics available and may contain up to 40 different beneficial strains. Water kefir grains are a natural symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast and look like small bits of grain (hence the name) and work wonderfully to ferment water and nut milks.
Water kefir is made by adding kefir grains to sugar water. This mixture is then left to ferment for 24-48 hours creating a fizzy, probiotic-rich beverage that’s brimming with benefits.
Water kefir has been around for hundreds of years, but the exact form of benefits has, until recently, not been studied. Water kefir is high in probiotics, including a wide array of beneficial strains. In particular, water kefir is a great source of several of the best probiotic strains, including:
- Acetobacter fabarum
- Acetobacter orientalis
- Bifidobacterium aquikefir (proposed name)
- Bifidobacterium crudilactisand
- Bifidobacterium psychraerophilum
- Lactobacillus nagelii
- Lactobacillus hordei
- Lactobacillus hilgardii
- Lactobacillus casei
- Leuconostoc mesenteroides
- Leuconostoc citreum
- Zymomonas mobilis
and yeast strains including:
- Dekkera Anomala
- Dekkera Bruxellensis
- Hanseniaspora valbyensis
- Lachancea Fermantati
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae
- Zygosachharomyces s Lentus
- Zygotorulaspora florentina
Homemade water kefir far outranks any store-bought variety because the live probiotics are immediately ingested. It’s easy and inexpensive to make.
Most people are more familiar with cows milk kefir, however, water kefir is often preferred by those looking to minimize their consumption of animal products while still reaping the rewards of this incredible, refreshing probiotic drink.