The short answer is yes. Kefir can help weight loss!
The four critical ways in which Kefir may help weight loss are:
- Kefir increases the sense of satiety.
- Kefir speeds up metabolism.
- Kefir stimulates the secretion of appetite-reducing hormones in the body.
- Kefir contains Tryptophan which is known to reduce stress levels, and increased stress levels are a frequent cause of obesity.
Let’s jump into more details:
What causes obesity and overweight?
Obesity is rarely caused by just “eating too much” or just “eating the wrong food”. In most cases, obesity and overweight are signs of serious metabolic and/or hormonal imbalances, as well as chronic inflammatory processes in the body that may remain hidden for years.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2016 about 40% of adults aged 18 and older were overweight, and between 1975 and 2016 obesity throughout the world has nearly tripled.
Although genetic predispositions are considered a primary causes of obesity, researchers found that stress and anxiety, as well as the junk food, that modern people are sometimes forced to consume, are amongst the main contributing factors. The simple fact that obesity has tripled worldwide in the last less than 40 years cannot have another reasonable explanation, but in stress, junk food, and decreased physical activity.
How can Kefir help?
Kefir’s probiotics have the effect of speeding up the body’s metabolism. That, in turn, burns the fat faster, which leads to weight loss. Additionally, any eventual workout will be more efficient if you add milk Kefir to your diet.
The bacteria living in your gut directly affect your metabolism rates. As Kefir balances the gut microflora, it has the proven effect of boosting metabolism and thus leading to weight loss.
Additionally, Kefir is also low in calories and rich in protein, calcium, and other beneficial compounds that increase the sense of satiety which also supports weight loss. Kefir simply makes us feel full easier and thus facilitates the decrease of food intake, which is often the shortest way to reduce weight.
Another way probiotics, Kefir included, may help weight loss is by releasing appetite-regulating and appetite-reducing hormones. Kefir consumption may increase the secretion of the protein Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4), which is known to contribute to the decrease of fat storage in our body.
Many research data also link obesity to chronic inflammations throughout the body. By improving the health of the gut microbiome, probiotics, and Kefir in particular, may reduce systemic inflammations and thus both prevent and protect against obesity.
The presence in Kefir of the essential amino acid called Tryptophan is another “weapon” that helps in the fight against obesity. Our bodies do not produce Tryptophan, and we must get it from our food. Kefir comes to the rescue as it contains a lot of it, and Tryptophan is used by our bodies to generate melatonin and serotonin that have a direct impact on reducing stress levels which are considered a major contributing factor for obesity.
So, to sum it up, Kefir can help us lose weight, but what Kefir will do is mainly improve the overall efficiency of your digestive system. For the consumption of Kefir to have the best effect on weight loss, we need to make the best use of its capabilities.
That means, for instance, taking advantage of Kefir’s potential to create a feeling of satiety to replace some of our usual meals with the consumption of either natural Kefir or Kefir smoothies instead of just adding Kefir to our usual meals.
The real problem nowadays is that the pathogenic microorganisms that thrive on junk food and sugars we consume daily can create powerful cravings for more food, which is the most widespread reason behind obesity.
It is therefore essential for our weight loss diet to combine the intake of probiotic products, such as Kefir, with the reduction or the substitution of the types of food that directly contribute to obesity, such as sugars and junk food.
