10 Best Kefir Products 2022 | UK Nutritionist Reviewed

Tara is a nutritionist and energy coach who helps clients to lose weight, improve their eating habits, and get their energy back through better nutrition. She specialises in helping busy parents improve their diets without overwhelming them with information, and get them back on track so that the whole family can benefit.

For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:

1. The Live Kefir Company - Live Coconut Milk Kefir for £29.50
2. Biotiful Dairy - Organic Kefir Baked Milk for £2.60
3. The Live Kefir Company - Live Cows Milk Kefir for £34.50
4. Yeo Valley - Natural Kefir Yoghurt for £1.50
5. The Collective Dairy - Mango & Turmeric Kefir Drink for £2.25

For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of kefir products available and understand how our ranking was determined.

This article's chosen EC site price listings are reflective of its publishing date.

Kefir is a fermented liquid made from live kefir grains, aka 'live cultures'. These live cultures deliver healthy bacteria to your gut which can help with all sorts of problems including general digestive support, reducing inflammation, improving cholesterol, and aiding overall bone health.

Kefir grains are added to milk, water or coconut milk and left to ferment. The end result is sour, tangy and tart which can take some getting used to! However, there are many ways you can incorporate this power food into your diet, such as blending it into smoothies, pouring it on your cereal or just drinking it straight-up if you like!

1. Pick the Type of Product From Yoghurt, Coconut Water and More
2. For the Best Quality and Benefits, Note the Bacteria Strains and CFUs
   
3. Check the Sugar Content
   
4. Counter Kefir's Sourness by Choosing a Flavoured Product
   

The most popular kefir product gracing our supermarket shelves is milk kefir drinks. With a texture similar to a creamy yoghurt drink, they can be enjoyed straight-up or mixed into smoothies or overnight oats. There's an endless variety of flavours from turmeric and mango to berries and hibiscus, so milk kefir drinks are an excellent way to go if you're still getting used to the tangy taste.

The fermenting process of kefir removes most of the lactose in milk anyway, but if you're cutting down on the dairy, then milk alternatives can be even more suitable. The most common alternative to dairy kefir drinks is coconut water, but you can also find other flavoured drinks, both still and sparkling.

If you prefer something a little more substantial than a drink, take a look at the yoghurt selection. The original yoghurts taste somewhat similar to natural yoghurt, but there are a mountain of other exotic flavours available to choose from. Just like regular yoghurt, you can top kefir yoghurt off with fruit and nuts for a nutritious breakfast, or blend it into smoothies to make them extra creamy!

When choosing any kefir product, the key is to understand what you're reading. Labels will often promote the variety and amount of the bacteria in their product, and whilst this is great, it isn't the only number or notion you need to pay attention to. 

Firstly, note how it is made as this directly affects the strains. Kefir can be created in one of two ways – with a powdered kefir starter or using live kefir grains. Powdered kefir generally contains around 7-9 strains of bacteria, whereas live grains can contain up to 50. This means they're much richer in probiotics, which is what we want! 

Not all strains of bacteria will be beneficial to every person, so it's also important to check the CFUs (colony-forming units). Ideally, you want this claim to be in the billions rather than the millions, which will maximise the number of good bacteria that can reach your gut.

Why not try some other probiotic drinks to improve your gut health?

Kefir is a healthy drink, meant to do your body good, so let's keep it that way! As with any bottled drink or yoghurt, especially the flavoured kind, it's worth scanning the label to find out how much sugar it contains before you buy. 

Bottled drinks are notorious for hiding sugar content, so be on the safe side and check the number of grams per 100 ml or 100 grams. To be considered 'low' in sugar content, this figure needs to be below 5 grams. The kefir drink should be avoided or consumed only occasionally if it has over 10g of sugar.

As we've mentioned, the tart and tangy taste of kefir can be a little off-putting for some, but don't worry if you can't stomach it in its natural form – at least not yet, anyway! Since more people have jumped on the fermenting bandwagon, brands have been churning out kefir products in all kinds of flavours from mango and peach to cacao and mint.

Try kefir with one of the nation's favourite breakfast cereals!

This ranking has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.

Kefir contains an incredible variety of vitamins, minerals and probiotics that together have been proven to improve digestive health, as well as have antibacterial properties to help your body fight infections. More recently there have even been studies into its potential to protect our bodies from cancer. 

There’s no set amount of kefir that you should drink a day, and everyone's tolerance for it will differ - some will love the taste, while others will need to get used to the tanginess. Therefore, it’s probably best to start off on a cup a day and work up from there.

When stored correctly, kefir should keep its quality for around 2-3 weeks, however, you should also rely on your senses to determine if you’re happy to keep consuming it. Look out for if it smells off or tastes too sour; otherwise look out for separation or mould on the surface of the kefir. 

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Written and researched by Roxy Pratley