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Is Kefir Good for Pregnancy? Benefits & Best Ways To Drink Kefir

Is Kefir good for pregnancy?

Pregnant women are always worried about what they can eat or drink while carrying a baby in the womb and for a good reason. 

When it comes to milk, kefir is a drink that can offer health benefits to people outside of pregnancy, and it’s a delicious fermented milk drink with a twist on regular milk.

Pasteurized milk is often just fine for pregnant women, and kefir is no exception. 

However, fermented foods must be closely monitored, and kefir should only be done when the fermented milk beverage has been carefully researched to ensure it’s been pasteurized.

Is kefir good for pregnancy?

In this article, we’ll not only discuss whether you can drink kefir while pregnant, but we’ll also talk about whether you can drink homemade kefir, as well as any risks or health benefits that go along with drinking kefir for pregnant women.

Pregnancy Nutrition Course

What is kefir?

Kefir is a fermented milk drink. 

It is made using a process in which kefir grains are added to milk. Kefir grains are a type of yeast, so the fermented milk drink is made by simply being allowed to sit.

There are many health benefits to drinking kefir or edibles made with kefir grains. 

Adding kefir grains to milk and the fermentation process unlocks those many benefits and ups the ante of the health benefits you will get from drinking milk alone.

Is kefir good for pregnancy

Kefir grains and milk kefir can be very good for pregnant women. 

As with all things, moderation is key. Too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing.

If pregnant, always speak with your doctor or healthcare provider before drinking kefir.

Is kefir good for pregnancy

Benefits of kefir to moms-to-be

If you enjoyed this fermented milk drink before you were pregnant and have wondered if there are any benefits to continuing with the drink during your pregnancy, the following are some of the many health benefits you can glean when you drink kefir:

1. Adds probiotics

Adding kefir grains to milk gives pregnant women a dose of probiotic milk that can do them lots of favors health-wise.

Probiotic milk products like yogurt are great for introducing beneficial bacteria or probiotics into your system. 

This probiotic-rich beverage is chock full of these good bacteria and can help you feel better and improve your gut health.

2. Aids digestion

Your digestive system tends to slow down during pregnancy, and pregnant women and babies alike can benefit immensely from improved digestion. 

Having a healthy gut can help you feel more energized, beat the bloat that comes with pregnancy, improve the number of gut flora or good bacteria that thrive in your stomach, and keep your bowels regular.

None of us think about how important it is to have a healthy gut until we get constipated or bloated. Gut health and lots of good gut flora are vital.

3. Prevents yeast infections

Probiotics are beneficial to your health in many ways.

Kefir, a fermented milk product, offers not just gut health. The water, kefir grains, milk, and fermentation process can also decrease your risk of yeast infection.

4. Boosts the immune system

Due in part to the tons of minerals and vitamins, especially Vitamin B and D, kefir during pregnancy can help boost your immune system.

Your immune system weakens and then gets stronger during pregnancy, depending on what you and your baby need at any given time. Because of this, boosting your immune system is always a welcome bonus.

This is especially true during the cold and flu seasons, when viral bugs run rampant, and pregnant women can’t take many over-the-counter medicines to combat the symptoms or effects of these ailments.

5. Prevents or manages gestational diabetes

Kefir during pregnancy does a lot to help out when it comes to gut health. Having a healthy gut can also help you to stave off the effects of gestational diabetes, which stems in part from an inability to metabolize and process sugar.

When you have lots of nutrients and your digestive system is in good health, it’s more difficult to suffer from the effects of gestational diabetes.

6. Helps your baby avoid having irritable bowel syndrome

It has been theorized that drinking kefir during pregnancy can also keep your baby healthier after birth.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a complicated health issue and one that is managed rather than cured.

If you drink kefir, not only can you have a healthy pregnancy, but you can also help decrease the chances of your little one getting IBS later in life.

7. Helps with morning sickness

If you’re looking for ways to prevent pregnancy-related complications such as nausea and vomiting, it’s been said that this fermented drink can help you ease your tummy when added or combined with ginger ale or lemon.

No studies can prove this, but word of mouth travels fast among pregnant women, and there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest it.

Kefir

Is kefir safe during pregnancy?

While we’ve answered this question and provided many justifications for including kefir in your pregnancy diet, there are still some instances where this fermented and slightly effervescent beverage isn’t a good idea.

When properly made with pasteurized milk, kefir is a fermented drink that is typically totally safe to ingest while pregnant.

However, some women don’t check to ensure that the milk they are drinking combined with live kefir grains is pasteurized.

Consuming unpasteurized drinks or foods can make you very ill, because they can be breeding grounds for harmful bacteria.

Fermented food runs this risk if it is not pasteurized, and remember that kefir is a fermented milk drink.

On another note, if you are lactose intolerant, you may want to avoid kefir. 

There are many benefits to drinking it, and most grocery stores have clearly labeled products as to the status and origination of the live bacteria within, as well as whether it is pasteurized. 

However, you should not ingest this drink if you can’t handle milk or dairy.

Ways to drink kefir

If you aren’t much for drinks that taste like milk, there are many options.

Citrus kefir drinks or kefir mixed with fruit juice and other flavor profiles still offer the same tangy-tasting benefits and can prevent gastrointestinal infections.

Homemade kefir

You can help reduce the risk of preterm birth, pregnancy complications, and certain infections by making this drink at home on your own, too!

Just make sure you use sterile equipment and follow directions carefully so as not to introduce any foreign substances or mess up the fermentation of the drink.

When finished, the kefir should taste slightly sour due to the lactic acid produced during fermentation.

It will be runnier than yogurt but have a similar taste.

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Always ask your healthcare provider first

While kefir is a fermented milk drink that can stave off certain infections in the gut, promote gut health, and help to prevent preterm delivery of your baby, you should always speak with your healthcare provider before you start any new diet or supplement.

This is especially true when we’re talking about introducing live bacteria to your system. 

Kefir is full of probiotics and can help you get through your first trimester feeling great, but you should always check with your doctor about whether you should be drinking it and where you can find good quality kefir.

Is kefir safe?

Kefir is a fermented milk beverage that offers many benefits to your health. 

Active cultures have shown that good bacterial growth of probiotics in the drink can help you maintain a healthy gut, a good defense system to ward off illness, and many other nutrients that can benefit you and your baby. It can even help reduce the risk of intrauterine growth restriction and pre-eclampsia.

However, probiotics aside, if no pasteurization has taken place, you run the risk of harmful bacteria breeding in the drink.

Don’t drink kefir without first speaking to your doctor, and never drink kefir without being sure it is made with pasteurized milk.

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