How to make kefir more healthful using sound
Kefir has shot to fame over recent years for its potential health benefits. Using sound technology, Russian scientists believe they have found a way to increase some of these benefits.
Kefir, which is a fermented milk-based drink, is made using kefir grains.
Originating in the Caucasus Mountains centuries ago, kefir has recently seen an impressive uptick in popularity.
Aside from its potential benefits as a probiotic, kefir contains a compound called kefiran that has interested medical researchers.
Kefiran is an insoluble polysaccharide constructed of galactose and glucose; it is produced by certain microbes, such as Lactobacillus brevis, that are present in kefir.
Previous studies have shown that kefiran might have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing properties. There is also some evidence that kefiran might reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels.
Other studies have hinted at kefiran's potential to work as an anticancer agent, and others have shown its ability to influence the immune system.
Increasing kefir's powers
Normally, kefiran is present in relatively low concentrations in kefir, so designing a way to boost this product could enhance the drink's healthful benefits.
Recently, researchers from South Ural State University in Chelyabinsk, Russia, set out to boost the levels of kefiran using ultrasound. They have published their findings in the journal Ultrasonics Sonochemistry.
Prof. Irina Potoroko explains, "The main objective of our research was to step up the kefiran content in fermented milk drinks. To this end, we treated milk with ultrasound."
