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Who's Using Milk Kefir to Lower One's HbA1c?

aylalake said:
I am resurrecting this old thread in the hopes you lovely low carb/ Keto Type 2 folk can give up-to-date feedback.
I have looked at all the kefir threads that the search function threw up and they are all more than 3 years old.
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Hiya
I generally believe in fermented food including Kefir being good for your gut health and impact your general health in a positive way. As to a direct link to lowering blood glucose Im not sure although I use to continue to manage my health and blood glucose and seem to do well including fermented food. Key thing is to build up slowly while your gut gets used to it. Some promising stuff on Zoe though:
https://zoe.com/learn/fermented-foods-diabetes
There needs to be more studies but you can carry out an individual trial on your self!
As with many of these things it is looking at how including certain foods affect your own blood sugar control - testing vital whilst you experiment - your own gut and your own general health. I used to have gut issues several years ago so built up slowly to suerkraut and kimchi as well as kefir and yoghurt and added more fibre food such as low carb seeds. By taking it steadily when I started, I am now able to have these things regularly, as have good gut health, but know some people have an histamine response and an uncomfortable gut reaction so take it steady. My overall aim is to stay in remission as I have for 6 years now and ferments seem to suit me in managing my current good health.
 
shelley262 said:
Hiya
I generally believe in fermented food including Kefir being good for your gut health and impact your general health in a positive way. As to a direct link to lowering blood glucose Im not sure although I use to continue to manage my health and blood glucose and seem to do well including fermented food. Key thing is to build up slowly while your gut gets used to it. Some promising stuff on Zoe though:
https://zoe.com/learn/fermented-foods-diabetes
There needs to be more studies but you can carry out an individual trial on your self!
As with many of these things it is looking at how including certain foods affect your own blood sugar control - testing vital whilst you experiment - your own gut and your own general health. I used to have gut issues several years ago so built up slowly to suerkraut and kimchi as well as kefir and yoghurt and added more fibre food such as low carb seeds. By taking it steadily when I started, I am now able to have these things regularly, as have good gut health, but know some people have an histamine response and an uncomfortable gut reaction so take it steady. My overall aim is to stay in remission as I have for 6 years now and ferments seem to suit me in managing my current good health.
Click to expand...
Thanks for responding Shelley.
Is it as sharp tasting as plain yoghurt, of which I am not a fan? Or slightly sweeter like Greek Yoghurt?
I am retraining my brain to stop my sugar cravings and so far have gone 5 weeks without anything seeet. So I am very reluctant to add anything to the kefir to make it palatable.
I realise one person’s like is another’s dislike to paraphrase an old adage.
Also, I am in the UK - is there a specific type of kefir grain to use? Or container? I have googled and found so much conflicting information. To be able to ask a regular user is great, if you don’t mind.
Trying to avoid statins is my ultimate goal.
 
aylalake said:
Thanks for responding Shelley.
Is it as sharp tasting as plain yoghurt, of which I am not a fan? Or slightly sweeter like Greek Yoghurt?
I am retraining my brain to stop my sugar cravings and so far have gone 5 weeks without anything seeet. So I am very reluctant to add anything to the kefir to make it palatable.
I realise one person’s like is another’s dislike to paraphrase an old adage.
Also, I am in the UK - is there a specific type of kefir grain to use? Or container? I have googled and found so much conflicting information. To be able to ask a regular user is great, if you don’t mind.
Trying to avoid statins is my ultimate goal.
Click to expand...
Hi Its a bit fizzy and you do need to get used to the taste I think. Good to make it but I would start by trying a commercial one initially to see if you can adjust to it I sometimes use these when I dont have time to do my own and they seem to be good re live bacteria:
If you have a waitrose nearby the cheapest Ive found is Waitrose own Gut Health Kefir 4.6g of carbs per 100g if not many supermarkets stock the Biotiful gut health range including their kefir which is also 4.6g per 100g both list using live kefir cultures. Then if you like it you can go on to make our own buying kefir grains and culturing - much cheaper although you need to buy the grains and some bits of equipment first so try out one from a supermarket first.
Re Greek yoghurt I love the M and S Authentic Greek Yoghurt 10 percent it is 4.2g of carbs per 100g and is deliciious served with a few berries. I sometimes mix a few frozen berries into my portion of yoghurt and get frozen sweet yoghurt. A generic one from other supermarkets - look for their plain full fat greek yoghurt with no sweetners or flavouring and compare the carbs to the m and s one - Fage is another reliable one too.
Good luck with your kefir trying - just start with a very small portion first. I have sometimes crushed a few berries into my home made one but these days I mix my morning kefir with Norwegian wild fish oil ( lemon Flavour) which gives it a lovely tangy lemony taste and a spoon of powdered collagen. These are supplements I take to hopefully keep me healthy!!
 
shelley262 said:
Hi Its a bit fizzy and you do need to get used to the taste I think. Good to make it but I would start by trying a commercial one initially to see if you can adjust to it I sometimes use these when I dont have time to do my own and they seem to be good re live bacteria:
If you have a waitrose nearby the cheapest Ive found is Waitrose own Gut Health Kefir 4.6g of carbs per 100g if not many supermarkets stock the Biotiful gut health range including their kefir which is also 4.6g per 100g both list using live kefir cultures. Then if you like it you can go on to make our own buying kefir grains and culturing - much cheaper although you need to buy the grains and some bits of equipment first so try out one from a supermarket first.
Re Greek yoghurt I love the M and S Authentic Greek Yoghurt 10 percent it is 4.2g of carbs per 100g and is deliciious served with a few berries. I sometimes mix a few frozen berries into my portion of yoghurt and get frozen sweet yoghurt. A generic one from other supermarkets - look for their plain full fat greek yoghurt with no sweetners or flavouring and compare the carbs to the m and s one - Fage is another reliable one too.
Good luck with your kefir trying - just start with a very small portion first. I have sometimes crushed a few berries into my home made one but these days I mix my morning kefir with Norwegian wild fish oil ( lemon Flavour) which gives it a lovely tangy lemony taste and a spoon of powdered collagen. These are supplements I take to hopefully keep me healthy!!
Click to expand...
Very interesting! I am in a rural area without a car and reliant on our corner store Nisa (no chance in Hades they would stock it) or deliveries from Tesco and Morrisons. I will figure something out, because I am really keen to try it.
 
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