Originally published August 26 2011
Amasi is the probiotic super drink
by Dr. David Jockers
(NaturalNews) Amasi is the common African word for fermented milk that tastes like cottage cheese and plain yogurt. This is the renowned drink of the Masai warrior tribes in Northern Tanzania and Kenya. This drink is renowned for its rich variety of beneficial microorganisms and highly bioavailable nutrients.
Ancient cultures thrived off of naturally fermented foods and beverages. Due to the lack of refrigeration it was necessary to culture foods in order to increase the shelf life and maintain food storage. These foods included raw milk kefir, yogurt, amasi and vegetable cultures such as sauerkraut, kimchee, and pickles. They contain a megadose of highly bioavailable nutrients and healthy strains of bacteria that build a strong digestive and immune system.
Fermented milk products such as amasi contain an abundant amount of lactic acid based bacteria. These products are extremely rich in highly bioavailable protein. Many different enzymes are needed in order to effectively break down and utilize proteins. The fermentation process provides many enzymes which help the body metabolize these proteins with less energy output by the body.
In 2004, a nutrition student at the University of Wisconsin named Richard Mokua studied the benefits of amasi. Mokua was Kenyan and this was one of his favorite cultural foods that he grew up with. In his childhood, Mokua observed that the children, who consumed amasi, were less susceptible to diarrhea. Mokua was able to prove in his masters thesis that amasi was able to kill E Coli very quickly. Mokua used commercial milk, commercial yogurt and amasi from his hometown in Kenya. He inoculated all three with the E Coli bacteria.
What he found was that the regular milk did not kill the E Coli but instead was a fertilizer that allowed the E Coli to grow stronger. The yogurt with some active bacteria was able to slightly reduce the E Coli strains. The Amasi was able to dominate the E Coli and nearly irradiate it from the sample. The primary difference between regular yogurt and the amasi was the volume of lactic acid bacteria such as the lactobacillus family.
All across Africa people consume amasi, but the exact strain of the fermented beverage has high variability. Additionally, the amasi product is typically used to make multiple batches, and different strains, varieties and amounts are produced in each batch. Raw milk from grass-fed cows is known to produce more beneficial microorganisms than any other fermented food.
Probiotic enriched fermented beverages like amasi are known to improve the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the body. In particular, probiotics help improve the absorption of specific nutrients such as vitamin B6, folic acid, niacin, zinc, vitamin B12 & vitamin K. These foods help reduce inflammation and improve digestion and immunity.
Raw milk made from specific cows, producing Beta casein A2 and eating a 100% grass and green food based diet, is extremely beneficial. Traditional milk that is produced with a high content of Beta casein A1 proteins is extremely inflammatory and can trigger systemic inflammation throughout the body. The pasteurization process of milk destroys the beneficial microorganisms and scrambles the amino acids making this form of dairy even more inflammatory.
When cattle eat grass they get healthy. The grass and green foods are rich in phytonutrient anti-oxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and chlorophyll. When cattle eat grass they become strong and robust. These animals are lean, have a strong immune system and hardly ever get sick. Their meat and milk are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids EPA & DHA, CLA, B12, zinc, iron, creatine and L-carnitine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amasi
http://www.traditional-foods.com/food-preser...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic
About the author
Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care. For more information go to www.exodushc.com To find a Maximized Living doctor near you go to www.maximizedliving.com
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