What is the difference between yogurt and kefir? What is the difference between yogurt and kefir: comparison. What is healthier, better, tastier: yogurt or kefir? What is the difference between starter cultures for yogurt and kefir?

About the benefits fermented milk products Everyone has heard of it, and in Russia, for a long time, kefir has been considered the leader in this area: more than one generation has grown up on it. Yogurt - an overseas guest, which at first was perceived exclusively as a delicious dessert, over time began to be positioned as an alternative to kefir. There is no clear answer to the question of what is healthier – kefir or yogurt.

What is the difference between kefir and yogurt? Just a variety of microorganisms that are used to ferment milk. You can make yogurt if you add a protosymbiotic mixture of the two to milk. pure cultures- the so-called Bulgarian bacillus and thermophilic streptococcus. The mixture of microorganisms necessary to produce kefir is more extensive: these include streptococci, lactic acid bacilli, acetic acid bacteria, and yeast. And one more nuance: kefir can be made from both low-fat and whole milk, and yogurt is prepared mainly from low-fat raw materials. Variety kefir grains is a Tibetan milk mushroom.

Which is healthier?

Both products have a beneficial effect on work digestive system and, when included in various diets, help quickly and effectively get rid of extra pounds. But, taking into account the fact that real live yogurt is very rare, and stores sell sterilized and flavored ersatz, simple kefir is still healthier.

Actually, live yogurt, about the merits of which so much is said and written, is nothing more than biokefir. It is then given a “marketable appearance” using thickeners such as starch, synthetic flavor and odor enhancers, dyes and preservatives. In theory, any high-quality “live” fermented milk product should not be stored in a refrigerator for more than one week. The same, for example, applies to blue cheeses, the benefits and harms of which force nutritionists to engage in endless discussions. If the shelf life is extended to almost a month, then you can be sure: it has nothing to do with natural yoghurt the substance in a beautiful plastic jar does not have. By the way, in Bulgaria, which is known as the birthplace of yogurt, the quality criteria for this lactic acid product are quite strict: sugar, thickeners, powdered milk and other excesses are completely excluded from the recipe. But Russian manufacturers In yoghurts, these components are used all the time.

So, what benefits will natural kefir bring to the body?
1. It is one of the best products for the immune system, as it stimulates the functioning of the intestinal microflora - in the language of professional doctors this is called “probiotic effect”. Improving metabolism is inextricably linked with such processes.
2. Regular consumption of kefir at night, according to many doctors, helps improve immunity. From the same perspective, the benefits of acidophilus, another effective fermented milk product produced on a fungal basis, are usually assessed.
3. There is a slight calming effect of kefir.
4. Has a barely pronounced diuretic effect.
5. Lactose, a valuable carbohydrate from the group of disaccharides found in milk and dairy products, is best absorbed from kefir.

P.S.: If you want to supplement the material about the benefits of kefir and yogurt and express your opinion on this topic, you can add a comment right under this article.

Both of these drinks, prepared from milk using the fermentation method, are extremely beneficial for children and adults. However, they have fundamental differences, due to which the effects on the body are somewhat different.

Source: instagram @vestamilk

Each of these drinks has its own history of origin and distribution around the world.

Kefir

North Ossetia is considered the birthplace of kefir, where there are many legends about the origin of kefir starter. One of them says that the first white grains of kefir grains were given to the mountaineers in ancient times by the Prophet Muhammad himself. Whether this is true or not, the harsh inhabitants of the Caucasus kept the recipe for the drink, which was first presented to the scientific community in a report to the medical society in 1876, in the strictest confidence.

It was only in 1906, after the scandalous story of the kidnapping of the Russian girl Irina Sakharova, who was sent to Karachay to get the fungus, that sourdough was first exported from the Caucasus. When the kidnapping case went to court, Irina asked her offender for a secret kefir starter as compensation for moral damage, and after receiving it, she brought it to Russia.

Nowadays, kefir is produced in many countries around the world, but still only live sourdough, a derivative of the same fungi that Irina once brought.

Yogurt

The birthplace of this drink is hot Türkiye, the name itself is yogurt, translated from Turkish means “condensed”. Nomadic tribes, traveling across hot spaces, carried leather skins filled with milk on the backs of horses to quench their thirst and hunger. The bacteria present on the inside of the wineskins, mixing with the milk sour in the heat, turned it into a wonderful life-giving drink that did not spoil for a long time.

The drink came to Europe for the first time thanks to a doctor French king Louis XI, and for many years it was sold in pharmacies as medicinal product. Yogurt became widespread as a drink in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to marketing strategy one of the food companies.

What is the difference between kefir and yogurt

Kefir grain , thanks to which regular milk turns into the most useful product, is a symbiosis of many fermented milk bacteria, including lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, streptococci, etc., as well as yeast fungi. Fermentation of milk occurs in two ways - fermentation and alcohol fermentation. One-day kefir may contain about 0.06% ethyl alcohol and the longer the drink is stored, the higher the percentage of alcohol in it.

