You may think there are many good things about yogurt – and you’d be right, of course, because there is both the delicious taste and the knowledge that your daily pot is awash with all kinds of nutritional wonders, for starters. What you might not know, though, is that eating yogurt can actually put you in a good mood. Yup, our humble snack/breakfast of choice could well help us to feel happier about life, and give the old wellbeing a massive boost. And we thought it was merely there to pimp up our fruit and granola pots…

The magic of super kefir

So how and why do certain yogurts help with how we feel? Well, the secret ingredient, folks, is kefir, and the good bacterial magic it sprinkles all over our food – and Onken Super Kefir is the pot of goodness we all need in our lives. 

Here comes the science bit. It’s all down to the link between your gut and your brain – the ‘gut-brain connection’, to give it its official title. You see, you might not realise it, but the gut is like a secondary brain because it produces 95% of our serotonin – the feel- good chemical – and we have something called the vagus nerve which is the communication system that runs between the gut and the brain. So a healthy gut is key to a healthy mind.

“A diverse diet can support a diverse gut microbiome and key steps to this include eating a variety of plant-based foods, as well as fibre and fermented foods like kefir,” says registered associate nutritionist Abi Sleven from Abigail’s Nutrition. “Kefir is packed with beneficial bacteria, and these bacteria (often called probiotics) are associated with a healthy gut.”

Happy gut, happy brain

Research has proven that a healthy gut has a positive impact on our brains. “Studies into the ‘gut-brain axis’, the link between the gut and the brain, have found that the microbiota (gut bacteria) perform important functions in the immune system and metabolism and can regulate brain function,” explains Abi. “A healthy gut microbiota has been linked with improved mood.” 

Who’d have thought that a humble yogurt could have quite such an impact? But your microbiome works with your central nervous system to regulate your brain chemistry, stress response, anxiety levels and memory function. 

 Indeed, chronic gut conditions can, in some instances, even be linked to issues like depression, and evidence is mounting that gut bacteria can prevent such mental health issues. A 2019 study discovered that several species of gut bacteria are missing in people with depression. Equally, anxiety could be helped by the use of probiotics, according to the research review.

 Immunity support

And that’s not all. Onken Super Kefir has so much more to give (not that any of us need anything more than health and happiness in our lives, of course). “Dairy kefir provides protein, calcium and other vitamins and minerals which can contribute to a healthy diet,” says Abi. The added joys of super fruits and vitamins deliver your immune system a welcome boost – Onken Super Kefir is packed with vitamins B6 and B12, which help support cell health and heart health and increase our energy levels to boot. 

Taste sensations

Now, we hear you say, that’s all very well and good but what if you just don’t like the taste of kefir? It is, after all, a tad on the sour side, is it not? Not any more… This is another reason why Onken Super Kefir stands out because there is no bitterness – it tastes just like regular yogurt, with delicious flavours from all those divine super fruits.

 The immune-supporting superfood yogurts come in both Strawberry & Pomegranate and Lemon & Ginger flavours. And both pomegranate and ginger have been nutritionally prized for many centuries. Pomegranate is great for digestion, keeping your blood pressure in check as well as being excellent for skin health. Ginger has similar qualities and is also packed with stress-busting antioxidants, and is beneficial in a healthy ageing process. Both flavours of Onken Super Kefir contain over a billion live cultures from a whopping 14 unique varieties. Oh, and there are absolutely no artificial colours, flavourings or preservatives in the yogurts.

 We don’t know about you, but with those billions (seriously, we don’t exaggerate) of good living bacteria giving us a healthy gut and a healthy mind, breakfast is never going to look the same again. We’ve found a new and easy way to feed our inner happiness. Good mood food for all. We’re happy, hope you’re happy too.

 Onken Super Kefir yogurts are available at Tesco, Co-Op and Ocado, and will also be available in Asda and Sainsbury’s later this year; £1.50 for 350g