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  6. Milk vs. Kefir

Milk vs. Kefir — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Differences between Milk and Kefir

  • Milk has more Vitamin B12, while Kefir has more Vitamin A RAE.
  • Kefir's daily need coverage for Vitamin A RAE is 13% higher.
  • Kefir contains 2 times less Vitamin B12 than Milk. Milk contains 0.47µg of Vitamin B12, while Kefir contains 0.29µg.

The food types used in this comparison are Milk, lowfat, fluid, 1% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D and Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY.

Infographic

Milk vs Kefir infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Milk
Milk
1
:
9
Kefir
Kefir
Contains more Copper +11.1%
Contains more Iron +33.3%
Contains more Phosphorus +10.5%
Contains more Manganese +66.7%
Equal in Calcium - 130
Equal in Magnesium - 12
Equal in Potassium - 164
Equal in Sodium - 40
Equal in Zinc - 0.46
Equal in Copper - 0.009
Equal in Selenium - 3.6
Milk
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 38% 2% 8% 41% 14% 6% 12% 4% 1% 18%
Kefir
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 39% 2% 9% 45% 15% 6% 13% 3% 1% 20%
Contains more Copper +11.1%
Contains more Iron +33.3%
Contains more Phosphorus +10.5%
Contains more Manganese +66.7%
Equal in Calcium - 130
Equal in Magnesium - 12
Equal in Potassium - 164
Equal in Sodium - 40
Equal in Zinc - 0.46
Equal in Copper - 0.009
Equal in Selenium - 3.6

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Milk
Milk
3
:
8
Kefir
Kefir
Contains more Vitamin D +20%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +37%
Contains more Vitamin B12 +62.1%
Contains more Vitamin A +190.3%
Contains more Vitamin E +100%
Contains more Vitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +50%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +61.3%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +56.8%
Contains more Folate +160%
Equal in Vitamin B5 - 0.385
Equal in Vitamin K - 0.1
Milk
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 12% 1% 36% 0% 5% 43% 2% 22% 9% 4% 59% 1%
Kefir
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 35% 1% 30% 1% 8% 32% 3% 24% 14% 10% 37% 1%
Contains more Vitamin D +20%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +37%
Contains more Vitamin B12 +62.1%
Contains more Vitamin A +190.3%
Contains more Vitamin E +100%
Contains more Vitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +50%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +61.3%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +56.8%
Contains more Folate +160%
Equal in Vitamin B5 - 0.385
Equal in Vitamin K - 0.1

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Milk
Milk
3
:
2
Kefir
Kefir
Contains more Carbs +11.4%
Contains more Protein +12.5%
Equal in Fats - 0.93
Equal in Water - 90.07
Equal in Other - 0.73
Milk
3% 5% 90%
Protein: 3.37 g
Fats: 0.97 g
Carbs: 4.99 g
Water: 89.92 g
Other: 0.75 g
Kefir
4% 4% 90%
Protein: 3.79 g
Fats: 0.93 g
Carbs: 4.48 g
Water: 90.07 g
Other: 0.73 g
Contains more Carbs +11.4%
Contains more Protein +12.5%
Equal in Fats - 0.93
Equal in Water - 90.07
Equal in Other - 0.73

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Milk
Milk
1
:
2
Kefir
Kefir
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +11.9%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +51.4%
Equal in Saturated Fat - 0.658
Milk
67% 29% 4%
Saturated Fat: 0.633 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.277 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.035 g
Kefir
64% 30% 5%
Saturated Fat: 0.658 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.31 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.053 g
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +11.9%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +51.4%
Equal in Saturated Fat - 0.658

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Milk
Milk
1
:
1
Kefir
Kefir
Contains more Lactose +40.5%
Contains more Galactose +∞%
Milk
100%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 0 g
Fructose: 0 g
Lactose: 5.2 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0 g
Kefir
80% 20%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 0 g
Fructose: 0 g
Lactose: 3.7 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0.91 g
Contains more Lactose +40.5%
Contains more Galactose +∞%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Milk Kefir
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in price ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Milk Kefir Opinion
Net carbs 4.99g 4.48g Milk
Protein 3.37g 3.79g Kefir
Fats 0.97g 0.93g Milk
Carbs 4.99g 4.48g Milk
Calories 42kcal 41kcal Milk
Sugar 5.2g 4.61g Kefir
Calcium 125mg 130mg Kefir
Iron 0.03mg 0.04mg Kefir
Magnesium 11mg 12mg Kefir
Phosphorus 95mg 105mg Kefir
Potassium 150mg 164mg Kefir
Sodium 44mg 40mg Kefir
Zinc 0.42mg 0.46mg Kefir
Copper 0.01mg 0.009mg Milk
Manganese 0.003mg 0.005mg Kefir
Selenium 3.3µg 3.6µg Kefir
Vitamin A 196IU 569IU Kefir
Vitamin A RAE 58µg 171µg Kefir
Vitamin E 0.01mg 0.02mg Kefir
Vitamin D 48IU 41IU Milk
Vitamin D 1.2µg 1µg Milk
Vitamin C 0mg 0.2mg Kefir
Vitamin B1 0.02mg 0.03mg Kefir
Vitamin B2 0.185mg 0.135mg Milk
Vitamin B3 0.093mg 0.15mg Kefir
Vitamin B5 0.361mg 0.385mg Kefir
Vitamin B6 0.037mg 0.058mg Kefir
Folate 5µg 13µg Kefir
Vitamin B12 0.47µg 0.29µg Milk
Vitamin K 0.1µg 0.1µg
Tryptophan 0.043mg Milk
Threonine 0.143mg Milk
Isoleucine 0.174mg Milk
Leucine 0.319mg Milk
Lysine 0.282mg Milk
Methionine 0.088mg Milk
Phenylalanine 0.174mg Milk
Valine 0.22mg Milk
Histidine 0.101mg Milk
Cholesterol 5mg 5mg
Trans Fat 0.037g Milk
Saturated Fat 0.633g 0.658g Milk
Omega-3 - DPA 0g 0.001g Kefir
Monounsaturated Fat 0.277g 0.31g Kefir
Polyunsaturated fat 0.035g 0.053g Kefir
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 0.027g 0.029g Kefir
Omega-3 - ALA 0.004g 0.006g Kefir
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.002g Kefir

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Milk Kefir
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
16%
Milk
16%
Kefir
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
14%
Milk
15%
Kefir

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Milk
Milk is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.025g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Milk
Milk is lower in glycemic index (difference - 5)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Kefir
Kefir is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.59g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Kefir
Kefir contains less Sodium (difference - 4mg)
Which food is cheaper?
Kefir
Kefir is cheaper (difference - $0.6)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Kefir
Kefir is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Kefir
Kefir is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (5 mg)

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Milk - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170872/nutrients
  2. Kefir - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170904/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.