Myalgic Encephalopathy and Kefir probiotic drink

Some of you will know I suffer from ME and have done since 1995...

A long time to have ME and still be suffering the doctors have told me its incurable and untreatable with the current knowledge of the condition.

I have tried just about everything going that sounded plausible, then my sister told me about Kefir. what the hell is that I hear you say well Kefir is a fermented drink, traditionally made using cow’s milk or goat’s milk.

It is made by adding kefir “grains” to just plain milk.

These are not grains in the conventional sense, but cultures of yeast and lactic acid bacteria that resemble a cauliflower in appearance.

Over a period of 12 to 24 hours, the microorganisms in the kefir grains multiply and ferment the sugars in the milk, turning it into kefir.

Then the grains are removed from the liquid, and can be used again.

This is what kefir (jar) and kefir grains (spoon) look like:

So basically, kefir is the drink, but kefir grains are the “starter kit” that you use to produce the drink.

Kefir originated from parts of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia. The name is derived from the Turkish word keyif, which means “feeling good” after eating.

The lactic acid bacteria turn the lactose in the milk into lactic acid, so kefir tastes sour like yogurt,  but has a thinner consistency like single cream.

I have been taking this for a couple of months and I can feel a slight difference in my ME, it's not gone...in fact far from going.  But I feel like I have a little bit more energy and not as much brain fog however, I still have some bad days and "crash out" sleeping for the day if I do too much, so its not a cure as such.
I will continue to take it  for the rest of the year at least and see what happens over a longer period of time, as its not doing me any harm as I know of?

It's costing just the price of a container of fresh milk so not expensive either and if the reports on the web are right it's good for losing tummy fat and we all could do with a bit less body fat.

The supermarkets sell shelf loads of probiotic drinks in the UK which have less active "alive" than the home made kefir has in it.

Microorganisms present in the grains include:
 lactic acid bacteria,
Lactococcus lactis subsp.
Lactis,
Streptococcus thermophilus,
Lb delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus,
Lb helveticus,
Lb casei subsp. Pseudoplantarum and Lb brevis,

Plus a variety of yeasts, such as Kluyveromyces, Torulopsis, and Saccharomyces, acetic acid bacteria among others. It has antibiotic and antifungal properties as well.

Home made kefir contains many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes.
Particularly calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B2 and B12, vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin D. Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system.

Because kefir also has an abundance of calcium and magnesium, also important minerals for a healthy nervous system, kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves.

The abundance of enzymes brings more health benefits, especially to lactose intolerant people, many of whom can tolerate kefir without difficulty, as long as the kefir is raw and not cooked (cooking destroys the enzymes).
         

Reprinted with the kind permission of Health Rising.

Please note that we’re at the very early stages of understanding how probiotics may help people with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) or fibromyalgia. The trillions of bacteria present in the guts of the very heterogeneous ME/CFS and FM communities present much opportunity for variability. Warning: while Carol did very well taking large numbers of probiotics some people with ME/CFS/FM can be sensitive to even small amounts of probiotics.