Buttermilk known as “Chaas” in Hindi is not a blend of milk and butter. It is a derivative of the butter mixing process. Found in most Indian households and butter – either by itself or after a meal, buttermilk is prepared using a few spoons of natural yogurt mixed with water and blended well. There are many health benefits of buttermilk which are discussed below.

The drink is often consumed in Indian households as a digestive or during summer months to keep the body cool. It is definitely a refreshing drink to have. Buttermilk is tasty, health-giving and delicious, a far better and cheaper alternative to soda-based drinks. You can drink it plain, with a little salt, with herbs, with spices or even sweetened and flavored.

Buttermilk nutritional value contains about 3% protein in the form of casein, about 2% of fat, some carbohydrates, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and vitamin A.

Health Benefits of Buttermilk

Buttermilk for digestion

The spices in chaas are excellent for digestion that prevents indigestion and excessive burping. This will improve digestion, everything from your digestion to your immunity one of important benefits of buttermilk.

Prevents vitamin deficiency

Buttermilk is a great source of vitamins like vitamin B complex, proteins, and potassium. Vitamin B, especially riboflavin, is essential for the conversion of food to energy, secretion of hormones and digestion — making chaas an essential method to beat diseases due to vitamin deficiency.

Benefits of Buttermilk for Acidity

Chaas has essential condiments like pepper and ginger that help beat the burning sensation you feel during a bout of acidity. Moreover, the chaas cools the stomach and reduces the irritation in the stomach lining due to acid reflux, giving you relief from the discomfort.

Benefits of Buttermilk For hair

Wash your hair with buttermilk daily or every alternate day for few days and you can see no more dandruff. For the hair mask, add 1 banana and 1-2 tbsp honey with an appropriate amount of buttermilk. Apply this mixture over your hair as a mask and leave for 1 hour at least. This will make your hair shine.

Effective Against Dehydration

Buttermilk is an effective therapy to prevent dehydration. It is full of electrolytes and is one of the best drinks to fight against the heat and loss of water from the body.

For blood pressure

Milk fat globule membrane, a compound found in buttermilk, is rich in bioactive proteins, buttermilk benefits to help to lower cholesterol. It also has anticancer properties and has been shown to lower blood pressure if ingested on a daily basis.

Fight Ageing

Due to its acidic and astringent nature, buttermilk benefits to treat age spots, wrinkles, aging signs and blemishes. It softens and exfoliates the skin. You can mix gram flour or orange lentils in powdered form with buttermilk to make a fine paste. Apply this over the affected area to see changes. Do this every alternate day for a few weeks.

Buttermilk for weight loss

Drinking chaas regularly makes you remain hydrated and energetic. It provides proteins, vitamins, minerals, calcium, potassium, magnesium and other enzymes required to maintain energy levels. It is a very helpful drink that satisfies hunger, thereby being the perfect drink for people willing to lose weight.

Buttermilk For lactose-intolerant

Many people who are lactose intolerant are actually able to digest yogurt without a problem. If you’re lactose intolerant, drinking chaas is one way to make sure you get your calcium.

Helps calm the stomach

Made with cool, watered-down curd, this drink is perfect to soothe the stomach. As you drink it cool, buttermilk benefits to washing down the spices and calms an irritated stomach lining.

Buttermilk recipe

 Ingredients

2 cups fresh curd, whisked

1 tsp cumin seeds powder

1/2 tsp ginger-green chili paste

1/2 tsp black salt

salt to taste

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

a pinch of asafoetida

Method

• Combine the curds, cumin seeds powder, ginger-green chili paste, black salt and salt in a deep bowl and mix well.
• Add 4 cups of chilled water and whisk well. Keep aside.
• For the tempering, heat the oil in a small pan and add the cumin seeds.
• When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida and pour the tempering over the buttermilk.