What is the difference between yogurt and kefir? Which is healthier, kefir or yogurt: difference, composition, health benefits Low-percentage kefir, natural yogurt does not

Everyone has heard about the benefits of fermented milk products, and in Russia, kefir has long been considered the leader in this area: more than one generation has grown up on it. Yogurt - an overseas guest, which at first was perceived exclusively as a delicious dessert, over time began to be positioned as an alternative to kefir. There is no clear answer to the question of what is healthier - kefir or yogurt.

What is the difference between kefir and yogurt? Just a variety of microorganisms that are used to ferment milk. Yogurt will be obtained if a protosymbiotic mixture of two pure cultures is added to milk - the so-called Bulgarian bacillus and thermophilic streptococcus. The mixture of microorganisms necessary to produce kefir is more extensive: these include streptococci, lactic acid bacilli, acetic acid bacteria, and yeast. And one more nuance: kefir can be made from both skim and whole milk, and yogurt is prepared mainly from low-fat raw materials. A type of kefir grain is the Tibetan milk fungus.

Which is healthier?

Both products have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive system and, when included in various diets, help to quickly and effectively get rid of extra pounds. But, taking into account the fact that real live yogurt is very rare, and stores sell sterilized and flavored ersatz, simple kefir is still healthier.

Actually, live yogurt, about the merits of which so much is said and written, is nothing more than biokefir. It is then given a “marketable appearance” using thickeners such as starch, synthetic flavor and odor enhancers, dyes and preservatives. In theory, any high-quality “live” fermented milk product should not be stored in a refrigerator for more than one week. The same thing, for example, applies to blue cheeses, the benefits and harms of which force nutritionists to engage in endless discussions. If the shelf life is extended to almost a month, then you can be sure: the substance in a beautiful plastic jar has nothing in common with natural yogurt. By the way, in Bulgaria, which is known as the birthplace of yogurt, the quality criteria for this lactic acid product are quite strict: sugar, thickeners, milk powder and other excesses are completely excluded from the recipe. But Russian yogurt producers use these components all the time.

So, what benefits will natural kefir bring to the body?
1. It is one of the best products for the immune system, as it stimulates the functioning of the intestinal microflora - in the language of professional doctors, this is called “probiotic effect”. Improving metabolism is inextricably linked with such processes.
2. Regular consumption of kefir at night, according to many doctors, helps improve immunity. From the same perspective, the benefits of acidophilus, another effective fermented milk product produced on a fungal basis, are usually assessed.
3. There is a slight calming effect of kefir.
4. Has a barely pronounced diuretic effect.
5. Lactose, a valuable carbohydrate from the group of disaccharides found in milk and dairy products, is best absorbed from kefir.

Fermented milk products are tasty, very healthy and easily digestible food that almost everyone likes. One of the advantages of such products is the wide variety of types. A modern consumer can go to a nearby store and buy kefir, yogurt or other fermented milk products, taking into account their taste preferences.

Kefir and yoghurt help people who want to have an ideal figure and normalize weight. Fasting days on fermented milk products are the safest and most effective. Many people are interested in questions: what is the difference between kefir and yogurt, which products are healthier?

Similarities between yogurt and kefir

The products are made from milk with the addition of starter. As a result of the fermentation process and under the influence of microorganisms, kefir or yogurt is obtained. In this case, certain technological conditions and technologies must be observed. Some manufacturers of yoghurts and other fermented milk products comply with GOSTs.

Both kefir and yogurt have beneficial effects on the body:

• products contain a large amount of vitamins and valuable microelements;
• products help normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• kefir and yogurt help strengthen the immune system and optimize metabolism;
• products help remove toxic compounds and waste from the body;
• yogurt and kefir help prevent the formation of certain diseases.

Fermented milk products promote weight loss, so they are an integral part of numerous and most common diets.

Main differences

Manufacturers and suppliers of kefir use a complex starter culture to make the product, which includes more than twenty ingredients: various types of yeast, streptococci, various bacteria and other components. Skimmed or whole milk can be used in production.

To make yogurt, mainly skim milk and a starter culture are used, which contains two cultures: thermophilic streptococcus and Bulgarian bacilli.

As a result of the use of different technologies and components, kefir has a more complex composition with a low protein content. It contains microorganisms that can take root in the intestines and normalize the microflora there. It is worth noting that microorganisms in natural yogurt do not have this effect, but are able to cleanse the intestines of harmful compounds and bacteria. The products also differ in taste from each other. Various fillers are often added to yogurt.

The best yogurt, as well as how to ferment homemade kefir.

Kefir is one of the most common fermented milk products in Russia.

I have always loved it for its slightly sour taste. But now my love has reached almost mania.I ferment homemade kefir, from which I make smoothies, use it in recipes and drink it just like that.

This drink should be present in the daily diet of every person who tries to lead a healthy lifestyle.

This drink is rich in vitamins, minerals, is easily digestible and has many beneficial properties.

What is kefir

This is a fermented milk drink.

No one knows exactly where it came from, but many consider the Caucasus Mountains to be its homeland. Scientists suggest that the word kefir itself comes from the Turkish “keif”, which means “good feeling”.

This drink itself is unique; it is the only dairy culture that is formed using the so-called kefir grains.

Kefir grains are gelatin particles held together. These grains contain a mixture of bacteria and yeast along with milk protein and complex sugars. They ferment milk, introducing their beneficial microorganisms to produce a fermented milk product.

The sour taste of kefir is given by lactic acid, which is formed during the fermentation of lactose found in milk by the bacteria Lactobacillus Caucasus.

This drink not only contains the good probiotic bacteria found in yogurt, but also beneficial yeast. It is this symbiosis of yeast and bacteria that allows kefir to be one step higher than yogurt, surpassing the latter in “healthiness”.

Also kefir , Unlike yogurt, it is cultivated at room temperature.

Kefir can be obtained not only from cow's milk, but also from goat's, sheep's and even coconut or almond milk.

Useful properties of kefir

We can talk endlessly about the beneficial properties of kefir.

Judge for yourself:

• Rich in vitamins B1, B9, B12, K2, biotin and minerals: calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.

• Protein contained in kefir , already partially digested, so it is very easily absorbed in our gastrointestinal tract.

• Contains the largest number of different types of beneficial bacteria - and yeast, compared to yogurt.

• Creates ideal conditions in our intestines for the colonization of beneficial bacteria, unlike yogurt, which only feeds existing bacteria.

• Yeast and bacteria found in kefir activate the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose remaining after the fermentation process. Therefore, even people who suffer from lactose intolerance can consume kefir.

• Improves the functioning of our digestive system.

• Stimulates the immune protective function (our immunity is located in the intestines).

• Has antifungal and antibacterial properties.

• Combats digestive allergies.

• Cleanses the body of toxins.

• Fights inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (colitis, Crohn's disease).

• Helps get rid of .

• Reduces the risk of developing cancer cells.

Why is it worth fermenting homemade kefir?

There are many reasons.

Store-bought kefir is often not fully fermented. And pasteurization, which all store-bought dairy products undergo, kills not only harmful but also beneficial bacteria.

Homemade preserves all the beneficial properties and you can control the process of obtaining it yourself. All you need for this is kefir grains.

This drink, made from live kefir grains, contains 35!!! different types of beneficial bacteria and yeast.

I received my kefir grains from a friend and have been fermenting my homemade kefir for over 4 years now.

The process is extremely simple and natural:

1. Take glassware (I use a regular 1 liter glass jar). It is very important not to let kefir grains come into contact with metal - it kills them. Why I avoid plastic You can read .
2. Place grains in a jar, fill with milk, cover with a paper towel or gauze.
3. We forget for a day or 2.
4. After this, we strain our homemade kefir. Without washing the grains (chlorinated water also destroys kefir grains, so be careful if you decide to wash them), put them in a clean bowl and fill them with milk. And again we enjoy our kefir!

The beauty of homemade kefir is that the grains can be said to last forever. They grow very quickly.

Also, I urge you not to use 2% or . Firstly, fermentation will be very slow, and secondly, all products with chemically reduced fat are harmful to our body. They are not natural and contain various chemicals.

So, prepare it from full-fledged milk, or even better from fresh, unpasteurized milk.

Kefir is the way to health!

The famous Russian scientist, Nobel laureate Ilya Mechnikov, proposed the so-called Intoxication Theory of Disease.

In his opinion, the aging of the body and susceptibility to numerous diseases are accelerated many times over by toxins produced by harmful bacteria that live in our intestines. He also believed that good beneficial bacteria living in fermented milk products, especially kefir, were one of the reasons for the longevity of the inhabitants of the Caucasus Mountains.

On my own behalf, I would like to add that before homemade kefir became a regular drink in my diet, I was sick very often. I believe that it was kefir that helped me with Candidiasis and Thrush, as well as with the constant rash of herpes on the lips.

This probiotic drink helps restore and strengthen the immune system.

If you have not yet started loving kefir after this article, I advise you to hurry up. By including it in your daily diet, you protect your body from diseases and fight existing ones.

Fermented milk products are affordable, tasty, nutritious and easily digestible food. It is also very diverse and very useful.

Fermented milk products are especially useful for those who are trying to bring their weight back to normal. Fasting diets with kefir or yogurt are considered one of the most effective and safest ways to combat excess weight.

