18 Amazing Benefits of Buttermilk For Overall Health

Buttermilk is quite famous in the Indian subcontinent. Unlike what the name on the first glance suggests, buttermilk is not an infusion of butter and milk. It is made by adding a few spoons of yogurt to water and then blending it well. Some people prefer consuming the drink with a pinch of salt.

The method of preparing this drink might seem simple. However, the amazing benefits of buttermilk are more than just a few. There are different types of buttermilk prepared. These differ by the amount of water and by the types of yogurt used to prepare them.

Chaas or chaanch, the other names for buttermilk in India, is mostly prepared in the northern region. Using the plain old yogurt is the traditional way of preparing chaas. This healthy drink is a must for those who suffer from digestive problems. It is a must for every individual during the hot, Indian summers.

Most of you are probably familiar with some of the health benefits of buttermilk. However, there are more than I intend on highlight for you today.

18 Super Amazing Buttermilk Benefits for Health:

If you have just considered buttermilk as a regular drink and ignored it all this while, these wonderful benefits of buttermilk for your skin, hair and most importantly for happy and healthy gut will make you give it a topmost preference.

1. Buttermilk for a Healthy and Happy Stomach

You wouldn’t take your gut healthy for granted until you are prone to an upset stomach which can ruin your day. A frequent problem with your stomach can seem like an obstacle that will disturb your daily tasks. One simple solution to all your gut problems is buttermilk! Let us explore how buttermilk benefits your stomach.

a) Do you Love Consuming Oily Foods? Here is the Best Tip!

If you are a food lover, you could be relying much on greasy and oily foods which can sometimes cause you a heartburn. But, here is what happens inside your stomach.

When you eat greasy and oily foods, the sticky oil lines the food canal and stomach lining. The presence of this oil and spice on the stomach lining makes people uncomfortable and also results in the feeling of fullness. This, however, can be corrected by drinking a glass of buttermilk.

Buttermilk helps by washing down the oil and by dissolving the spices. You can simply rely on a fresh glass of buttermilk to get rid of the heartburn and discomfort.

b) Buttermilk Aids in an Easy Digestion

If you have consumed food in excess amounts, you have done nothing wrong, because it’s your taste buds that have persuaded to consume more and more. Since your stomach knows the limits, it rings a bell and indicates the problem in the form of indigestion. You can just relax and take your own time of two to three days and simply rely on buttermilk until you get back normal.

Buttermilk can be your saviour during the times of indigestion by facilitating an easy process of digestion, thus making you free of all the discomfort.

c) Relieves You from Constipation

Constipation is not a real big concern if you feel that it has been bothering you. However, if your condition worsens, it can lead to some serious problems like an irritable bowel syndrome. You can still choose to follow the best remedy for making your bowel movement easier by including a fresh glass of buttermilk in your daily diet.

To make your digestive process much easier, you can include ginger and salt in a fresh glass of buttermilk and consume it before you go to bed.

d) Combats Acidity:

If you have been neglecting acidity, it is high time, you take the necessary precautions to prevent your condition from aggravating.  As most people suffer from acidity and since most digestive ailments arise from acidity, it is necessary to highlight how to cure it.

Buttermilk is an effective drink which can soothe the stomach lining while reducing the acid levels of the stomach. It clears major symptoms of acidity too. Thus, for those who suffer from acidity, it is a must to include buttermilk in your diet. This way you can enjoy any dish you want without worrying about acidity.

Also, Buttermilk clears the stomach and helps in the expulsion of the gases present in the stomach. Since buttermilk is mostly composed of water, it is also good in counteracting the acid levels of the stomach.

e) Benefits of Buttermilk to the Gastrointestinal Tract:

Buttermilk is packed with probiotics. These lead to a healthy digestive system. Buttermilk also contains lactic acid bacteria. This bacteria is helpful in converting milk to lactic acid. It acts as symbiotic bacteria(1).

The bacteria help the gut in more than one ways. Firstly, it prevents the survival of other harmful bacteria. Secondly, these bacteria promote the activity of the gut-friendly bacteria and help them flourish. (These gut-friendly bacteria are those which reside in the region of the colon). When these gut-friendly bacteria thrive, the colon is protected from an infection that could have happened otherwise.

f) Natural Cure for Ulcers:

Excessive consumption of spicy foods can cause you stomach ulcers. If you have been suffering from ulcers, buttermilk is the best drink that you can choose to soothe your ulcers.

