Kefir Kommunity

We love to hear from our customers, especially when they bring up interesting ideas about the health benefits of drinking kefir. Check out this email we received recently from one of our customers:

“I absolutely love Kefir!! For over twenty years I suffered from hives. Two years ago Dr. Oz said that drinking kefir was good for allergies. I started making smoothies using kefir and various fruits and drinking them almost every day. I have not had a hive since!!! Love, love Kefir. Thanks!” - Marie D.

First of all, thanks to Dr. Oz for always being one of kefir’s most outspoken supporters! Second, let’s take a look at a 2006 study conducted in Taiwan to see if we can figure out why kefir might he helping with Marie’s hives.

Researchers at the National Formosa University in Taiwan exposed mice to a specific protein found in egg whites that causes a significant amount of allergic reactions in children. They found that the mice that consumed kefir were three times less likely to have an allergic reaction to that protein.

The researchers hypothesize that the kefir cultures block the allergen-specific antibody Immunoglobulin E (IgE), which is involved in immune responses. This theory, however, has not yet been tested on humans, so we can’t confidently tout kefir as an allergy-blocker just yet.

We’re glad to hear it’s been working for you, though, Marie! What has kefir done for you? Leave us a comment – we’d love to hear about it!