FAQ - Is Raw Cow's Milk Kefir Suitable for Everyone?

Raw cow’s milk kefir is beneficial for almost everyone. Those with milk sugar (lactose) intolerance may need to introduce raw milk kefir gradually into their diet to be able to digest it fully. Those with a milk protein (casein) sensitivity may find the pre-digested proteins in raw milk kefir easier to digest than milk though we’d advise trying a small amount - a few spoonfuls initially and progress from there.

Pastoral herdsmen from the Caucasus region of Eastern Europe, renowned for their longevity and robust good health have consumed kefir made from fresh raw milk for thousands of years. Raw milk kefir is a time tested superfood which is suitable for: newborns who cannot avail of breast milk and its accompanying beneficial microbes, the elderly with weakened digestion, those recuperating from illness or surgery having undergone a course of antibiotics, those susceptible to seasonal afflictions, those on a low glycemic diet, those affected by Candida, those with gut dysbiosis and even those who just enjoy its tangy fizzy taste !

Local raw cow’s milk from herds grazing in open pastures carries within itself a blueprint of the surrounding microbiota. By consuming it we quite literally welcome in our surroundings. The greater the match between our internal and external microbiome the more at ease we become with our environment and the more resilient we are against seasonal afflictions.

Microbes and their metabolites make raw milk a lot more digestible and nutritious. Pasteurising milk destroys most of its local microbial blueprint, makes milk proteins harder to digest and destroys valuable vitamins and digestive enzymes present in raw milk.

That said, the industrialisation of milk production and loss of source traceability has made consuming raw milk fairly risky. Our raw milk comes from Commonwork Organic Dairy, Bore Place where it is sample tested every other day. This constant monitoring of quality and its systemised record keeping allows us to confidently use their raw milk to produce our perfectly safe raw milk kefir. We and the District Council have tested Happy Belly Raw Cow’s Milk Kefir since 2009 and we have the distinction of having passed every random sample test with flying colours. We can proudly say that Happy Belly Foods is amongst the very few food producers in the UK with approval from local authorities to make raw milk kefir.  

To sum up, we believe Happy Belly Raw Milk Kefir is completely safe to consume for almost everyone and brings with it a host of well-being factors. It sits happily as part of a well balanced and varied diet sourced preferably from local biodynamic and organic producers.