Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Undeniable Benefits of Water Kefir
- Critical Differences Between Milk Kefir and Water Kefir
- Powdered Starter vs Live Kefir Grains
- Beneficial Microbes in Water Kefir
- Beneficial microbes in Milk Kefir
- Most Beneficial Water Kefir Made with Fresh Coconut Water
- Other Benefits of Milk Kefir Compared with Water Kefir
- References
Comparison of the diversity and number of probiotic strains in dairy kefir versus water kefir. This is a key measure of how beneficial these fermented foods are to the gut microbiome.
My recent article comparing the probiotic potency and overall health benefits of kefir versus yogurt spawned a lot of emails to my inbox with questions about how water kefir fits into the mix.
After a bit of reflection on the subject, I came to the conclusion that the topic really deserved its own blog post, so here we go!
Which is really better, water kefir or milk kefir? Or, are the benefits between the two basically the same?
The truth is that water kefir is really not a good substitute for milk kefir even if you have a milk allergy.
Milk kefir, made with either dairy milk or coconut milk, far surpasses water kefir in probiotic potency. The benefits of milk based kefir exceed those of water kefir no matter if the water kefir is cultured with fruit juice, vegetable juice, coconut water, or filtered water and a whole sweetener.
Before you go throwing away your water kefir grains, however, let’s be clear on the benefits of water kefir which makes a fantastic base for homemade soda among other culinary uses.
Undeniable Benefits of Water Kefir
Water kefir, just like milk kefir, utilizes a beneficial culture of microbes that consume the simple sugars in the juice, coconut water or sugar water base to create a plethora of probiotics. The water kefir culture’s use of the sugar means that there isn’t much sugar left in the final product. This is good news for those with Metabolic Syndrome in that water kefir doesn’t add to problems with blood sugar fluctuations or feed those sugar cravings.
In addition, the fermentation process releases additional vitamins and minerals. Best of all, there aren’t any additives, chemicals or artificial anything in a kefir soda made with properly fermented water kefir. It even turns out a bit bubbly just like conventional sodas and can be bottled to add further effervescence. Water kefir can also be used as a base for dairy-free smoothies, popsicles, and homemade jello.
Water kefir can be added to non-dairy milks like almond milk too. Use 1/4 cup water kefir to 2-3 cups non-dairy milk, mix and serve. Extra water kefir grains may be used as starter culture for fermenting vegetables.
While the benefits of water kefir are clear and well established, this fermented beverage doesn’t hold a candle to milk kefir made with either dairy milk or coconut milk.
Critical Differences Between Milk Kefir and Water Kefir
According to Donna Schwenk, author of Cultured Food for Life, water kefir is her least favorite fermented drink. She says that she has never experienced the same health benefits from water kefir that she did from homemade milk kefir.
Why?
The most likely reason is that there are only 10-15 strains of good bacteria and good yeasts in water kefir made with live grains. This compares with the 30 to 50 in homemade milk kefir made with live grains. This video which shows the difference between dairy kefir grains and water kefir grains based on the live cultures that I use in my kitchen.
Powdered Starter vs Live Kefir Grains
Milk kefir grains and water kefir grains are not interchangeable which is why I always recommend obtaining them from reputable sources I list in my healthy shopping guide. I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve received over the years from folks trying to ferment milk into kefir with water kefir grains they got from a friend (or vice versa) only to find themselves frustrated with repeated failure or inconsistent results.
What about milk kefir made with a one-time use powder? Be aware that, like water kefir, this is also not as beneficial as milk kefir made with live grains.
There are only 10-15 beneficial microbial strains in milk kefir made with powder compared with kefir made with live grains, not to mention it is more expensive too! Use live grains for making milk kefir – they are cheaper and the result is far healthier!
Let’s compare milk kefir vs water kefir strain by strain. See the lists below.
Beneficial Microbes in Water Kefir
- Lactobacillus brevis
- Lactobacillus casei
- Lactobacillus hilgardii
- Lactobacillus hordei
- Lactobacillus nagelii
- Leuconostoc citreum
- Leuconostoc mesenteroides
- Acetobacter fabarum
- Acetobacter orientalis
- Streptococcus lactis
- Hanseniaospora valbyensis (yeast)
- Lachancea fermentati (yeast)
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast)
- Zygotorulaspora florentina (yeast)
Beneficial microbes in Milk Kefir
Compare the number of probiotics in water kefir above to the more than double the strains in milk-based kefir made with live grains listed below.
In recent years, some sources have measured the number of strains even higher at 50-70 species!
- Bifidobacterium breve
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Bifidobacterium bifidum
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Lactobacillus brevis
- Lactobacillus casei
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis
- Lactobacillus helveticus
- Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens subsp. kefiranofaciens
- Lactobacillus kefiri
- Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei
- Lactobacillus plantarum
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus
- Lactobacillus sake
- Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
- Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
- Lactococcus lactis
- Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris
- Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum
- Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides
- Pseudomonas
- Pseudomonas fluorescens
- Pseudomonas putida
- Streptococcus thermophilus
- Candida humilis (yeast)
- Kazachstania unispora (yeast)
- Kazachstania exigua (yeast)
- Kluyveromyces siamensis (yeast)
- Kluyveromyces lactis (yeast)
- Kluyveromyces marxianus (yeast)
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast)
- Saccharomyces martiniae (yeast)
- Saccharomyces unisporus (yeast)
The only benefit probiotically of water kefir compared with milk kefir is the absence of Streptococcus thermophilus.
Jordin Rubin, author of Restoring Your Digestive Health warns about this particular probiotic strain as studies have shown that people who suffer from autoimmune diseases run the risk of aggravating the symptoms of their disease if they consume more than two cups of yogurt or kefir per day that contains Streptococcus thermophilus.
Most Beneficial Water Kefir Made with Fresh Coconut Water
If you choose to make water kefir, note that making it with fresh coconut water is likely the best scenario according to Donna Gates, author of The Body Ecology Diet given that you will obtain a kefir that is rich in potassium and enzymes and contains sulphurated proteins that assist the body in cleansing.
Note that many sources claim that coconut water contains monolaurin, which is anti-fungal, however, this is not true according to my research. Monolaurin is in the fat of the coconut, not coconut water.
Other Benefits of Milk Kefir Compared with Water Kefir
Besides a superior probiotic boost, milk kefir also contains calcium and magnesium in high amounts which are absent in water kefir.
And, there are potential problems when brewing water kefir to make sure to watch out for. If you suffer from candida issues or diabetes, note that unless you are extremely careful to ferment the water kefir properly, there can be too much sugar remaining which could actually harm you rather than help. Properly brewed water kefir really should taste only mildly sweet. It is a slightly sweet but mostly sour flavor that does take a bit of getting used to at first.
If you want sweeter water kefir, brew for the full length of time until the sweetness is gone and then mix with plain juice. Use as little juice as you can get away with to attain the level of sweetness desired.
Note also that it is best to refrain from using 100% juice when making water kefir as you will end up with an alcoholic beverage! For more on making water kefir sodas with juice or sugar-sweetened water, check out this article and my how-to video on the subject.
So, what to choose? Water kefir or milk kefir?
The good news is that you don’t have to … you can make both even if you have a dairy allergy!
References
(1) Microbiological study of lactic acid bacteria in kefir grains
(2) Distinct actions of the fermented beverage kefir on host behavior, immunity and microbiome
(3) What is Bifidobacterium? How to get it?
(4) Modern perspectives on the health benefits of kefir in next generation sequencing era
More Information
How to Make Dairy Kefir (recipe plus video how-to)
How to Make Kefir from Coconut Milk (recipe plus video how-to)
Here in Oregon, it is illegal to sell raw cows milk. I have to use organic pasteurized cows milk. Will this be acceptable for making milk kefir, or will it not be as full of the beneficial strains?
If the organic pasteurized milk is nonhomogenized, then yes, it would be fine to use this instead of raw milk to make kefir.
Hi Sarah
I suffer from gout in my big toe—
I have recently started making milk kefir and I really enjoy it.
Do you have any information to share on the effects of milk kefir on gout? Is it ok to drink or do I need to stay clear? I’m not allergic to dairy products.
Here’s the info I’ve learned about resolving gout naturally. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/treating-pain-and-causes-of-gout-naturally/
What is the alcohol content of water kefir I have felt very tipsy when I first started drinking it and now only drink it when I am relaxing and not driving as I feel the alcohol when I have a glass of my water kefir
There is little to no alcohol in water kefir. You may be feeling a bit from the niacin flush effect as there are a lot of B vitamins in there!
Hi Sarah, I’m grateful for the wealth of knowledge you share. I’m trying to find out if making a probiotic soda using whey from milk kefir will still have all the original probiotics in the final product. Thank you!
Hi Sarah, in my view, you most certainly cannot drink milk kefir if you have a a dairy allergy. Perhaps you can if you have an intolerance to lactose, but an allergy relates to the immune system which, in general is responding to casein and not the lactose. The casein remains in the milk kefir.
Hi, I have been making my own fresh kefir daily for about 2 years now. I love it, can drink it straight if only cultured for 24 hours, make it one morning drink next morning. Great smoothies, ripe banana and some frozen berries, if not sweet enough I add some Stevia and it tastes better than a $10 boost juice /smoothie for sure. HOWEVER I wasn’t sure about taking fresh kefir seeds when I am traveling. I then purchased the POWDER as convenient. I now realise that it is this that has caused STOMACH CRAMPS and Loose bowel movements. Quite debilitating. I was blaming other things,but the kefir powder drink when taken now seems to be the culprit. Any ideas WHY this happens with the POWDER Kefir but not my FRESH KEFIR SEEDS??
If lactose powder is dissolved in filtered water and then fermented with Kefir grains, will this produce Lactobacillus acidophilus?
I don’t think this would work. The fermentation would likely not take and just get moldy.
I have just seen your post and, two years after it, have still not been able to find out if the saturated fats in kefir should be a concern!
Although slightly doubtful about doing so, I bought my milk kefir grains on ebay a few months ago as I knew no-one who could give me some. They seem to do exactly as they should, in terms of taste and increasing in size but, because of their anonymous provenance, I still wonder how I can know that they contain all the desirable bacteria. Could anyone offer reassurance? Thanks.
Kefir grains are not commercially made and the exact identity of origin is difficult to ascertain though likely from nomadic tribes in central Asia who had animal hide sacs containing raw yak milk or other dairy and the movement from their horse caused the formation of a Scoby and therefor if you have grains you certainly have the culture!
I ‘d like to know if water kifer and milk kifer are beneficial for the one who suffers from Hapatitis HBV(B virus)