==Benefits and uses of Kefir are==
* Protein : Kefir is a 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 added 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.
* Calcium : Each 175 gram serving of kefir provides about 20 per cent of the daily RDA for calcium, which is important for the health of your bones and teeth. You can replace a regular dairy serving with kefir to get the calcium you need along with the drink's probiotic benefits.
* 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.
* Phosphorus is the second most abundant mineral is our bodies, and it's also found in kefir in significant quantities. This is good news because phosphorus is needed to help our bodies use carbohydrates and proteins for cell growth and energy.
==Kefir vs; Yogurt==
Yogurt is a source of probiotics, the live organisms (including healthy bacteria's) that are naturally found in our digestive tracts. These organisms help stem the growth of harmful bacteria and boost our immune systems. But kefir is an even better source of these helpful little guys — three times the source of yogurt, it's thought. This is because kefir is made by fermenting milk with 10 to 20 different types of bacteria and yeasts, where yogurt is usually just fermented with a handful of types; this leads to a higher probiotic count in the final product.
== References ==