Every year, a few new superfoods make their way into our kitchens and our recipes. While coconut oil, chia seeds and kale may have been the stars of years past, the following newcomers are finding their way into our healthy eating palates and are becoming more widely available.
1. Kefir
On the heels of what I am calling, the "year of the gut," kefir sits at the top of the list for superfood for gut and overall health. Used initially by the people of the Northern Caucasus mountains, kefir grains were thought to be blessed and were used to mix with milk or water as the nomads of this region traveled from place to place. Kefir, usually a fermented dairy drink, spread in popularity through Eastern Europe, with stories of the fabled drink healing everything from tuberculosis to stomach disease. It was used extensively in the hospitals of Eastern Europe and Russia to heal the sick.
Kefir contains live active cultures, making it a probiotic rich food that can help balance the microbiology of the belly. Kefir can be easy to digest, since it has a smaller curd than yogurt, and is safe for pregnant and nursing moms. Many of my patients report improvement in bloating, abdominal pain or constipation after using kefir. There are non-dairy versions of this drink as well, with many people making their own water kefir or coconut milk kefir.
Kefir contains live active cultures, making it a probiotic rich food that can help balance the microbiology of the belly. Kefir can be easy to digest, since it has a smaller curd than yogurt, and is safe for pregnant and nursing moms. Many of my patients report improvement in bloating, abdominal pain or constipation after using kefir. There are non-dairy versions of this drink as well, with many people making their own water kefir or coconut milk kefir.
Ongoing research of kefir shows potential promise in using the drink in wound healing, stomach ulcers, infant reflux and many other conditions.
