This question was sort of asked in another post but I don't think I got the answer.
http://paleohacks.com/questions/102813/does-honey-kill-the-good-bacteria-too#axzz1pAkMy4sM
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4 Answers
Several things:
- putting juice/honey in your kefir (and drinking it right away) would be the same as when I add honey to my coffee (along with cream) or when others sweeten tea; it's an indulgence, but it doesn't negate the benefits.
- I brew my water kefir twice; I add about 1/3 c fruit juice to a cup of "fresh" water kefir, bottle it and leave it on the counter for another day. The next day I put the bottle in the fridge and, once chilled, I have a fizzy fruit soda and the juice has been consumed by the probiotic bugs. With that method, the juice provides flavor but isn't a sweetener.
- Honey in its pure state has antibiotic properties. Stirring honey into water kefir might kill some of the "good bugs" although once mixed I don't think the honey would kill any more. Personally, I don't put honey in my water kefir or home-made yogurt because I don't consider them compatible.
- I don't agree that fruit and yogurt/kefir is a problem per se; the fruit would be food for the good bugs. However, the longer the water kefir/yogurt spends in your stomach the more of the good bugs get killed by the high-acid environment so the goal is for probiotics to move through quickly. Ideally, eat/drink the probiotic on an empty stomach and have the fruit a little later. In fact, I usually have yogurt and kefir on alternating days so each has a clear field in my gut.
Sounds good to me, LOL, but I'm not sure how it affects time-in-stomach and therefore survival rate of the probiotisc. As I mentioned above, I find the first-brew of water kefir a little sour but a second brew with blueberry juice is yummy.
Oh noes! I eat a smoothie made out of kefir and frozen fruits every morning! Otherwise, kefir is too sour for me to drink alone! :(
Yes, it's fine. Your body kills off more probiotic itself than any added fruit or honey could!
Honey actually contains prebiotics, which are food for the probiotics in kefir.
Correct, fermenting with honey would be not such a great idea. I should have said that. I should just say consuming both separately is a great idea.
I think so anyway!
Thanks for the tip, interestin! Could you pls link to the study?
Honey is antibacterial etc, so not a good idea to ferment with it David...
Actually I just read a research study that was conducted to determine the viability of maintaining probiotics in fermented dairy products. Specifically the testing was done on several strains of bifidobacteria. After 28 days of refrigeration the cell counts and lactic acid production of the bifidobacteria was significantly higher in some of the strains when tested against glucose and fructose being added. It seems from this research that the prebiotics found in honey boost atleast some forms of probiotics found in kefir, such as strains of bifidobacteria.
Beneficial Yeasts on the other hand will probably be killed off by the honey's antibacterial properties.
cheers David...
http://www.honey.com/nhb/technical/nutrition-research/category/honey-and-prebiotics/#the-effect-of-honey-on-the-growth-of-bifidobacteria
According to ayurvedic food combining, you should not mix raw fruit with yogurt or kefir. It makes funky stuff in your gut. Honey is fine to combine with it though. That is really an old medicinal combination.
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Michael_17
(2934)
on September 05, 2012
at 11:14 AM
cheers David...
David_29
(95)
on August 31, 2012
at 02:03 PM
http://www.honey.com/nhb/technical/nutrition-research/category/honey-and-prebiotics/#the-effect-of-honey-on-the-growth-of-bifidobacteria
Michael_17
(2934)
on August 31, 2012
at 06:34 AM
Thanks for the tip, interestin! Could you pls link to the study?
David_29
(95)
on August 30, 2012
at 06:42 PM
Beneficial Yeasts on the other hand will probably be killed off by the honey's antibacterial properties.
David_29
(95)
on August 30, 2012
at 06:42 PM
Actually I just read a research study that was conducted to determine the viability of maintaining probiotics in fermented dairy products. Specifically the testing was done on several strains of bifidobacteria. After 28 days of refrigeration the cell counts and lactic acid production of the bifidobacteria was significantly higher in some of the strains when tested against glucose and fructose being added. It seems from this research that the prebiotics found in honey boost atleast some forms of probiotics found in kefir, such as strains of bifidobacteria.
David_29
(95)
on August 29, 2012
at 10:27 PM
Correct, fermenting with honey would be not such a great idea. I should have said that. I should just say consuming both separately is a great idea.
Michael_17
(2934)
on August 29, 2012
at 10:37 AM
I think so anyway!
Michael_17
(2934)
on August 29, 2012
at 10:36 AM
Honey is antibacterial etc, so not a good idea to ferment with it David...
Nance
(37227)
on March 18, 2012
at 04:21 PM
Sounds good to me, LOL, but I'm not sure how it affects time-in-stomach and therefore survival rate of the probiotisc. As I mentioned above, I find the first-brew of water kefir a little sour but a second brew with blueberry juice is yummy.
CoconutWaterisGood
(343)
on March 18, 2012
at 03:35 PM
Oh noes! I eat a smoothie made out of kefir and frozen fruits every morning! Otherwise, kefir is too sour for me to drink alone! :(