Despite the hype, kefir isn’t right for everyone

One of the most notable shifts in wellness conversations in recent years has been a growing emphasis on gut health. As research increasingly explores how the gut microbiome may affect everything from digestion and immune function to metabolism and brain health, many of us are better recognizing its influence and importance.

Among other things, this has led to increased interest in – and demand for – probiotics and fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi and drinks such as kefir.

"One of the reasons people are drawn to kefir is that it combines the convenience of a drink with the nutritional benefits of a fermented food," says Perri Halperin, a registered dietitian and clinical nutrition coordinator for the Mount Sinai Health System. It's also "an easy way to add probiotics to your diet," she adds.

But kefir doesn’t necessarily deliver every benefit attributed to it, and it isn’t right for everyone. Here’s what to know.

Kefir is a fermented beverage traditionally produced by adding kefir grains to cow’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk, explains Halperin. There's also water kefir, a related non-dairy drink made by fermenting sweetened water or juice with a different culture.

In either case and despite the similar name and…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/life/