Yogurt starter has a not so complex composition, it contains only two types of bacteria - thermophilic streptococcus and Bulgarian bacillus (Lactobacillus bulgaricus), named after the country in which it was first described. In Bulgaria, the yogurt culture is widespread at the national level; there is even a legend that it was the ancient Bulgarians who were the first to prepare yogurt from sheep's milk. Since yeast does not participate in the fermentation process, there is no alcohol in yogurt

Thinkstock/fotobank.ua

Effects of kefir and yogurt on the gastrointestinal tract

Kefir, thanks to the diversity of living bacteria, not only promotes the normal existence and functioning of native gastrointestinal bacteria, but helps get rid of pathogens. In addition, if the microflora of the intestines or stomach is damaged for any reason, the kefir fungus bacteria can replace the dead ones. Stabilization of microflora and the effect of yeast fungi normalizes and maintains the condition of the gastrointestinal tract

Yogurt helps cleanse the gastrointestinal tract of pathogenic and harmful microorganisms, is food for intestinal microflora, thus contributing to the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Unlike kefir, bacteria from yogurt do not settle in the intestines; they leave it, taking with them harmful microbes.

So it's hard to say which is more useful. Perhaps you should drink kefir and yogurt.

Around the world, dairy products are popular as easily digestible, affordable and delicious food. And I can't imagine my diet without them. Representatives of the “dairy” team, such as yogurt and kefir, contain a lot of calcium and also help normalize digestion. Perhaps an unexpected question occurred to you at the supermarket shelf in the dairy section: What to buy: yogurt or kefir? Especially if you are a lover of both.

If both kefir and yogurt are available on the modern market, then this, of course, may be the result of artificial marketing, when marketers strive to cover more market segments (if you don’t like yogurt, then buy our kefir/Snowball/Acidophilus). But is this true in the case of yogurt and kefir? More likely no than yes. After all, yogurt is fermented milk products, made from milk (both powdered and whole) by adding starter culture (lactic acid streptococci and Bulgarian bacillus). At the same time, yogurt allows the addition of fillers. However, in Bulgaria (considered the birthplace of yogurt), yogurt cannot contain sugar or other additives by law. It is necessary to understand that regulations controlling the production of dairy products vary from country to country. Initially, both products tasted unsweetened, namely sour. Kefir - fermented milk drink, for the preparation of which a starter is used, consisting of two dozen different yeasts and microorganisms. Therefore, kefir is a more complex product than yogurt. In general, protein content in finished product for kefir is slightly lower than for yogurt.

As we have already seen, the opinion “yogurt is sweet and kefir is unsweetened” is irrelevant.

Conclusions website

1. To turn milk into yogurt or kefir, different starters are used;
2. On average, the protein content of yogurt is higher than that of kefir;
3. Fillers are quite rare in kefir.

KEFIR OR YOGHURT?

Many people believe that since yogurt and kefir are fermented milk products, there is not much difference between them. This is not true. The differences between yogurt and kefir range from differences in production and the types of bacteria present in them, to different effects on human health.

Differences between kefir and yogurt when preparing

There are two types of yogurt: mesophilic and thermophilic.

Mesophilic yogurt means it is cultured at room temperature.

Thermophilic yogurt during manufacture, it requires a certain temperature range for incubation of bacteria. A special yogurt maker in Dnepropetrovsk will help you make thermophilic yogurt at home. During the preparation of yogurt, it maintains a certain temperature, which helps correct process preparations.

Kefir is a mesophilic culture, manufactured at room temperature.

There is also a difference in what is used to make a new batch of product.

New batch yogurt is being prepared by adding not large quantity yogurt from the previous batch in fresh milk. Yogurt can also be made from dry starter culture.

Kefir is produced using milk fungus (kefir grains). The number of gelatinous grains of this mushroom will increase with each new batch of kefir. When the kefir is ready, these grains are simply removed from the newly made batch and added to fresh milk to make the next batch. Kefir grains can also be purchased in the form of a dry starter.

What contains more bacteria - Yogurt or Kefir?

Yogurt and kefir differ in the types of bacteria they contain. And the drinks themselves differ in their effect on the body; they perform different tasks.

Yogurt contains two types of bacteria: Bulgaricus Lactobacillus and Streptococcus termophilus.

