==Benefits and uses of Kefir are==
* One cup of kefir Kefir is a source great way to get extra protein in your diet without extra calories. A single serving of plain, non-fat kefir has less than 100 calories, but provides 10.5 grams of protein, which can help you feel fuller without extra fat. Just watch that you're not buying kefir with 8 to 11 g per cupadded sugars, which will up the calorie content.
* Vitamins or pro-vitamins: Kefir provides 10 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin A and 25 percent of the value for vitamin D. It also contains vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin D, vitamin K2, folic acid, nicotinic acid. Vitamins, such as vitamin K and B-12, are produced in the gut, and the probiotics in kefir may potentially help facilitate this production.
* Kefir is also a source Calcium : Each 175 gram serving of calcium, with 30 percent kefir provides about 20 per cent of the daily value per cupRDA for calcium, based on which is important for the health of your bones and teeth. You can replace a 2,000-calorie dietregular dairy serving with kefir to get the calcium you need along with the drink's probiotic benefits.
* Probiotics : Kefir contains certain healthy bacteria that is not available in yogurt, including Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, Streptococcus species, Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir. These beneficial microorganisms may help support digestive health and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in the intestines.
* [[Tryptophan]] : Know that sleepy, relaxed feeling you get after a big turkey dinner? That's thanks to tryptophan, an amino acid. The same amino acid is found in kefir, which means it actually can have a relaxing effect. Maybe that's where that "good feeling" name originated?
* Digestion : The research on kefir is still limited, but a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 2003 found that kefir improve lactose digestion over milk, with reduced or no symptoms of lactose intolerance. There is some more general research on probiotics showing that they can prevent or treat some digestive problems.
* Kefiran is a polysaccharide produced by kefir grains, and it might have helpful health benefits. Some research has connected kefiran to reduced cholesterol and blood pressure in lab rats.
== References ==