What Are Some Major Health Benefits Of Buttermilk?

Buttermilk, a fermented dairy beverage is a rich source of nutrition. It has a cooling effect, is light on the stomach, and is extremely delicious when paired with other spices and salt.

One of the staple food items popular in many households, buttermilk is quite versatile. It is a common ingredient in baking products like bread, muffins, biscuits, and pancakes and can also be used as a creamy base or in the batters of fried foods.

However, the uses of buttermilk do not end here. It does not only nourish your overall body from within but can also be used in buttermilk powder form to heal your external body.

Here are some potential health benefits of buttermilk that you should take advantage of.

Aids digestion and is light on the stomach

Buttermilk is quite acidic, and a research review notes that compounds in it may help inhibit stomach bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori, but it does not clean out your stomach. Also, when combined with pepper, cumin, or ginger to enhance its flavor, the beverage becomes a popular drink to aid digestion. Moreover, their combined effect feels light and cooling on your gastrointestinal tract.

Therefore, regular buttermilk with added condiments can be a good everyday drink for digestion, but it is not a treatment for stomach infections, colon cancer or irritable bowel syndrome, and people who cannot digest lactose may still react to it.

Prevents dehydration

As Buttermilk’s is a common ingredient in baking products like yogurt, with added condiments, it makes an effective beverage against dehydration. This is so because buttermilk is mostly water and supplies electrolytes such as potassium and sodium, making it a good drink to protect against heat and loss of water from the body, and hence it is a common drink in summers.

This summer drink also helps you deal with scorching heat and general discomfort.

Helps to maintain heart health

Buttermilk is rich in the milk fat globule membrane, which contains bioactive compounds, and in a small placebo controlled trial of 34 adults, daily buttermilk for 4 weeks lowered total and LDL cholesterol, while the same researchers also reported lower systolic blood pressure. Some of these compounds have also shown antibacterial and antiviral effects in research, which does not make the drink itself a treatment for infections.

Therefore, drinking buttermilk regularly can be part of a heart healthy diet, though it is not a replacement for treatment your doctor recommends.

Helps with weight control and provides energy

If you are trying to lose weight without feeling dehydrated and weak, then buttermilk is a good choice for you. The nutritious drink does have calories, but a cup of low fat buttermilk has about 98 calories and around 2 grams of fat, along with 8 grams of protein.

It can also help satisfy hunger, which helps people trying to lose weight, as drinking buttermilk can make them feel full and less tempted by binge eating or unhealthy junk food.

Moreover, having buttermilk regularly can help you stay energetic through the day, as it provides protein, calcium, potassium, magnesium and B vitamins such as riboflavin and B12 that your body needs.

Conclusion

Therefore, buttermilk is a nutritious dairy product that offers several benefits for your overall health, including your digestion, hydration, heart and bones.

However, people with lactose intolerance or a milk allergy may face some issues while consuming it. So, check with a doctor before having buttermilk.

FAQ

What are the health benefits of buttermilk?

Hydration, easier digestion and a light dose of dairy nutrients. A cup of low fat buttermilk has about 98 calories and 8 grams of protein plus calcium and potassium, per University Hospitals, and in a small trial, daily buttermilk lowered total and LDL cholesterol over 4 weeks.

Is it good to drink buttermilk every day?

For most people, yes. Buttermilk is a light, nutritious dairy drink, and the small cholesterol trial that found benefits had adults take it daily for 4 weeks, as this Advances in Nutrition review describes. If you have lactose intolerance or a milk allergy, check with a doctor first.

Is buttermilk good for your stomach?

It can be. Buttermilk is light on the stomach, and with pepper, cumin or ginger it is a popular drink to aid digestion. A research review notes that compounds in it may help inhibit stomach bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori, but it is not a treatment for stomach infections or irritable bowel syndrome.

Are there any side effects of buttermilk?

Yes, for some people. Buttermilk is a milk product, so people with lactose intolerance or a milk allergy may get symptoms from it. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases suggests lactase products to help digest the lactose in milk products, and a doctor can advise you before you start.

Sources

• Valorisation of Whey and Buttermilk for Production of Functional Beverages: An Overview of Current Possibilities, Food Technology and Biotechnology
• Whole-Milk Dairy Foods: Biological Mechanisms Underlying Beneficial Effects on Risk Markers for Cardiometabolic Health, Advances in Nutrition
• Milk, buttermilk, fluid, cultured, lowfat, 1 cup, University Hospitals
• Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Lactose Intolerance, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases