Water Kefir – delicious soda with zero hazards

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Looking for the perfect solution to overcome habitual soda drinking? Try water kefir.

The hazards of soda

An average 12 ounce can of soda like coke contains 39g of sugar. That works out to about 10 teaspoon. Most soda (and other processed food) contains cheap white sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Many health consultants, such as Dr Joseph Mercola, list sugar as a toxin to our body which causes a host of diseases.

Everyone loves a soda. Even the very young. So, unsuprisingly, modern-day diseases like Type 2 diabetes are now affecting even adolescents and younger children. Now, you do not have to wait until you are 45 or over to get diabetes. One big culprit is the excessive consumption of soft drinks.

Studies have shown the link between drinking soft drinks to obesity, diabetes, kidney damage, fatty liver, increased stroke risk, certain cancers and the list goes on. Some switched to the low-calorie version such as the ‘Diet Coke’, thinking it to be healthier.They are mistaken. Packed with artificial sweeteners, they are just as hazardous as the sugary version.

A report published in the journal ‘Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism’ in 2013 showed that diet soda drinkers suffer the same exact health problems as those who opt for regular soda, such as excessive weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Water Kefir-the healthy soda

Milk Kefir is well-known in many parts of the world. Commercially produced milk kefir such as Lifeway Kefir are sold in some countries. Milk kefir tastes like drinkable yogurt. For those looking for a healthy soda-like drink, the answer is found in water kefir.

The cousin to milk kefir, the lesser known water kefir has many health benefits too. It is basically a sugary water solution (can be in the form of fruit juice) that has been fermented. The mother culture used is known popularly as water kefir grains or tibicos. Therefore, water kefir is a sparkling probiotic drink.

Water kefir tastes quite similar to soda but that is where the similarity ends. Unlike soda, water kefir does not leave us dehydrated. It certainly contains far less sugar. In fact, the amount of sugar is rather negligible as most of the sugar in water kefir has been consumed by the bacteria and yeast. Water kefir is suitable, therefore, even for the diabetic.

The fermenting of the sugary water solution or fruit juice produces an antioxidant beverage which contains enzymes, vitamins and beneficial live bacteria. Soda, on the other hand, typically contains HFCS, synthetic caramel coloring (cancer causing substance), phosphoric acid (makes you lose minerals) and caffeine.

Many different water kefir flavors can be made. One only needs to use different fruit such as orange, apples, pineapples or berries You can even make a sparkling ‘red wine’ drink by fermenting roselle or grape juice. Will children like this water kefir soda? I have children as young as the age of 2 loving this drink!

It is an excellent idea to start our little children on water kefir before they get hooked on to hazardous soft drinks. With water kefir, you need not worry how much they consume daily. Water kefir aids our digestion and absorption of food as well as strengthens our immune system. In fact, water kefir has been highly recommended as a probiotic source in the popular GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Diet. This is a special diet targeted at healing the guts for children with autism or related conditions.

Making this probiotic enzyme rich drink is very easy. The basic method is to place some water kefir grains in a glass jar of water with some sugar. Cover the jar and leave it for 24 hours. Next, strain it and you are done! The ready-made drink can then be flavored. You just add some fruit juices to the strained water kefir. Keep it in the fridge for a chilled delicious fizzy water kefir soda!

About the author:

Chai Youn Wong is a natural health enthusiast who firmly believes in educating before medicating. She has also been experimenting and researching kefir since 2008. You can check out her website MyKefirWorld, where she provides much information on both milk and water kefir (also known as tibicos ). She has also written an e-book entitled “Make Kefir Successfully”.

C.Y. Wong
Chai Youn Wong is a natural health enthusiast who firmly believes in educating before medicating. She has also been experimenting and researching kefir since 2008. You can check out her website MyKefirWorld, where she provides much information on both milk and water kefir (also known as tibicos ). She has also written an e-book entitled "Make Kefir Successfully".