Kefir Kommunity

Fiber – you see it everywhere. Grocery store shelves are bursting with products touting their fiber content, your doctor lectures you on getting more of it in your diet, your dad swirls a supplement into his morning orange juice. We’re a fiber-focused society, and with good reason: Fiber has been shown to do everything from speed weight loss to slash cholesterol to reduce cancer risk.

We had our customers and their health in mind when we formulated Lifeway kefir with inulin. Also known as chicory or Jerusalem artichoke extract, inulin is a starchy substance found in a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, including wheat, onions, bananas, leeks, artichokes, and asparagus.  Inulin is not digested or absorbed in the stomach; rather, it survives into the bowels, it feeds healthy bacteria. It has been shown to lower triglycerides and ease constipation in the elderly.

Most people barely even noticed it and drank our products with delight. However, certain individuals began approaching us as of late, complaining of gastrointestinal discomfort (a common side effect of introducing too much fiber, too quickly). These customers were requesting an inulin-free product.

We are happy to announce a brand new, reformulated Lifeway kefir, that is completely inulin-free. In its place, we’ve added two new probiotic strains, called “ProBoost™”, because the cultures have been clinically proven to support immunity and enhance digestion, as well as boost your well-being in several ways. ProBoost™ consists of Bifidobacterium lactis, a live and active probiotic culture  especially good at enhancing immunity, andLactobacillus reuteri, clinically proven to enhance digestion.

Allison, 37, from northern Illinois, is one happy ProBoost™ customer. She began drinking our kefir over 13 years ago (low fat peach is her favorite), then moved out to the country where her local grocery store didn’t carry it. About a year she spotted our tall bottle in a local fresh market grocery and started drinking it again on a regular basis, hoping it would aid in some digestive imbalances she was experiencing. “At first I was feeling great, feeling the ‘kefir glow,’ so to speak, but after a couple of months, I stopped drinking it because I think the extra fiber was too much for me,” Allison says. “I decided to stop taking any and all fiber supplements at that time so I had to stop drinking Lifeway kefir, although I loved it.” Allison’s symptoms did improve, especially as she began drinking more water, boosting the green vegetables in her diet, and increasing her potassium and electrolytes. Yet each time she added a high-fiber item into her weekly routine, she would experienced a relapse.

Just a few weeks ago, Allison saw our kefir at the store and couldn’t help herself – she bought a bottle of Lifeway blueberry on impulse. “Maybe I was shopping hungry, but I was thinking about how creamy and healthy it was and I thought I'd just have a little and not every day since it keeps in the fridge.  When I was putting it away at home, I was reading the label, actually looking for the inulin content and it wasn’t mentioned on the label at all..I contacted [Lifeway] via Facebook asking if it had been removed.” 

We responded and told Allison of our new inulin-free formula. Our newest favorite customer says she remains symptom-free while enjoying our products, and will be adding it back into her weekly grocery list. “It has been a long year for me trying to figure out what it is that gets me all out of balance and what routines keep me in balance. I think that's something kefir drinkers have in common, we're just trying to put good stuff into our bodies.” 

We’ll drink to that!

Please read about our new ProBoost™ strain on the side of the bottle, or on our website at www.kefir.com/proboost