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not tolerating kefir maybe

anniekim

Senior Member
Messages
779
Location
U.K
I started eating kefir this week (made at home) and I've been feeling very lethargic and low in mood since taking it.

Everytime I have tried taking standard probiotics I just get terrible diarrohoea and have to stop them. I'm not getting diarrhoea on the kefir but just so sleepy tired. Is it worth persevering and hoping the sleepiness will improve, or should i view it that I don't tolerate the kefir?

Many thanks in advance
 

MNC

Messages
205
I tried to eat kefir too for my immune system and so on but I had to quit it after two or three days because it produces a tiny amount of alcohol (around 1-3%) enough to make me very sick.

I am extremely alcohol intolerant, but I couldn't imagine that I couldn't tolerate Kefir for that reason. The symptoms I got were the same I get to when I drink alcohol (which I never do anymore). (I drank alcohol on week-ends when I was younger, so this came with CFS).

I can understand that it's making you feel worse.
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
Annie what you could do is freeze a batch of your kefir and stay off it for a couple of weeks see how you go, then try it again, I had problems with all sorts of probiotics but been taking Culturelle okay for a few months, just tried to culture it using soy milk, warm it slightly and then drop the contents of a capsule in, stir it and leave in a warm place, mine took 48 hours to take, (starts bubbling so you know something is happening) it gives you a yoghurt you can use for 5/6 days, much cheaper than taking the capsules every day. Can use this method for VSL? and the other expensive probiotics too. Use a few teaspoons of the culture to start another batch just like making kefir.
 

Wayne

Senior Member
Messages
4,300
Location
Ashland, Oregon
Kefir Reactions

Hi Anniekim,

Below is a "snippet" from a "kefir post" I made last fall. It's hard to say what's going on in our bodies at times, but it's not uncommon for people to have reactions when first starting on probiotics products. For me, it worked out well to have worked through some initial reactions. Kefir has become such a staple in my diet, it's hard for me to imagine not having it. One of the main benefits is my ability to get easily assimilable protein, a huge plus after feeling "protein starved" for many years.

Best, Wayne

Kefir literature mentions that a lot of people will have some initial reactions when beginning to consume it. I was one of those people, and my reactions were pretty strong. Initially I had some mild stomach upset, but the most striking reaction was the almost immediate drainage of my sinuses each time I had a bit, like I was in the middle of a major cold. Normally, this would usually pass within 5-10 minutes.

As the weeks went by however, I noticed both of these reactions became less and less noticeable. I then began to notice some positive changes. Two of the most significant were that my somewhat chronically stuffy sinuses began to clear. I also noticed that some significant stomach/GI bloating I often experience improved considerably.