These fermented milk products are designed to normalize metabolism, improve digestion and intestinal function, strengthen the immune system, and remove toxic substances from the body.

What is the difference between yogurt and kefir? Which product is healthier?

Similarities between kefir and yogurt:

Both yogurt and kefir are fermented milk products and are made from milk by adding starter and fermenting it under the influence of microorganisms, under given technological conditions.

Both products have the same beneficial effect on the body.

Both kefir and yogurt have unique healing and health properties and are used for medicinal and preventive purposes. Due to the high content of vitamins and microelements, kefir and yogurt increase the overall resistance of the human body, and significantly contribute to the prevention and cure of many diseases.

Natural kefirs and yogurts serve as the richest sources of many useful substances, have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive system and, when included in various diets, help the body quickly and effectively get rid of toxins and extra pounds.

However, with all this, each of the drinks has its own advantages.

Differences between yoghurts and kefir:

So what is the difference between kefir and yogurt? Only a variety of microorganisms that are used to ferment milk.

To turn milk into yogurt, a starter containing a mixture of two cultures, Bulgarian bacillus and thermophilic streptococcus, is used. And to prepare kefir, you need a different, more complex starter culture, consisting of a symbiosis of more than twenty different components (lactic acid streptococci and bacilli, various yeasts, acetic acid bacteria, etc.). There is one more nuance: kefir can be prepared from both skim and whole milk, and yogurt is produced mainly from low-fat raw materials.

As a result, the products are different, kefir is a more complex product with a low protein content, and yogurt usually has more protein than kefir. Kefir contains bacteria that can settle on the intestinal walls and help restore its normal microflora. Bacteria from natural yogurt are not able to do this, but they perfectly cleanse the intestinal tract of harmful microorganisms. Moreover, yogurt copes with this task much better than kefir.

In addition, drinks differ from each other in taste. If kefir has a pronounced sour taste, then natural yogurt has a light neutral taste. Food flavoring additives are not allowed in kefir, and various fruit fillings are often added to yogurt.

For weight loss or fasting days, you can choose both kefir and yogurt, but yogurt should only be natural, without sugar and other additives.

Kefir and yoghurt production technology:

The technologies for preparing both kefir and yogurt are similar - both of these products are obtained as a result of the interaction of milk with a special starter. But the composition of the starter for drinks is completely different. Yogurt is obtained after the fermentation of milk and pure lactic acid bacteria, and kefir is based on the fermentation of a more complex fungal kefir starter.

The technology for preparing both products includes operations such as: cleaning and normalizing milk for fat; dispersing and homogenizing milk formula; pasteurization and cooling to fermentation temperature; introduction of starter and ripening; cooling to 10 - 12 °C and maturing for 12 - 24 hours; cooling to 4 - 6 °C, bottling and packaging.

In the industrial preparation of kefir and yogurt, food production equipment similar in purpose and design is used. The standard set of technological equipment for a workshop for the production of fermented milk products includes installations for receiving milk raw materials and accounting for them; containers for storing raw materials and finished products, fermenting and maturing industrial semi-finished products; heat exchange equipment; installations for mixing and dispersing raw materials; various food pumps; equipment for homogenization and pasteurization; installations for packaging yoghurts and kefir in consumer packaging.

Ready-made kefir and yoghurt are stored in special refrigerators, otherwise the products may spoil before reaching the consumer.

What to choose - kefir or yogurt?

To the question “Which is healthier - kefir or yogurt?” There is no clear answer! Both products are useful, and only you can decide which one you prefer.

However, given the fact that real “live” yogurt is very rare these days, and stores sell mainly sterilized and flavored dairy products with a long shelf life, it can be assumed that plain kefir is probably healthier.

When making a choice, you need to remember the need for variety in nutrition. Fermented milk products based on different starter cultures have different effects on the intestinal microflora. This means that it is healthier to combine different products: yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk, kumiss, ayran, tan, etc.

For your health, consume those dairy products that you like and do not cause discomfort, and receive not only great pleasure, but also significant benefits for the body.

Have you ever wondered how yogurt differs from kefir, what is the difference between them? If you are trying to eat right, build your diet in such a way as to improve your health and get in shape, then it probably won’t hurt to know the answer to this question. And when asked what is healthier, kefir or yogurt, the same. Let's take a closer look at these close relatives and find out whether any of them should be given clear preference.

Both drinks are obtained by fermentation of pasteurized milk, to which lactic acid bacteria are added. Additionally, yeast can be added to kefir, enriching it with B vitamins. Fermented milk drinks are much more valuable than their base - milk. They are also the best source of protein, vitamins and minerals. But there is a difference between kefir and yogurt. What is it, besides the obvious things like texture and taste?

