Healthy Skin Benefits Of Kefir
As probiotics continue to be at the forefront of the beauty industry, it’s becoming increasingly recognised that good skin starts in the gut. Probiotic-packed fermented foods like miso, sauerkraut and kombucha are now a regular feature in the diets of many, and with good reason – research shows harmful bacteria in the gut interact with the immune system, leading to changes in the skin and triggering problems including redness, acne and rosacea.
So, how to incorporate probiotics into your diet for your best complexion yet? Step forward kefir – a fermented, yoghurt-like drink that promises to beat the bloat, make your skin glow and leave you energised. Want to know more? SL caught up with Shann Nix Jones, author of The Good Skin Solution and Founder of Chuckling Goat skincare, for the lowdown...
Firstly, what exactly is kefir?
Kefir is a powerful probiotic drink that originally comes from the Caucasus Mountains of eastern Europe. It’s a bit like drinking yogurt, but a lot more powerful. Kefir contains multiple strains of non-transient bacteria that re-populate the gut with the good bacteria it needs to heal. Yogurt, by contrast, contains only transient bacteria that get killed off during the digestive process. In addition, kefir is 100% lactose-free (all the lactose is consumed during the fermentation process), meaning it’s suitable for those who are lactose-intolerant.
What’s the science behind it?
Kefir’s probiotic properties were first discovered in 1908, with thousands of more recent studies exploring its healing properties. Moreover, new research shows that the likes of eczema, psoriasis, rosacea and acne are not actually skin conditions but autoimmune disorders that sit in the gut. So, it appears kefir has the potential to significantly re-populate gut bacteria and thus heal the skin.
Where can you find kefir?
While kefir can be made from cow, goat, oat or almond milk, nutritionists recommend sourcing goat-based kefir, as cow’s milk is a known trigger for many skin conditions. Live, active goat’s milk kefir returns good bacteria to where they need to be inside the body – and repairs the damage to the microbiome (the community of microorganisms and bacteria that support the functions of any given body, including digestion) that’s been caused over time.
So, how do you know if you would benefit from kefir?
Many people have, to some extent, some level of microbiome damage due to antibiotics, sugar and stress. On the skin, this can appear as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea or acne; in your brain, it shows up as anxiety or depression; in the nervous system it can appear as fatigue; in the gut, it manifests as pain, bloating, food allergies or IBS and in your sinuses it shows up as rhinitis or hay fever. In short, in order to heal the skin, you have to heal the gut, and kefir has been proven to do precisely this.
How best to take kefir?
To experience the maximum benefits, drink around 170ml every day for 21 days first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and if your skin is playing up then I would also recommend applying kefir topically to the skin in the form of natural kefir lotions and kefir cleansing bars. If you decide to stop at the end of the three-week period, I advise you have a minimum of one 21-day booster at the beginning of each season to boost immunity.
As kefir has quite a strong taste (it’s extremely tart and fizzy), it can also be mixed into smoothies or try adding a teaspoon of stevia to make it a little sweeter.
So, how to incorporate probiotics into your diet for your best complexion yet? Step forward kefir – a fermented, yoghurt-like drink that promises to beat the bloat, make your skin glow and leave you energised. Want to know more? SL caught up with Shann Nix Jones, author of The Good Skin Solution and Founder of Chuckling Goat skincare, for the lowdown...
Firstly, what exactly is kefir?
Kefir is a powerful probiotic drink that originally comes from the Caucasus Mountains of eastern Europe. It’s a bit like drinking yogurt, but a lot more powerful. Kefir contains multiple strains of non-transient bacteria that re-populate the gut with the good bacteria it needs to heal. Yogurt, by contrast, contains only transient bacteria that get killed off during the digestive process. In addition, kefir is 100% lactose-free (all the lactose is consumed during the fermentation process), meaning it’s suitable for those who are lactose-intolerant.
What’s the science behind it?
Kefir’s probiotic properties were first discovered in 1908, with thousands of more recent studies exploring its healing properties. Moreover, new research shows that the likes of eczema, psoriasis, rosacea and acne are not actually skin conditions but autoimmune disorders that sit in the gut. So, it appears kefir has the potential to significantly re-populate gut bacteria and thus heal the skin.
Where can you find kefir?
While kefir can be made from cow, goat, oat or almond milk, nutritionists recommend sourcing goat-based kefir, as cow’s milk is a known trigger for many skin conditions. Live, active goat’s milk kefir returns good bacteria to where they need to be inside the body – and repairs the damage to the microbiome (the community of microorganisms and bacteria that support the functions of any given body, including digestion) that’s been caused over time.
So, how do you know if you would benefit from kefir?
Many people have, to some extent, some level of microbiome damage due to antibiotics, sugar and stress. On the skin, this can appear as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea or acne; in your brain, it shows up as anxiety or depression; in the nervous system it can appear as fatigue; in the gut, it manifests as pain, bloating, food allergies or IBS and in your sinuses it shows up as rhinitis or hay fever. In short, in order to heal the skin, you have to heal the gut, and kefir has been proven to do precisely this.
How best to take kefir?
To experience the maximum benefits, drink around 170ml every day for 21 days first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and if your skin is playing up then I would also recommend applying kefir topically to the skin in the form of natural kefir lotions and kefir cleansing bars. If you decide to stop at the end of the three-week period, I advise you have a minimum of one 21-day booster at the beginning of each season to boost immunity.
As kefir has quite a strong taste (it’s extremely tart and fizzy), it can also be mixed into smoothies or try adding a teaspoon of stevia to make it a little sweeter.