Posted by Hugh on March 2, 2012, at 19:15:00
I started drinking kefir (fermented milk) about a month ago, and it has given my mood a boost. It makes me feel more alert and positive without making me feel wired. Kefir is a good source of probiotics, and this probably explains its effect on mood. I've been eating yogurt nearly every day for years, and I've taken many different brands of probiotics -- Culturelle, Align, Pearls, Ultimate Flora, etc. None of them have had the impact on my brain that kefir has. Kefir is sold at health food stores and at some upscale supermarkets. It's usually about four or five dollars a quart. If you live near a Trader Joe's, they have kefir for $2.99 a quart. Plain, strawberry or pomegranate. It's easy to make it at home, and cheaper that way. Just google "kefir starter kit" or "kefir grains." And there are YouTube videos on how to make it. Lactose intolerance isn't an issue with kefir, since the lactose in the milk is consumed during the fermentation process.
It's a good idea to start with a small amount, just a tablespoon a day, and gradually increase it over a couple weeks until you find an amount that works for you. This is so your gut can get used to the beneficial strains of bacteria in kefir. I got up to about three ounces a day, but at this dose, I had difficulty falling asleep, so I cut back to about half that. But some people are able to drink eight ounces a day -- just don't start with that amount because your gut may not be able to handle it.
WARNING TO ANYONE TAKING MAOIs LIKE NARDIL, PARNATE, MARPLAN OR SELEGILINE OR THE ANTIBIOTICS ZYVOX (LINEZOLID) OR FUROXONE (FURAZOLIDONE): KEFIR SHOULD BE AVOIDED. This is because kefir contains tyramine. Some samples of kefir contain just trace amounts of tyramine, and some kefir contains more. For more info about tyramine in kefir, read this:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/j913m07658253453/
This article from the LA Times is about the possible use of probiotics to treat depression and anxiety.
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/30/news/la-heb-gut-bacteria-depression-stress-20110830
poster:Hugh
thread:1012242
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20111229/msgs/1012242.html