Gastrointestinal ulcers are also caused due to the accumulation of excess acid in the stomach. This acid acts in the smooth muscles of the stomach and irritates them resulting in the formation of ulcers. Buttermilk can counter the acid concentration and prevent the formation of these ulcers. Also, it can prevent the ulcers from erupting.

2. Buttermilk – An Excellent Heat Pacifier!

A vigorous heat generation inside your body can happen anytime. If you have ever observed the symptoms of sweating, dizziness, nausea and a minor headache all at a time, it could be a resemblance of excess heat that has been generated inside your body due to various reasons. But, don’t worry! A few glasses of buttermilk as all you need to beat the excess heat.

Drinking this amazing coolant at least three times in a day is the best and easiest way to pacify the heat. Since buttermilk has a high percentage of water in it, it can act as the best coolant.

Did you know that a rigorous working of the digestive tract can generate a lot of heat in your body? This is nothing but an indication of higher rates of metabolism in your body. You can simply resolve this by relishing a fresh glass of buttermilk ample times in a day.

3. Protect Yourself from Dehydration

Summers can really be terrible because they suck they are to instantly suck the energies and salts out of your body. But you cannot avoid going out in the heat and get your works done if you are residing in the top hottest places on the earth.

Being exposed to sun and heat can result in subsequent loss of water in the form of sweat. One simple way of rescuing yourself from dehydration and loss of salts from your body is to relish this energy drink every once in a while, or whenever you feel tired and drained out due to intolerable heat.

Buttermilk has a high amount of water in it. When the body needs to cool down, the sweating increases, thus leading to a higher demand for water by the body. Consuming a glass of buttermilk helps in fulfilling the demand. This makes buttermilk help the body cool down and stands out to be one of the best benefits of buttermilk.

Spice up your Buttermilk with Salt! But Just for Taste?

Most of the time people prefer drinking buttermilk with added spices and salts. Some prefer using salt, while others prefer a mixture of garlic and black salt. The benefits of buttermilk become more versatile with these additives into the drink. Nevertheless, when buttermilk is consumed in this state, it acts as a very good hydrant.

When the body sweats during summers, the body suffers a great loss of water. The electrolytes in the drink help in retention of water during the hot summers. Thus, drinking buttermilk during the summers helps in staying hydrated throughout the day.

4. A Store of Everything:

Major health benefits of buttermilk are due to a high amount of minerals, nutrients and other elements making it a perfect storehouse of energy. It is mostly made up of water, so it helps in maintaining the water balance of the body. Buttermilk is a very good alternative to water or other flavoured drinks. It gives more nourishment when compared to the flavoured drinks. Thus, it is a must-have for those who wish to follow a healthy lifestyle.

Yes, Buttermilk is packed with vitamin B complex. Vitamin B complex is used in the formation of many important enzymes and is hence an essential vitamin. Consuming buttermilk daily ensures that the body is provided with an ample amount of vitamin B. This way the body proceeds to work efficiently.

5. Buttermilk – The Best Source of Calcium without Fat

The best source of calcium is considered milk. However, it also a good source of fat. This is where buttermilk comes into the picture. Buttermilk has a high amount of calcium(2) but does not contain fat. Calcium is needed by the body for maintaining healthy bones and teeth. This need can be fulfilled by buttermilk.

6. Suffering from a High B.P? Here is What You Can Do!

Buttermilk has bioactive agents which have been reported to help in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. These agents are antibacterial and antiviral in nature and keep a check on cholesterol levels. Thus, BP patients can use buttermilk to maintain their blood pressure(3) and cholesterol levels.

The best tip I can give you is to savour this amazing drink right before you go to bed. This will make you so relaxed and eased, you are sure to wake up fresh and alive the very next day.

7. Buttermilk Helps in Quick Weight Loss!

To be frank, weight loss is not a big task if you really choose to follow a strict diet plan and stretch out until you sweat. While following some best remedies for weight loss, you can include some simple tips that can be an added advantage.

Drinking buttermilk twice in a day is one of the best tips that you can follow for weight loss because buttermilk comes with a single energy drink packed with all the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Moreover, it provides all the goodness of vital foods without additional fat.

This property of buttermilk makes it ideal for people who wish to stay healthy while losing weight. Along with all of this, consuming buttermilk leaves the drinker with a feeling of fullness. This indicates that is good in satisfying hunger. The satiation it provides prevents people from eating excess unhealthy junk food.

8. Buttermilk to Boost your Immunity

A slight change in the climate or the weather, and there you go sneezing. When your immunity is low, you get easily susceptible to frequent cold fever. But you need not worry much because improving your resistance power is in your own control. There are several simple ways to boost your own immune system and buttermilk is one such ingredient that guards you against sickness.

