Gut-Healing Coconut Water Kefir
Heal the Gut and Support the Immune System with this incredibly easy-to-make probiotic drink. Coconut water kefir is rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and B vitamins as well as a host of amino acids and enzymes. Shop bought probiotics cannot even begin to compare to the quality and diversity of making your own drink in two simple steps.
You can buy kefir grains from ebay or from online shops such as Happy Kombucha. If you can’t find water kefir grains locally you can use a powdered kefir starter such as the one by Body Ecology. If even that is hard to source then use a probiotic that you normally use or which has been prescribed by your practitioner.
Ingredients
1 tbsp water kefir grains
500 ml coconut water
Instructions
Heat the coconut water such as Vitacoco, in a pan until it is barely warm - about 30 degrees celsius
Place in a glass jar or bottle and add the water kefir grains
Cover with muslin or cheese cloth and leave for between 24 to 48 hours - on the kitchen counter will be just fine. The final product should be slightly fizzy and should have lost its sweetness as the natural sugars in the coconut water would have been eaten up by the kefir grains
Seal the jar or bottle and keep in the fridge - it will keep for months
The science bit
Coconut water kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria (Lactobacillus caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species) as well as beneficial yeasts, which support digestive function and immune health. The “grains” used to make the kefir are actually not a grain at all but are known as a SCOBY – Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. Kefir grains grown rapidly and once you have bought your first SCOBY you will never have to buy one again – as long as you keep making wonderful probiotic drinks. The cost of making your own probiotic drink is a tiny fraction of what you would have to pay for commercial probiotics and offers more complete health benefits – doesn’t get better than that!