Kefir contains tens various types lactic acid bacteria:

Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Lactobacilli brevis
- Lactobacilli casei
- Lactobacilli casei subsp. Rhamnosus
- Lactobacilli casei subsp. pseudo-plantarum
- Lactobacilli paracasei subsp. Paracasei
- Lactobacilli cellobiosus
- Lactobacilli delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus
- Lactobacilli delbrueckii subsp. Lactis
- Lactobacilli hilgardii
- Lactobacilli johnsonii
- Lactobacilli kefiri
- Lactobacilli kefiranofaciens
- Lactobacilli kefirgranum
- Lactobacilli parakefir
- Lactobacilli lactis
- Lactobacilli plantarum
-Bifidobatteri
- Lactococci lactis subsp. Lactis
- Lactococci lactis var. diacetylactis
- Lactococci lactis subsp. Cremoris
- Streptococci salivarius subsp. Thermophilus
- Streptococci lactis
- Leuconostoc cremoris
- Lieviti
- Acetobacter aceti
- Acetobacter rasene

Bacteria in yogurt help the digestive tract cleanse, yogurt is easily digestible and provides food for the bacteria that inhabit a healthy intestine.

Bacteria pass through the gastrointestinal tract without staying there.

Bacteria in kefir on the contrary, they can settle in the intestines and colonize it.

In addition to a large number of beneficial bacteria, kefir also contains yeast, which benefits the body. But yeast produces small amounts of alcohol, so kefir contains up to about 0.07% alcohol.

What tastes better: yogurt or kefir?

Yogurt has a tart creamy taste and smooth texture.

Kefir also has a tart taste, but may still have a subtle aftertaste of yeast and alcohol.

We all know that yogurt is eaten with spoons, and kefir can even be drunk through a straw. Yogurt has a thicker consistency than kefir, with the same fermentation time.

CONCLUSION. Yogurt and kefir are healthy fermented milk products that perform different, different useful tasks in the body. π

The power of yogurt - in Urgant
Every day Vanya Urgant assures Russians on television about the benefits of a certain lactic acid product. So once upon a time my grandmother persuaded me, little, to eat half a glass of yogurt. And although she didn’t dress up as Batman, her compliment sour milk absolutely coincided with the TV advertisement: “The best protection for the body!” So I got worried: why is grandma’s yogurt worse or better? - the advertised drink?

More alive than all the living

Some of my friends completely deny the healing effect of “old generation” fermented milk products. Like, in classic kefir, acidophilus or curdled milk there are no traces of noble living microorganisms. But in the advertised drinks, which are produced, as a rule, with the participation of foreign capital, there is living microflora.

The explanation is simple: they say, unscrupulous domestic business ruins useful invisible products either in the process of illiterate preparation of the product, or on the way to the store, without ensuring low storage temperatures. Whereas a foreign business is responsible, and its product is corresponding.

Misconception clean water. I bought - at random - products from six different manufacturers: kefir, yogurt, acidophilus, yogurt and a couple of TV-advertised products. And she took them to the St. Petersburg Institute of Experimental Medicine. There, in the laboratory of the genetics of pathogenic microorganisms, specialists tested them for the presence of the living microflora declared on the label.

So what? Every single product met the international quality standard - each jar contained a trillion living microorganisms per gram of deliciousness.

And yet classic products pushed into the corner of the window display, while their fashionable counterparts occupied all the advertising space and two-thirds fermented milk production Russia. Why?

Strain is no friend to strain

“But because bacteria are different,” the manufacturers of the advertised jars will answer. “The lactic acid microflora contained in our products works in the intestines much more effectively than microorganisms from classic drinks.”

There are two reasons. First: special strains of bacteria are used to prepare fashionable products. Those that have been tested by researchers for strength. Indeed, on the way to the intestines, most living bacteria die - from body temperature, from stomach acid and bile. And only the most “steadfast soldiers” can reach the immediate battlefield with intestinal enemies alive.

Actually, with the discovery of these “steadfast soldiers” - special strains of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli - rivers of bifidokefirs, bifidoks, bifilifes, and bifidoyogurts began to flow. Even biotsoni (from matsoni) has already appeared!

Reason two: bifidobacteria and lactobacilli are not only found in milk, but are also natural inhabitants of the human intestine from the first days of life. And if so, then they probably have an advantage over bacteria that do not settle in the intestines. That is, they can not only destroy pathogens that cause dysbiosis, but take their place on the intestinal lining, thereby ensuring stable order.

These reasons are beneficial for the fermented milk business - sales volume is growing. However, scientists are skeptical: there is little medical evidence! It is extremely difficult to cause a stable change in the intestinal microflora. And it is completely doubtful to populate the intestines with bacteria from the outside. If industrial strains from yoghurts end up there, it is only as lodgers.

The use of lactic acid bacteria is necessary for TEMPORARY replacement of the functions of one’s own normal intestinal inhabitants that have failed, says Alexander Suvorov, Doctor of Medical Sciences, a specialist in the genetics of microorganisms. - Thus, microorganisms introduced from outside will contribute to the restoration of the intestinal microbiocenosis that was characteristic of humans before the onset of the disease.