Buttermilk is rich in lactic acid bacteria. This bacteria is good for warding off the bacteria that have entered the digestive tract. Since it has bioactive components it protects the body from vaginal and urinary tract infections. Traditionally, it is believed that when the body functions properly, the immune system of the body also functions properly. Buttermilk can keep the digestive tract healthy. Thus, in this way, buttermilk keeps the immune system of the body strong.

9. Helps in Keeping the Skeletal System Strong:

Our skeletal systems are composed of bones who are the reservoirs of minerals. Bones are mainly composed of calcium and this calcium can be taken back by the body when the need arrives. So when the mineral content decrease from the bones, they become weak and give rise to pores. This condition can be prevented by adding buttermilk to your daily diet. This way, the bones get more minerals and the skeletal system stays strong.

10. A Cure Against Thrush:

Buttermilk is high in lactic acid bacteria. These bacteria when they enter the body prevent the growth of yeast. For those who suffer from ulcers in the oral cavity, gargling with buttermilk can help in curing them.

11. Buttermilk – The Best Replacement for Milk

Do you hate consuming milk? You are not alone and you definitely need not worry about not gaining enough proteins! Almost every reaction and every component of the body involves proteins. Buttermilk is a something that is prepared of curd or yoghurt which are in turn prepared out of milk. You can definitely gain proteins through buttermilk.

In fact, milk contains fat and buttermilk is devoid of fat which is why buttermilk is the best source of protein intake without fat.

To make it simple, buttermilk provides the consumer with the same amount of proteins, just cuts down on the fat. The increased intake of proteins ensures that the body works properly and improves the condition of your skin and hair.

12. Cure Against Hemorrhoids:

For those who wish to stop their suffering due to haemorrhoids, this home remedy will be quite useful. Add buttermilk to a mixture of banana and rice and consume it daily. This home remedy should help you get through the worst.

13. The Cure for Colds:

This is a home remedy for fighting the common cold. Take a mixture of grounded ginger and garlic and add it to your buttermilk. This should be effective for colds. If you wish, you can consume it multiple numbers of times a day.

14. How Does Buttermilk affect Your Skin?

One great benefit of buttermilk for skin is that it can work both externally as well as internally. Consuming buttermilk helps in keeping the skin hydrated. Along with this, buttermilk can be used externally on the skin to make it healthy and pretty.

The benefits of buttermilk for skin stand typically the best.  There are many masks which use buttermilk as a component. This is a mask which is made by mixing Multani mitti and buttermilk is a constant ratio. This mask can be applied to the skin directly and later can be washed off. This mask can help in getting a softer, brighter and cleaner skin.

15. For Sunburn:

This is a must for those who suffer from sunburns every summer. This simple method can help in removing the tan as well as treating the sunburn in an efficient way. All you have to do is wash your face with buttermilk multiple numbers of times in a day. You can also apply it on your face and leave it as such. Both these methods are simple yet effective.

16. Prevents Early Ageing:

Early ageing is nothing but the premature appearance of wrinkles and premature shedding of the hair. This is normally because of severe dehydration. Buttermilk, as I have mentioned above, has a high amount of water in it. Along with this, the added salts help in the retention of water by the body. The proteins and vitamin B complex are also used in keeping the hair healthy. Thus, consuming buttermilk can prevent early ageing when consumed regularly. Ever-glowing skin is possible with buttermilk consumption and is considered as a highly useful point in benefits of buttermilk.

17. Buttermilk Benefits for Hair:

Just like there are masks for the skin, there are masks for the hair as well. Benefits of buttermilk are too versatile that they can even improve the hair health with the best natural treatment. One of the hair masks can be made by mixing up buttermilk with egg yolk and honey. This needs to be mixed well and can be applied directly to the hair. This mask can make the hair softer, stronger and silkier. Be sure not to use honey much frequently as this can whiten your hair.

18. As a Delicacy and a Preserving Agent

For most Indians, buttermilk is a follow-up of a heavy meal. Buttermilk is used with different spices to get different flavours. Along with this, it is traditionally used as chaas in the northern Indian region. Buttermilk is used as a flavour for seafood and meat. It is also used to store meat as it keeps the meat tender. Some recipes require meat to be soaked in buttermilk. This is because any type of meat when soaked in buttermilk becomes softer and more palatable which is a peculiar point to be noted out of benefits of buttermilk.