Research... Kefir Stimulates Peristalsis and Digestive Juices

Research... Kefir Stimulates Peristalsis and Digestive Juices

Over a hundred years ago, Elie Metchnikoff, a Russian biologist, zoologist, and protozoologist who’s best remembered today for his pioneering research into the immune system, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Among his many lines of fertile inquiry, he found that kefir activates the flow of saliva, most likely due to its lactic acid content and its slight amount of carbonation. He also found that kefir stimulates peristalsis and digestive juices in the intestinal tract.

His work was strictly scientific, but I would like to add a personal anecdotal note about the effect of drinking kefir daily on the intestinal tract and the eliminative function. I would, if I could, recount my experience delicately, but perhaps it’s best told plainly, since we all share the same bodily functions—and, sometimes, dysfunctions.

I noticed, as I aged, that the strength of peristalsis—the squeezing function of the colon in moving feces toward elimination—began to taper off. More and more, I had to bear down to achieve a positive bowel movement. This bearing down by contracting the stomach muscles is dangerous. One can pop a blood vessel doing that. And it often resulted in bothersome 

hemorrhoids that at least itched when they weren’t positively painful. Not only that, but the more I used my stomach muscles to help peristalsis, the weaker peristalsis seemed to get and the harder I had to push, making the problem worse.

I had no idea that drinking kefir would help with this problem. I was surprised by the results of drinking my daily morning glass of kefir, for within a week, my bowel movements were larger and the new bulk stimulated my colon to regain its peristaltic oomph. Within a few weeks I could relax and let nature take its course; that is, let the body pursue elimination naturally and easily, without pushing. I would say the stool bulk increased from 30 to 50 percent after I started drinking kefir. The bacteria and yeast were obviously proliferating like crazy in my intestines, and it was all to the  .good

Often there would be a second productive bowel movement later in the morning, with the same positive results. Hemorrhoids were gone. I felt clean and healthy inside and out. Finding kefir has made a significant difference in the quality of my personal hygiene. Sorry if it’s an indelicate subject, but I thought you’d like to know, because you might find the same benefits from a daily glass of delicious kefir.