Each has its own benefit

So, fashion products have their trump cards. What about the good old “classics”? Alas, its microflora cannot boast of high resistance to digestive juices and claims to colonize the intestines.

Kefir microorganisms, for example, last a long time gastrointestinal tract don't live. And the Bulgarian bacillus, which is included in the ferment of curdled milk and yoghurt, also dies en masse and does not settle in the intestines. It turns out traditional products are they justifiably relegated to the shadows?

Not at all. They just have different healing properties.

Let the kefir starter die inside us. But she did a great job at the stage of milk fermentation - she synthesized enzymes and antibacterial substances that are important for intestinal health. And the composition of kefir starter contains about two dozen types of microorganisms! This means that the range of biologically active substances they produce is wide.

Acidophilus contains lactobacilli of the acidophilus group, which develop at a temperature of 36-42 degrees. This means that the acidophilus microflora inside us actually comes to life and begins its sanitary activities. At the same time acidophilus bacillus- Hello fashion products! - is also a native inhabitant of the intestines.

What about curdled milk and yogurt? Yes, the Bulgarian bacillus, which ferments milk into these products that are different in name but essentially homogeneous, does not settle in the intestines. But it kills the dysentery bacillus, staphylococcus and promotes better absorption and nutrient utilization.

What about sour cream? Employees of the St. Petersburg Institute of Experimental Medicine isolated a lactic acid bacterium from an ordinary factory sour cream starter, which has a vitality superior to Western strains, as well as great destructive power against pathogens.

Urgant effect

So, you shouldn’t get hung up on any one product. Let the body receive a variety of lactic acid bacteria. After all, different parts of the intestine have different microflora.

And then, if people suffer from dysbacteriosis, then each has its own “own”, with a specific set of pathogens. And science has not yet been able to determine which bacteria will best cope with your or my disorders.

And one more thing. All lactic acid products are good in moderation. If there are a lot of some bacteria - even the best ones - they will begin to establish their own rules in the intestines. After all, the love of “good” bacteria for us is the same myth as the hatred of “evil” microbes. In the intestinal community, as in politics, there are no friends, but only state (strain) interests.

Product advertising is a good thing. The bad thing is that the “Urgant effect” can work - consumers will give in to the advertising and decide that these jars are good for everyone. Not for everyone! Everyone must find “their” bacteria, “their” products for themselves. How? Science doesn't know. But our body knows for sure. Let's listen to him!

What microorganism

Today, doctors cannot say which types of lactic acid bacteria are most effective and what is the real mechanism of their action. However, some bacteria healing effect is considered proven. The name of such microorganisms is probiotics. Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli are among them.

The list of probiotics is growing slowly. Scientists first need to recognize the most effective invisible device, and then prove its power. It's difficult and long. After all, there are hundreds of species of lactic acid bacteria, and each species has varieties - strains.

There are about 400 types of bacteria in the human intestine, of which no more than 20 can be identified in modern clinics.

Another problem is where to look for probiotics. Lactic acid bacteria are not exclusive to milk. These ancient microorganisms appeared at a time when there was no milk on Earth yet. Their primary habitat is plants, the extracts of which they feed on. And they got their “milk” name because they were first isolated from milk.

Ode sauerkraut

As a thrifty and economical housewife, I always remember alternative sources lactic acid bacteria. Today, for example, I won’t spend money on live yogurt, since I brought a piece from the store hard cheese, oranges and cabbage.

In cheese - especially if it is well ripened - there are beneficial bacteria, and the results of their activity: enzymes, vitamins. Just don’t take processed cheese - when melted, all living things die.

What about fruits and vegetables? They also contain the necessary bacteria. The same as in salted ones - but not sterilized! - cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms.

But the best thing is sauerkraut. In sauerkraut you can find 8 types of lactobacilli and the same number of other beneficial microorganisms, essentially probiotics.

And one more consideration. There is no point in spending money on lactic acid bacteria if you are not feeding the inhabitants of your intestines correctly. Intestinal microflora"likes" to eat boiled vegetables, oatmeal, buckwheat, coarse bread. But meat is more to the taste of putrefactive microbes. Although proteins, if consumed in moderation, do not affect the number and diversity of lactic acid bacteria. But excess fat and alcohol are harmful.

And one more thing. I have a dacha, and there has never been a time when I threw away weeds from the garden. I bury every last blade of grass with my stingy hand deeper into the ground. For what? And then, what do I know about the discovery of scientists from the Institute of Nutrition. They discovered that lactic acid bacteria have an amazing ability to break down pesticides. But all the gardens are poisoned with these pesticides used to control pests! And they do not decompose for centuries. Only lactic acid bacteria can decompose them into non-toxic components.

That's why I organize free environmental cleanup of the soil. After all, plants, especially succulent ones, are a favorite place for lactic acid bacteria to settle.

Tatiana Maksimova