Do you make your own kefir or are you considering it? Ever wondered just how much probiotic punch is packed into each glass? We did, so we did the research.
Store-bought kefir probiotic count
First, for context, here's what you'll get from some common store-bought brands. All are measured for an 8oz serving in Colony Forming Units (CFUs), which is the total number of bacteria present.
Lifeway Kefir: 25-30 billion CFUs
Nancy's Organic Whole Milk Kefir: 64 billion CFUs
Bio-K Plus: 115 billion CFUs
So, there is quite a range here but 50-60 billion CFUs seems to be the middle of the fairway for store-bought, commercial kefir products. This also lines up with the high-end of the claimed range for probiotic supplements in pill form (absorption rates notwithstanding).
So, how does homemade kefir stack up?
Well, like just about everything in life, the store-bought variety is not quite the same. Because of the processing, packaging and desire to extend shelf-life, store-bought kefir is considerably less potent.
To demonstrate the point, we had our own homemade, traditional whole kefir tested by a professional, accredited food lab shows just the extent of the difference:
That's 932 billion CFUs in just one cup of "real" kefir!
In other words, homemade kefir has at least 8x the probiotic count of common store-bought brands.
So what does that mean? If you need the extra probiotic punch, you're way better off getting from a fresh traditional source. And even if you'd prefer to keep the dosage lower, it is way more cost-effective to go the non-processed, fresh route.