Kefir

Evidence: 57 • authority: 92

Kefir revisited: Insights from the North Caucasus.. Kefir is a probiotic fermented milk product, distributed throughout the world from the North Caucasus, formed by fermenting milk with kefir grains. Kefir grains represent a striking example of microbial symbiosis between bacteria and fungi. Despite the extensive shifts in microbial composition during milk fermentation, the composition of kefir grains remains relatively constant. The evolutionary origin of such a stable symbiont remains unclear. There are multiple reports of differences between commercial kefir-like products and kefir prepared according to traditional techniques by fermenting milk with indigenous kefir grains. Modern resear…

Evidence: 57 • authority: 72

Kefir ( kə-FEER; alternative spellings: kephir or kefier) is a fermented milk drink similar to a thin yogurt or ayran that is made from kefir grains, a specific type of mesophilic symbiotic culture. It is prepared by inoculating the milk of cows, goats, or sheep with kefir grains. Kefir is a common breakfast, lunch or dinner drink consumed in countries of West Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. Kefir is consumed at any time of the day, alongside Central Asian breads like shelpek (Kazakh bread), burek and banitsa/gibanica, and is an ingredient in cold soups.

Evidence: 51 • authority: 92

Characterization of Mannose-Rich Exopolysaccharides from Kefir Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Techno-Functional Potential in Fermented Milk.. Kefir grains are a valuable source of exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with potential applications in fermented dairy products. In this study, LAB isolated from kefir grains originating from five regions were screened for EPS production and probiotic-related properties. Three strains, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum XZ61, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens EG10, and Lentilactobacillus kefiri EG12, were selected based on high EPS yield, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant capacity, and tolerance to acidic and bile salt conditions.…

Evidence: 44 • authority: 92

Review on kefir beverages from milk and water: health benefits, processing and applications.. Kefir is a trending and highly valued fermented beverage known for its beneficial microbes and giving a wide spectrum of health benefits. It includes milk kefir and water kefir which have gained separate attention. Although milk kefir is more heard of than water kefir, it is essential to understand both in greater details in terms of similarities and differences. The key health benefits such as probiotics, protection in the gastrointestinal tract, control of glucose level, antioxidant, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, regulating cholesterol, antimicrobial and improving lactose digestion are discuss…

Evidence: 44 • authority: 72

Fermented milk products or fermented dairy products, also known as cultured dairy foods, cultured dairy products, or cultured milk products, are dairy foods that have been made by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Leuconostoc. The process of culturing increases the shelf life of the product, while enhancing its taste and improving digestibility by the fermentation breakdown of the milk sugar, lactose. There is evidence that fermented milk products have been produced since around 10,000 BCE. Numerous Lactobacilli strains have been grown in laboratories allowing for diverse cultured milk products with different flavors and characteristics. Most…

Evidence: 38 • authority: 92

How are kefir microbial communities and product characteristics maintained in industrial production?. Kefir, a millennia-old symbiotic fermented dairy product, has emerged as a focal point of research in the global functional foods sector owing to its distinctive organoleptic properties and extensive health-promoting effects. Kefir grains, serving as the natural starter culture for traditional kefir, constitute a complex symbiotic consortium comprising lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, and yeasts, whose stratified spatial distribution and metabolic synergistic interactions determine the characteristic flavor profile and probiotic functionality of kefir. Nevertheless, contemporary…

Evidence: 38 • authority: 92