Do you remember the got milk campaign from the 90s? My favourite one was that with the supermodels of the era promoting the benefits of milk with adorable milk moustaches on glossy posters, photographed by no one less than the legendary Annie Leibovitz [1].

Times have changed—now drinking dairy comes with an unpleasant aftertaste. More people suffer from sensitivities to dairy, while others question the ethics of consuming milk post babyhood. What once was a staple food in most households and prized for its bone strengthening properties, is now doomed as inflaming, unhealthy and stolen property from the calves.

Be aware that by cutting out milk products from your diet, you may miss out on one of the most potent health promoting foods Nature’s cabinet has on offer—Kefir. The story and benefits of this fermented milk drink are nothing short of miraculous. Kefir originated in the Caucasus Mountains and kept secret by the locals for millennia before an act of trickery enabled kefir to break outside the community (read the full story in the reference) [2]. The richness of probiotics makes this gift an ancient medicine and true beauty elixir.

What is Kefir?

This fermented milk drink of the region where Europe and Asia border is full of health promoting and gut healing microorganisms, also called probiotics. The taste of kefir is slightly sour and reminds of yoghurt, while the texture is slightly thicker than milk. It can be made from cow, goat, buffalo, camel or whatever mammal milk is available.

The variety of probiotics in kefir compared to store-bought probiotics is impressive. It is ridiculously easy to make, inexpensive and devoid of additives and plastic waste from packaging. All you need to begin your homemade kefir journey is a batch of starter culture (called kefir grains), mammal milk of your choice and a glass jar (there are wonderful YouTube videos for instructions—I recommend the one from Clean Living).

Drinking kefir daily can transform your skin, mood and overall well-being.

For glowing and clear skin, treat your gut well

You might have heard that the skin and the gut are connected. We have first-hand evidence of that when we wake up with a breakout in the morning, like a red flashing reminder that we have eaten a bag of chips or too much double-choc caramel fudge ice cream the night before—oops.

A major aspect of a healthy gut and healthy skin is your microbiome—the sum of all bacteria, viruses, fungi and their metabolites (secretions) that live in and on your body. The microbiome keeps the immune, hormone and digestive systems in balance and it is believed that the declining health of the microbiome due to environmental factors are linked to the rise of chronic health issues, including skin conditions [3]. Did you know that the number of microbes in and on your body outnumbers your cells 10 times [4]?

In 1930, the researchers Stokes and Pillsbury were the first who reported about the connection between the gut, skin and brain in a modern and scientific fashion. They proposed that emotional states could alter the gut microbiome, cause a leaky gut, systemic inflammation, and worsen skin conditions [5,6]. Their success in improving acne and mood in their human volunteers was appointed to the probiotic strain Lactobacillus acidophilus (abundant in kefir), which they administered via a milk preparation [6].

This is already impressive but a healthy gut microbiome goes beyond improving acne and overall happiness— it can help you reach an array of skin goals, for example rejuvenation. Recent research has identified that an imbalance in the gut microbiome is one of the hallmarks of aging [7]. To put this simply, restoring the gut microbiome with kefir could be your answer to great skin, a lifted spirit and ageless beauty. Sounds good? Let’s dive into the clinical evidence.

Meet Your Kefir Beauty Troop

The milk fermentation in the kefir making process is the work of yeast and bacterial colonies—called probiotics—the kinds beneficial to us. Those colonies are called kefir grains and their name is purely based on the resemblance to porridge.

There are about 7 probiotics identified in kefir that build the majority of strains. The probiotic Bacillus kefiranofaciensproduces a gel-like matrix called kefiran and is what gives kefir the typical thickness after the fermentation process. Both, kefiran and the probiotics are doing wondrous things for your skin.

The main probiotics in Kefir are Lactobacillus kefiri, which build 80% of the colonies, the rest 20% are made up of Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens [8,9].

The Benefits for Your Skin

Studies show that kefiran is affective in improving beauty and fighter of health killers like fungi, bacteria, free radicals [10] and can even shrink tumors [11].

Skin Hydration

Is your skin thirsty like a lost soul in the desert? Drinking half a glass of kefir daily has proven to improve skin hydration in a 2 month trial with 50 people [12]. This confirms a different study that found Lactobacillus acidophilus to prevent skin dehydration [13].

Atopic Dermatitis, Skin Sensitivity and Barrier Function

If you suffer from skin conditions that affect the skin barrier like atopic dermatitis, kefir might be your answer. The severity of atopic dermatitis is lessened by drinking kefir daily for 2 months, a small trial found [14].

As it improves the skins barrier function [14], kefir can help to heal the skin after skin treatments have gone wrong. Not to forget the array of skin products that compromise the skin barrier like AHAs, BHAs, retinol or hydroquinone. If you ever had a damaged barrier from cosmetics, you know how uncomfortable it feels and it doesn’t look cute either. A strong skin barrier is more important than ever because of the harsher environmental conditions we live in with air pollution and man-made toxins.

The probiotic strain Lactobacillus paracasei decreases skin sensitivity and increases the barrier function recovery of the skin [15].

Rejuvenation

The probiotic family in kefir includes several strains that are fountains of youth. The strain Lactobacillus plantarum is a rejuvenator that improved skin hydration, decreased wrinkle depth and improved skin elasticity by 22% in people between 41 and 59 years of age in a 3 months trial [16]. The same strain reduced collagen and elastin depletion—the elastic bands (actually protein fibres) that hold your skin together—by reducing the activity of the enzyme MMP, a free radical responsible for collagen breakdown [17,18].

Lactobacillus kefiri is slowing down the aging process of fibroblasts—the stem cells that produce new collagen—by helping them to self-regenerate (autophagy). It also has powerful antioxidant strength and can effectively protect precious collagen from depletion [19].

Lactobacillus acidophilus prevents wrinkle formation by reducing the major ager inflammation and oxidative stress—specifically the reduction of MMPs, a group of enzymes that break down precious collagen [20].

Acne

And more good news if you struggle to break up with breakouts. The anti-inflammatory and immune boosting effects of kefir help to improve acne. A balanced gut microflora can restore the balance of Cutibacterium acnes, a bacterium found in acne riddled skin [24].

A study made an interesting observation when assessing the progress of breakouts during a course of antibiotics. The researchers divided the subjects in two groups. Both groups received a commonly prescribed antibiotic, while only one group received an oral probiotic additionally. They found that the group that received the antibiotic and the probiotic supplement had better healing outcomes [25].

Sunspots, Age Spots and Other Brown Spots

If you have stubborn brown spots, Lactobacillus acidophilus can brighten your skin. Studies found that this probiotic strain regulates melanin production that has gone out-of-control [26].

Beauty sleep and Well-being

Lactobacillus paracasei is a multi-tasker that can improve your beauty sleep as it reduces stress and exhaustion, night time cortisol during chronic low stress and increased sleep recovery [21]. This strain is also an immune booster [22] and proven to suppress the division of melanoma cancer cells [23].

I could fill a book presenting to you the skin benefits of the probiotic families in kefir, but I hope what you have read so far is getting you excited.

In a nutshell, the probiotics in kefir mobilise the immune system and shift it towards a healthy and anti-inflammatory response. They improve gut health by strengthening the connections (tight junctions) between cells—a compromised function of these cell channels is associated with leaky gut. Probiotics are effective defenders towards pathogens by creating a protective biofilm [27]. They even activate or deactivate genes that determine cell death and cell division of cancer cells [28].

If that doesn’t convince you to try kefir, let me report and amazing result I had with a client.

One of my dear clients, we call her Monica, had psoriasis for more than a decade. It came and went but since her son was born; it stayed. She tried uncountable herbs and supplements, followed diets that were making her life more complicated. Even though she eats a healthy, wholesome and organic diet, a lot of foods she loves, like sourdough bread, cheese, and potatoes, were not on the list of psoriasis diets.

When Monica came to see me, I just recently came across the book The Good Skin Solution by Shann Jones. Shann shares her incredible story about how she saved her dying husband—infected by a hospital bug—with natural healing methods. Goat kefir was one of the natural medicines she used. To date, she has helped many people with skin issues like psoriasis, acne and rosacea. Her story sounded interesting and Monica gave kefir a shot. It was an instant hit. The psoriasis started healing within the first week. We were both flabbergasted. After buying goat kefir from the only local supplier for a month, she started making her own.

As I like to be the guinea pig before I recommend things, I can confirm how much more beautiful and stronger my skin is since I started drinking it—not to mention better overall well-being. No store-bought probiotic ever had such fast acting and impressive impact on my skin and health.

An Afterthought

In the light of the concerns about consuming dairy, let’s raise the question of how food that nourished us since the beginning of the sedentary lifestyle and animal domestication suddenly became a health hazard?

It makes sense to blame the food when our body reacts negatively, but have you considered that the diet trends that don’t allow dairy are a reaction to adverse health effects caused by modern and industrial food production practices? The emergence of food sensitivities has suspiciously co-grown with the conversion from poly-culture to mono-cropping since the 1950s. On top of that, traditional food prepping methods like fermenting, soaking and home-cooking became neglected out of convenience or simply a lack of time.

I bet within the next decade, dairy is making a comeback as a valued staple in our fridge, but in its rawest, cleanest, and fermented form.

Here is a tip to make kefir more nourishing on a spiritual level. Revive an old tradition of giving thanks and the utmost reverence to the animal that has donated milk for your nourishment. To do this, sit in silence and say a simple thank you by envisioning the animal that gifted this food to you before consumption. By gobbling food with respect and buying from farmers that treat their animals well, we can do our best to reap the beautifying benefits while minimizing harm.

References

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2. The Fascinating History of Milk Kefir [Internet]. Raw Milk Institute. 2020 [cited 2024 May 8]. Available from: https://www.rawmilkinstitute.org/updates/the-fascinating-history-of-milk-kefir

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Photo: ©Milk Processor Education Program