What is the difference between yogurt and kefir?

Kefir comes from the Caucasus, where it was made from cow's or goat's milk. Today the drink is produced using modern technological lines. Kefir is made from pasteurized milk subjected to mixed fermentation - alcoholic and fermented milk. This process is made possible by the addition of a starter made from kefir grains or a pure bacterial culture vaccine. Kefir mushroom is a symbiotic system of 10 different microorganisms, in particular, lactic acid bacteria, milk coli bacteria, yeast (in the case of biokefir - bifidobacteria), etc. Fermentation lasts 1-3 days in hermetically sealed vessels at a temperature of 12-14 degrees. Ready kefir has a slightly sour taste, slightly foams and has a consistency similar to sour milk.

India is considered the birthplace of yogurt. This fermented drink was also popular in some countries in Asia and Africa, and arrived in the Balkans through Turkey. It is made from normalized milk, thickened, pasteurized and sour by adding pure cultures of the bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. And probiotic yogurt should also have strains of lactic acid rods. Fermentation lasts about 12 hours at a temperature of 40-45 degrees. The fat content of yogurt ranges from 0.5 to 8% in the creamy variety.

Avoid fruit products that add sugar, flavorings, or colorings during their production process. Natural yogurt is considered the best for health.

Thus, the difference between kefir and yogurt lies in the different set of active microorganisms used for milk fermentation and the construction of technological production processes. But for those who love both yogurt and kefir, it is probably more important what the difference is in the effects of these fermented milk products on the body. Let's look at these seemingly “twin brothers” from this point of view.

What is healthier – kefir or yogurt: choose the best drink for yourself

What is better to drink - kefir or yogurt? The answer to this question cannot be unambiguous, because it depends on the tasks that a particular person sets for himself when consuming these fermented milk products, on his existing health problems, and so on. To do this you need to know the capabilities of both.

Yogurt (natural)

Calorie content: 61 kcal/100 g

Action:

• helps cleanse the gastrointestinal tract of waste and toxins, in this regard it is more effective than kefir;
• prevents the development of pathogenic bacteria;
• strengthens the body's immunity;
• accelerates recovery after treatment with antibiotics, as it restores the bacterial flora in the intestines;
• has a calming effect on nervous agitation, hyperactivity and insomnia;
• people with an increased risk of developing diabetes and atherosclerosis should enjoy it more often;
• facilitates the synthesis of vitamins in the body;
• contains a much higher amount of niacin than competitors (milk, kefir - 0.1 mg/100 ml, buttermilk - 0.5 mg/100 ml, yogurt - 5.1 mg/100 ml);
• promotes iron absorption;
• helps with constipation and flatulence.

Kefir

Calorie content: 51 kcal/100 g

Action:

• promotes the colonization of the intestines with the “right” microorganisms to a greater extent than yogurt;
• affects the secretion of bile and gastric juices in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as intestinal motility. Therefore, it can be recommended to people with disorders of the digestive system;
• has the ability to break down carcinogenic compounds that enter the body with food; thanks to antibiotic substances, it suppresses the development of pathogenic bacteria present in the gastrointestinal tract;
• excites, stimulates appetite;
• regulates blood cholesterol levels and lowers blood pressure;
• regulates metabolic processes;
• helps improve the absorption of proteins and calcium;
• supports the functioning of the nervous system, as it contains quite a lot of B vitamins;
• demonstrates an antitumor effect and can inhibit the development of certain types of cancer, for example, colorectal.

The use of fermented milk drinks in the kitchen

Fermented dairy products must be present in your daily diet. Natural yogurt is an excellent base for making sauces for salads and dips. It can also be used to whiten soups. Thick, creamy yogurt goes well with honey and caramelized nuts, muesli or fresh vegetables and fruits. And kefir can simply be mixed with strawberries, bananas, blueberries, raspberries or cherries to create delicious, refreshing smoothies. Fluffy pancakes with apples or kefir pancakes are also very tasty. And in the summer there is nothing better than new potatoes with dill, washed down with this fermented milk drink.

Yogurts or kefir contain live cultures of bacteria that inhibit the development of unfavorable flora in the intestines, facilitate the process of absorption by the body of the nutrients contained in milk drinks, and help the body in other ways. Therefore, whether you know or not how yogurt differs from kefir, you need to consume both drinks, because the arsenal of their beneficial properties differs not fundamentally, only in nuances. The foods have very similar nutritional values, containing vitamins and minerals at very similar levels, with no major differences that would significantly affect our diet. Therefore, even if you decide which is healthier for you - kefir or yogurt, you should not completely forget about the product that you consider less valuable, and be guided by preferences and common sense.