Kefir vs Yogurt

It may seem that kefir is the same with yogurt. Yes, they are similar but not totally the same. Both kefir and yogurt are cultured milk product but they contain different types of beneficial bacteria.

Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there. But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match.

Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt, Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species.

It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir, which dominate, control and eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts in the body. They do so by penetrating the mucosal lining where unhealthy yeast and bacteria reside, forming a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and strengthens the intestines. Hence, the body becomes more efficient in resisting such pathogens as E. coli and intestinal parasites.

Kefir’s active yeast and bacteria provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy. Because the curd size of kefir is smaller than yogurt, it is also easier to digest, which makes it a particularly excellent, nutritious food for babies, the elderly and people experiencing chronic fatigue and digestive disorders.

A major characteristic of kefir is that the probiotics contained in kefir attach themselves to the colon, sweeps away all the harmful substances and colonizes the intestines.

Kefir contains over 50 strains of friendly organisms. On the other hand, yogurt cleans the digestive system and provides food for the friendly bacteria that inhabitants our intestines. Yogurt makes sure that these bacteria grow and remains stable. However, yogurt lasts only for one day while kefir lasts forever. Kefir size is also smaller than yogurt making it easier to digest and is a perfect nutrition for babies, elderly and people who have sensitive intestines.

Milk Kefir is mesophilic which means they thrive best at room temperature, around 20 and 45°C (68 and 113 °F). Meanwhile, yogurt is both mesophilic and thermophilic. They can be grown either at room temperature or at extremely high temperature.

The consistency of kefir is a little bit yeasty due to the beneficial yeast contained in the culture. It also tastes sourer when compared with yogurt. Both kefir and yogurt can be drained to produce cheese. Draining whey from yogurt or kefir makes thick yogurt or cheese ranging from soft to hard cheese.

Source:

• http://www.thewalkingencyclopedia.com/kefir/#Kefir_VS_Yogurt
• http://www.kefir.net/kefir-vs-yogurt/