Kefir milk has a creamy, tangy, and refreshing taste. The nutritional value and probiotic content in almond milk kefir offer several health benefits.
But consuming it in a large quantity can cause severe side effects. Some people are advised to limit their intake or entirely avoid it.
If you are interested in almond kefir, keep reading to know how it’s made, its benefits, and possible drawbacks.
What is Kefir?
Kefir is a fermented drink that offers numerous health benefits. Traditional kefir is made by adding kefir grains, which are bacteria and yeast, to cow’s or goat’s milk. In the end, you get a creamy and tangy drink that has yogurt-like consistency.
You can also make water kefir by adding the kefir grains to sugar water. The prepared drink is tart and tangy.
Both these drinks are loaded with probiotics, bacteria that support the gut. Probiotics also help with healthy digestion, heart health, immune function, and more. In addition, kefir milk contains vitamin B12, calcium, protein, and phosphorus.
How to Make Almond Kefir?
Almond kefir is a delicious almond drink that is loaded with probiotics. It can be quickly prepared using NutraMilk.
You can find almond kefir milk on the market, but it contains artificial vitamins, additives, thinners, and minerals. In addition, the milk goes through pasteurization, complicating the culturing process.
Comparatively, homemade almond kefir is much creamier, delicious, and nutritious.
To make almond kefir, you need to mix almond milk and sugar. After that, add kefir grains to the milk and let it rest for around 24 hours so the milk properly ferments.
Then you need to remove the kefir grains, which you can use for making another batch. The remaining liquid is the almond milk kefir.
You can store the prepared almond milk kefir in a glass container for around seven days. The milk kefir can also be prepared immediately. Avoid keeping the milk kefir in any plastic container because the bacteria present in the milk can absorb unhealthy plastic toxins.
Benefits of Almond Milk Kefir
#1 Improves Gut Health
Almond milk kefir consumption can help you maintain your gut microbiome as it contains probiotics. This healthy bacteria is known to help with food digestion.
We must drink milk kefir because processed food and an unhealthy lifestyle disrupt the microbiome, the gut bacteria. This disruption can cause bloating, reflux, flatulence, and indigestion.
By consuming milk kefir, you introduce healthy bacteria to the gut. The probiotics present in kefir can remove carcinogens and mutagens from the body. It further reduces the risk of severe health issues.
#2 Improves Heart Health
An unhealthy lifestyle is believed to be the main cause of heart problems. High cholesterol, hypertension, and atherosclerosis can also damage heart health. These disorders mainly happen when unhealthy fats get stored in the body.
Regular consumption of almond milk kefir can help lower cholesterol and serum triacylglycerol in the body. Furthermore, the probiotics present in kefir milk can enhance fat metabolism.
This drink also helps form bile acids, reducing unhealthy fats and the risk of lifestyle-related heart problems. Not to mention almond kefir milk is also known to reduce blood pressure.
#3 Improves Liver Health
Fatty liver syndrome refers to increased fat accumulation in and around the liver. With milk kefir consumption, you can reduce this syndrome.
Besides reducing fat deposition in and around the liver, kefir milk can improve lipid metabolism, which lowers cholesterol and triglyceride deposition. Overall, almond milk kefir helps remove excess amounts of fat from the body and keeps the organs healthy.
#4 Improves Kidney Health
Regular consumption of kefir milk reduces creatinine and uric acid in the body. This way, an extra load can be removed from the kidney.
#5 Improves Bone Health
Kefir milk contains vitamin K2 and calcium, which keeps the bone healthy. If the calcium level decreases, the bone gets weaker. Similarly, a decrease in vitamin K2 levels can reduce calcium absorption in the bones.
By consuming 100 g of almond milk kefir, you can get 120 mg of calcium, the recommended daily intake value. This way, you can decrease the chances of developing bone diseases.
#6 Improves Skin Health
You can have healthy skin and reduce blemishes by consuming kefir milk. It happens because the probiotics in almond milk kefir can help with the cell membrane, bacterial metabolites, and dead bacteria, improving skin health.
Furthermore, these compounds also help strengthen the skin barrier and prevent the growth of other microorganisms.
For instance, probiotics have hyaluronic acid that helps wound and scar healing. For this reason, many cosmetic products have hyaluronic acid.
#7 Antibacterial Properties
Almond milk kefir is known to have antibacterial properties, which help against harmful organisms. The antibacterial effects of milk kefir are similar to antibiotics like ampicillin. It can kill helicobacter pylori, harmful bacteria, escherichia coli, and salmonella Typhi.
Regular consumption of kefir milk can also stop the growth of harmful bacteria like bacteriocins.
#8 Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Almond kefir milk is loaded with anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, the bioactive compounds in kefir can reduce inflammatory cells, further decreasing allergic responses.
Inflammation is the body’s defense mechanism, but prolonged inflammation can cause cancer, obesity, diabetes, and other severe health issues. Furthermore, kefir milk has probiotics, which help with wound healing.
Drawbacks of Almond Kefir Milk
Cause Digestive Issues
Almond kefir milk is known to be rich in probiotics, but increasing probiotics intake can cause severe digestive problems. Common probiotic consumption issues include nausea, constipation, and gas.
In extreme cases, increased probiotics in the body can also cause stomach cramps, change in taste, decreased appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Contains Carbs
The exact nutritional band of kefir milk varies, but it is known to contain carbohydrates. It is commonly not a problem, but if you are low in carbs or following a ketogenic diet, you must watch your carbs intake.
In addition, people with diabetes are also supposed to monitor their carb consumption to keep their sugar levels in control.
How to Use Almond Kefir
Drinking almond kefir is the simple and most straightforward way to consume it. Or you can add it to your smoothie. You can even make probiotic ice cream or use it as a substitute for milk while baking.
Drinking kefir on an empty stomach is advised to reap the maximum benefits. But if you can’t follow the morning routine, you can also drink it before bed. Not to mention, kefir is loaded with tryptophan, which promotes better sleep.
With regular consumption for around 2 to 4 weeks, almond kefir milk can improve your health. So, you must regularly consume kefir. But if you notice any discomfort, stop consuming almond kefir milk and consult your doctor.
To reap skin benefits, you can use kefir as a face mask. Apply it to the skin for 20 minutes twice a week. You can also add honey, rose water, avocado, olive oil, egg yolk, or turmeric to your face mask.
Conclusion
You can safely increase your daily probiotics intake by adding almond kefir milk to your regular diet. But drinking kefir milk in an extended amount can cause severe side effects, including digestive issues.
In addition, t a smaller amount of alcohol in kefir milk does not make it suitable for everyone. Hence, to enjoy its benefits, you must always moderate your kefir milk consumption.