Kefir as a Functional Beverage Gaining Momentum towards Its Health Promoting Attributes

Vassilios Ganatsios; Poonam Singh - Nee Nigam; Stavros Plessas; Antonia Terpou

doi:10.3390/beverages7030048

Kefir as a Functional Beverage Gaining Momentum towards Its Health Promoting Attributes

Vassilios Ganatsios, Poonam Singh - Nee Nigam, Stavros Plessas, Antonia Terpou

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

67 Citations (Scopus)

208 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The consumption of fermented foods posing health-promoting attributes is a rising global
trend. In this manner, fermented dairy products represent a significant subcategory of functional
foods with established positive health benefits. Likewise, kefir—a fermented milk product manufactured from kefir grains—has been reported by many studies to be a probiotic drink with great
potential in health promotion. Existing research data link regular kefir consumption with a wide
range of health-promoting attributes, and more recent findings support the link between kefir’s
probiotic strains and its bio-functional metabolites in the enhancement of the immune system, providing significant antiviral effects. Although it has been consumed for thousands of years, kefir
has recently gained popularity in relation to novel biotechnological applications, with different
fermentation substrates being tested as non-dairy functional beverages. The present review focuses
on the microbiological composition of kefir and highlights novel applications associated with its
fermentation capacity. Future prospects relating to kefir’s capacity for disease prevention are also
addressed and discussed.

Original language	English
Article number	48
Pages (from-to)	1-15
Number of pages	15
Journal	Beverages
Volume	7
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages7030048 https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages7030048
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - Sept 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Keywords

Antiviral effects
Bioactive metabolites
Functional beverage
Health aspects
Kefir
Lactic acid bacteria
Probiotics
Yeasts

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3390/beverages7030048Licence: Unspecified
10.3390/beverages7030048

beverages-07-00048-v2Final published version, 1.03 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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abstract = "The consumption of fermented foods posing health-promoting attributes is a rising globaltrend. In this manner, fermented dairy products represent a significant subcategory of functionalfoods with established positive health benefits. Likewise, kefir—a fermented milk product manufactured from kefir grains—has been reported by many studies to be a probiotic drink with greatpotential in health promotion. Existing research data link regular kefir consumption with a widerange of health-promoting attributes, and more recent findings support the link between kefir{\textquoteright}sprobiotic strains and its bio-functional metabolites in the enhancement of the immune system, providing significant antiviral effects. Although it has been consumed for thousands of years, kefirhas recently gained popularity in relation to novel biotechnological applications, with differentfermentation substrates being tested as non-dairy functional beverages. The present review focuseson the microbiological composition of kefir and highlights novel applications associated with itsfermentation capacity. Future prospects relating to kefir{\textquoteright}s capacity for disease prevention are alsoaddressed and discussed.",

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author = "Vassilios Ganatsios and {Singh - Nee Nigam}, Poonam and Stavros Plessas and Antonia Terpou",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",

year = "2021",

month = sep,

doi = "10.3390/beverages7030048",

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AU - Ganatsios, Vassilios

AU - Singh - Nee Nigam, Poonam

AU - Plessas, Stavros

AU - Terpou, Antonia

PY - 2021/9

Y1 - 2021/9

N2 - The consumption of fermented foods posing health-promoting attributes is a rising globaltrend. In this manner, fermented dairy products represent a significant subcategory of functionalfoods with established positive health benefits. Likewise, kefir—a fermented milk product manufactured from kefir grains—has been reported by many studies to be a probiotic drink with greatpotential in health promotion. Existing research data link regular kefir consumption with a widerange of health-promoting attributes, and more recent findings support the link between kefir’sprobiotic strains and its bio-functional metabolites in the enhancement of the immune system, providing significant antiviral effects. Although it has been consumed for thousands of years, kefirhas recently gained popularity in relation to novel biotechnological applications, with differentfermentation substrates being tested as non-dairy functional beverages. The present review focuseson the microbiological composition of kefir and highlights novel applications associated with itsfermentation capacity. Future prospects relating to kefir’s capacity for disease prevention are alsoaddressed and discussed.

AB - The consumption of fermented foods posing health-promoting attributes is a rising globaltrend. In this manner, fermented dairy products represent a significant subcategory of functionalfoods with established positive health benefits. Likewise, kefir—a fermented milk product manufactured from kefir grains—has been reported by many studies to be a probiotic drink with greatpotential in health promotion. Existing research data link regular kefir consumption with a widerange of health-promoting attributes, and more recent findings support the link between kefir’sprobiotic strains and its bio-functional metabolites in the enhancement of the immune system, providing significant antiviral effects. Although it has been consumed for thousands of years, kefirhas recently gained popularity in relation to novel biotechnological applications, with differentfermentation substrates being tested as non-dairy functional beverages. The present review focuseson the microbiological composition of kefir and highlights novel applications associated with itsfermentation capacity. Future prospects relating to kefir’s capacity for disease prevention are alsoaddressed and discussed.

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KW - Bioactive metabolites

KW - Functional beverage

KW - Health aspects

KW - Kefir

KW - Lactic acid bacteria

KW - Probiotics

KW - Yeasts

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DO - 10.3390/beverages7030048

M3 - Review article

SN - 2306-5710

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EP - 15

JO - Beverages

JF - Beverages

IS - 3

M1 - 48

ER -

Kefir as a Functional Beverage Gaining Momentum towards Its Health Promoting Attributes

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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