FAQs

About Kefir

What is Kefir?

Kefir is a fermented beverage, which is an ancient functional food. Kefir is a mesophilic symbiotic culture (Scobie), a symbiotic culture of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts embedded in a matrix of proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides (thank you Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir) working together to benefit the host (our gut, mouth, skin).

Kefir contains large varieties of beneficial microbes aka probiotics. Milk kefir has been known to have around 30 different types of good bacteria aka probiotics and water kefir 15

Kefir is made up of billions of good bacteria, comprising of mainly lactobacillus species. Probiotic diversity is key when it comes to gut health. You want as many different types of good bacteria as possible, there must be enough of them and you want them to be absorbed easily by the gut.
Kefir is a source of nutrients (Proteins, calcium, phosphorus, B12, Vit K, magnesium, Vit D).

There is information that says that the word ‘kefir’ comes from a Turkish word meaning ‘good feeling’.

Balancing your gut microbiome can help with

  • depression
  • anxiety
  • food intolerances
  • inflammation in the gut , joints and body
  • sleep disorders
  • constipation
  • diarrhea
  • allergies
  • brain fog
  • poor
  • immune health
  • IBS
  • GERD, heartburn, reflux
  • IBD
  • replacing probiotics after antibiotics
  • malabsorbtion
  • Leaky gut or gut permeability
  • mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Gut health is the state of balance from your mouth to your anus, this includes the balance of microorganisms, the permeability of the lining, the secretion and availability of enzymes and acids all needed for processing and absorbtion of foods and their breakdown and bioavailability.

At NuMeSA we are passionate about GUT HEALTH and making healthy easy. We have made gut health our purpose and our founder Bronwen, spends a lot of time learning and researching gut health.

In the 9 years NuMeSA has been operating we have see our kefir products help thousands of people.

By using live kefir grains we ensure that you, the consumer get the maximum number of probiotic strains possible.

Have a look at our testimonials page to see the experiences that our customers have had with kefir.

Yes. The foods many of us are eating  damage our gut bacteria and poison the microbes. If the food we eat does not kill the beneficial bacteria, then we starve them to death by not eating enough prebiotics (fiber).

Or we wipe them out with antibiotics, over-use antibacterials like soap, hand sanitizers and other environmental toxins. We are literally waging chemical warfare on ourselves.

This results in – depression, anxiety, food intolerances, inflammation in the gut, joints and body, sleep disorders, constipation and unlimited allergies. The list just goes on. IBS, for example, is the manifestation of an imbalance of microbes in the gut microbiome.

When your gut is off balance, it doesn’t work properly, which manifests into the symptoms listed above.

Probiotics feed your gut microbiome with good bacteria that is imperative for good gut health.

These are good microorganisms that live inside our gut. They keep our immune system strong, help us process the foods we eat, eliminate wastes, protect the lining of the gut, produce some neurotransmitter and vitamins and keep us healthy.
Prebiotics are made of soluable and insoluable fibre. Prebiotics are the food our probiotics eat and are used to make short chain fatty acids which help us an an anti-inflammatory, increases insulin sensitivity, and may delay onset of neurodegenerative diseases. SCFA are also helpful in the treatment of crohn’s, IBS and ulceratice colitis.

Kefir is made up of billions of good bioactive probiotics, comprising of mainly lactobacillus species. Probiotic diversity is key when it comes to gut health. You want as many different types of good bacteria as possible, there must be enough of them and you want them to be absorbed easily by the gut.

Kefir probiotic strains vary around the world. The most common species are:
Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and L. kefiranofaciens are predominant species

Kefir contains live probiotics with multiple strains. OTC probiotics are generally processed probiotics and contain only a few strains.
You may experience depression, anxiety, food intolerances, inflammation in the gut, joints and body, sleep disorders, constipation, diarrhea and unlimited allergies, brain fog, poor immune health.

Here at NuMeSA – our products are

-Made using the best quality raw ingredients and fermented with live kefir grains/cultures
-Able to provide microbial diversity – which is key to seeding the gut. The more strains, the better.
-Is a powerful functional food
-Have been helping South Africans achieve a better quality of life from the inside out for 9 years.
-NuMeSA milk kefir takes several days to ferment using the traditional kefir fermenting process which has existed for thousands of years, ensuring low to no lactose in the finished product.
-NuMeSA water kefir is fermented slowly using a first and second ferment brewing method.
-NuMeSA considers the farming of microbes a privilege and an honour. We intention our kefir to improve lives from the inside out. We use ancient fermentation methods (aka as traditional fermentation) to make our kefir.
-NuMeSA kefir is made in small batches
-NuMeSA kefir is not mass produced so the batches will vary in colour, taste, clarity, sediment, consistency and carbonation. Naturally farmed biological created functional foods, like fruit and kefir vary from crop to crop. And like any real food will continue to ripen/ferment and this will change in appearance, texture and taste.

100ml a day.
Yes, you can. 1 Tablespoon for bigger dogs, 1 teaspoon for cats and smaller dogs.
Yes, we produce coconut milk kefir and water kefir which are both vegan friendly. We also have a vegan friendly pre/ probiotic powder you can use.

The lactose (sugar) in milk gets “eaten” by the kefir during the fermenation process and therefore there is very little (only about 5%) lactose in milk kefir. You can let your kefir ferment another 12hours to reduce the lactose levels.

