[VIDEO RECIPE] How to make coconut kefir the easy way
Great discoveries often stem from a touch of serendipity and some creative experimentation. Don Kidson, owner of the Living Lighthouse (the raw foods center for the Los Angeles area), introduced Donna to the value of young green coconuts.
Although the liquid of the young coconut has an abundance of minerals, Donna was concerned that it would be too sweet. Drinking coconut water may make the body too acidic, and consuming excessive sugar has been linked to the growth of bacteria, carcinogens, and cancers.1-3
But the idea to add Body Ecology’s Kefir Starter to this liquid and “culture it” kept popping into her mind. Donna knew it would be a perfect medium for the growth of beneficial microbes.
Coconut water could help control hypertension, with some studies showing systolic blood pressure improvements of greater than 70 percent.
On a nice summer night in Malibu, Donna, Don, and two close friends combined the starter and coconut water, let it rest for 24 hours, and were delighted with what they had created. All the sugar disappeared, and coconut kefir was born as a fizzy, sour, champagne-like drink, like a spritzer.
Donna and Don began teaching many people how to make this healthy and delicious new discovery. It wasn’t long before research backed up its benefits.
You can also try: CocoBiotic, a low-glycemic, digestion-enhancing probiotic liquid that tastes great and is an exceptionally healthy way to help start your day. Read more here.
Coconut kefir benefits: Scientifically-supported reasons to start sipping
Coconut water kefir is easy to make, and it’s also a great alternative for those who are lactose intolerant:
- It may completely stop cravings for sugar.4 Imagine the benefits of that!
- It may have the ability to aid digestion of foods.5,6
- Though there isn’t much supporting research, and there haven’t been clinical studies, kefir grains may have a toning effect on the intestines, even flattening the abdomen.7
- Though there is no definitive research, coconut kefir may also help cleanse the liver. In Chinese medicine, the liver rules the skin, eyes, and joints.8
- Coconut kefir contains high levels of valuable minerals, including potassium, natural sodium, and chloride, which explains why the hair, skin, and nails may become stronger and have a prettier shine.9,10
- Coconut water’s rich potassium content – containing almost as much as a banana – may help reduce stroke risk in men and stroke and death risk in older women.11,12
- Green coconut water has been shown to contain anti-cancer peptides, and coconut water may also support immunity against pathogens and inflammatory cytokines.13-15
- Coconut water could help control hypertension, with some studies showing systolic blood pressure improvements of greater than 70 percent.16
- Coconut water is also hypoglycemic — offering multiple potential benefits to protect diabetics against both oxidative stress and hyperglycemia.17
Ready to begin? Here’s how to make coconut kefir in a few steps
Don’t forget your Kefir Starter too: It’s non-GMO and organic, and many say it’s the best they’ve ever had. Try it for yourself and find out.
REFERENCES:
- Ierardi E, Losurdo G, Sorrentino C, et al. Macronutrient intakes in obese subjects with or without small intestinal bacterial overgrowth: an alimentary survey. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2016 Mar;51(3):277-80.
- Ken Peeters, Frederik Van Leemputte, Baptiste Fischer, Beatriz M. Bonini, Hector Quezada, Maksym Tsytlonok, Dorien Haesen, Ward Vanthienen, Nuno Bernardes, Carmen Bravo Gonzalez-Blas, Veerle Janssens, Peter Tompa, Wim Versées, Johan M. Thevelein. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate couples glycolytic flux to activation of Ras. Nature Communications, 2017; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01019-z.
- Hu J, La Vecchia C, Augustin LS, Negri E, de Groh M, Morrison H, Mery L; Canadian Cancer Registries Epidemiology Research Group. Glycemic index, glycemic load and cancer risk. Ann Oncol. 2013 Jan;24(1):245-51. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mds235. Epub 2012 Jul 25. PMID: 22831983.
- Gates, Donna. 2011. The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering Your Health and Rebuilding Your Immunity, with Linda Schatz. First Edition, Hay House. Pg 98.
- Semih Oties, Oziem Cagindi. (2003) Kefir: A Probiotic Dairy-Composition, Nutritional and Therapeutic Aspects. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition 2 (2): 54-595.
- Hyunsook, Kim. Nutritional Effects and Antimicrobial Activity of Kefir (Grains). Journal of Milk Science and Biotechnology, v. 36, no. 1, page. 1-13.
- Lim J, Kale M, Kim DH, Kim HS, Chon JW, Seo KH, Lee HG, Yokoyama W, Kim H. Antiobesity Effect of Exopolysaccharides Isolated from Kefir Grains. J Agric Food Chem. 2017 Nov 22;65(46):10011-10019. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b03764. Epub 2017 Nov 8. PMID: 29084388.
- Esther Boelsma, Henk FJ Hendriks, Len Roza, Nutritional skin care: health effects of micronutrients and fatty acids, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 73, Issue 5, May 2001, Pages 853–864, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/73.5.853.
- Sugawara T, Kikuchi K, Tagami H, Aiba S, Sakai S. Decreased lactate and potassium levels in natural moisturizing factor from the stratum corneum of mild atopic dermatitis patients are involved with the reduced hydration state. J Dermatol Sci. 2012;66(2):154-159. doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2012.02.011.
- Cashman, Michael & Sloan, Steven. (2010). Nutrition and nail disease. Clinics in dermatology. 28. 420-5. 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2010.03.037.
- Adebamowo SN, Spiegelman D, Flint AJ, Willett WC, Rexrode KM. Intakes of magnesium, potassium, and calcium and the risk of stroke among men. Int J Stroke. 2015;10(7):1093-1100. doi:10.1111/ijs.12516.
- Seth A, Mossavar-Rahmani Y, Kamensky V, et al. Potassium intake and risk of stroke in women with hypertension and nonhypertension in the Women’s Health Initiative. Stroke. 2014;45(10):2874-2880. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.114.006046.
- Prabhu S, Dennison SR, Mura M, Lea RW, Snape TJ, Harris F. Cn-AMP2 from green coconut water is an anionic anticancer peptide. J Pept Sci. 2014 Dec;20(12):909-15. doi: 10.1002/psc.2684. Epub 2014 Sep 19. PMID: 25234689.
- Mandal SM, Dey S, Mandal M, Sarkar S, Maria-Neto S, Franco OL. Identification and structural insights of three novel antimicrobial peptides isolated from green coconut water. Peptides. 2009 Apr;30(4):633-7. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2008.12.001. Epub 2008 Dec 6. PMID: 19111587.
- Rao SS, Najam R. Coconut water of different maturity stages ameliorates inflammatory processes in model of inflammation. J Intercult Ethnopharmacol. 2016 Apr 14;5(3):244-9. doi: 10.5455/jice.20160402120142. PMID: 27366350; PMCID: PMC4927129.
- Alleyne T, Roache S, Thomas C, Shirley A. The control of hypertension by use of coconut water and mauby: two tropical food drinks. West Indian Med J. 2005 Jan;54(1):3-8. doi: 10.1590/s0043-31442005000100002. PMID: 15892382.
- Pinto IF, Silva RP, Chaves Filho Ade B, Dantas LS, Bispo VS, Matos IA, Otsuka FA, Santos AC, Matos HR. Study of Antiglycation, Hypoglycemic, and Nephroprotective Activities of the Green Dwarf Variety Coconut Water (Cocos nucifera L.) in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats. J Med Food. 2015 Jul;18(7):802-9. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2014.0046. Epub 2015 Feb 4. PMID: 25651375.
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