Milk kefir has also been used to treat lactose intolerances.

You can try water kefir or coconut milk kefir

Making Kefir

What is the process to make kefir?
All instructions on how to make kefir can be found here https://numesa.co.za/kefir-instructions/

You can use either one, however it takes a few days for the fermentation to start as they grains first need to be hydrated. See https://numesa.co.za/kefir-instructions/.

Fresh grains are easier to get going with.

You will need a glass jar, a plastic strainer and plastic or wooden spoon. See https://numesa.co.za/kefir-instructions/.

All instructions on how to make kefir can be found here https://numesa.co.za/kefir-instructions/

Soak your grains in chlorine free water for 5 days to rehydrate them.

Yes, with good care, kefir grains can be used indefinitely. See https://numesa.co.za/kefir-instructions/ for how to care for your kefir grains.

Milk kefir is for 24 – 48 hours and water kefir will depend on whether you are doing only one or two ferments.

Water kefir is a 2 part ferment with each one taking 48 hours

See https://numesa.co.za/kefir-instructions/

Yes, you can use pasteurised milk.

You can use cow’s milk, goat’s milk, soy milk or even coconut milk. It’s preferred to use fresh milk to make kefir.

If you can get raw milk this has huge benefits

You can stir it if you want to, but it is necessary.
Feed the grains that you have strained into a new batch of water or milk and store it in the fridge.
With milk kefir, change the milk weekly.
Milk kefir can be frozen but will need to thraw completely for cultures to reactivate. This is usually indicated by a slight swelling in the bottle. The texture will change through and not be as smooth but the probiotics will still be present.
With good care, kefir grains can be used indefinitely. See https://numesa.co.za/kefir-instructions/ for how to care for your kefir grains.
As soon as the milk starts to thicken, or separate out slightly it is starting to produce kefir. This will look like a marbelling effect
We suggest you use a mixture of white and brown sugar, however either or is fine as well. See https://numesa.co.za/kefir-instructions/.
No, it just means that the kefir might have slightly over fermented. Stir the mixture well and then continue with the process of straining the kefir.
Taste may vary from batch to batch and may have fermented longer than normal. The longer the fermentation, the more lactose is eaten and the more sour the kefir will be.

 

It can be that your batch hasn’t fermented long enough. Let it ferment another 24hours and see if you are happy with the difference. Also make sure your second ferment is in a sealed bottle so the carbonation can build up. See https://numesa.co.za/kefir-instructions/.

General Questions​

What are kefir grains?

Kefir grains are also known as a scoby – a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts.

Kefir resembles small pieces of cauliflower
Water kefir looks like florist ice.

As kefir is a fermented drink it is slightly effervescent with a tangy or sour taste. Depending on what milk was used for milk kefir, the taste may vary slightly. Plain milk kefir tastes similar to a plain yogart but may be more tart. Flavoured milk kefir can be likened to drinking yoghurt.
Yes, kefir keeps on fermenting and the warmer it is, the faster it ferments. Keep you kefir at below 4 degrees.
Less than 4 degrees.
14 – 16 weeks unopened. It is suggested that you use it within 14 days after opening.
No, it is natural fizz created by the fermentation process.
Yes, NuMeSA use only natural ingredients in all our products.

Yes, sugar is what the kefir grains “eat” during fermentation.

Our flavoured milk kefir contains low amounts of sugar in the fruit syrups we make

No, it is just overfermented. Slowly open the cap of the bottle and let the air out to “burp” the bottle slowly.
 The bottle is very hard from over fermentation we recommend opening over a basin and a bowl as the contents will expolde out of the bottle. The kefir will have a fizzy taste and will be super stong and filled with live probiotics
Thickness/texture of kefir will vary from batch to batch as it is produced in small batches. Time of fermentation, variations in temperature, amount or type of milk and amount of grains used will affect the results of each batch.

You can view our list of producs herehttps://numesa.co.za/nume-kefir-products/ click on a product you will find a picture with the nutritional information as well as ingredients.

Kefir is made from kefir grains and milk or water and kombucha is made of a scoby and green/black tea.
Milk Kefir provides protein, fat and fibres, whereas kombucha doesn’t.
Kombucha containes caffeine.

Kefir contains lots of probiotic diversity
kombucha contains digestive enzymes and fewer probiotic strains

Water kefir tastes almost like tangy, sparkling water.
Because kefir is a fermented beverage the nutritionals are changing all the time
Milk and Water Kefir has shelf life of 14 weeks
Prebiotic powders have a shelf life of 24 months.
The best time to drink kefir is on an empty stomach at the start of the day. As a result, it improves gut health and digestion. Moreover, you may also take it at night before bed. Kefir contains tryptophan, an amino acid which can promote better sleep.
Take with a meal or shake or smoothie. Anytime of day

Unfortunately, mixing your gut powder in hot drinks kills off the probiotics, so you lose some of the quality of the product.

I suggest you use a blender/shaker to mix your gut powder, or perhaps mix it into your cereal in the morning instead of in a cold drink.

Yes, goat milk kefir is gluten free.

We feed goat milk kefir grains into fresh goat milk and let it ferment for 48h, then we strain the kefir grains out and are left with the goat milk kefir. We do not add any thickeners or flavourants.

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