Yup, did you know that there are two kinds of buttermilk? Actually, there are more than two types of buttermilk. But, we are now concentrating on these two types, Sweet Buttermilk and Cultured Buttermilk. Are you curious to know how they differ? Well, let’s dive right into it.

Sweet Buttermilk

Actually, most of us will be familiar with this buttermilk. Sweet buttermilk is another name for our very own traditional buttermilk. This is the low-fat, high-protein liquid leftover from butter making process. In order to prepare sweet buttermilk, you should take fresh cream, which is not cultured, for the butter-making process. After the fats in the milk accumulate and form butter, you are left with a liquid by-product. This is sweet buttermilk. The butter-making process removes almost all the fat from the milk. As a result, the by-product, sweet buttermilk, is low in fat and rich in proteins and probiotics.

Cultured Buttermilk

Well, you will be familiar with this buttermilk too. Are you wondering how? This is the only kind of buttermilk available in stores. In other words, cultured buttermilk is the form of buttermilk sold in your local stores. So are you wondering what the difference between both is? The major difference between all kinds of buttermilks is solely based on their manufacturing procedure.

Cultured buttermilks are made by adding active-good bacteria culture to whole-fat milk. Then this milk is heated and allowed to ferment for 12 hours. The fermentation process that happens in this buttermilk makes it thicker and creamier. Moreover, unlike sweet buttermilk, the fats in cultured buttermilk aren’t removed. As a result, cultured buttermilk tends to be richer and more buttery than sweet.

Yeah, now, to answer your billion-dollar question. No, there is no significant nutritional difference between Sweet and Cultured Buttermilks. The only difference that will help you differentiate them will be that one is much fattier and whole than the other. As we have already reached this point, why don’t you learn to make cool summer drinks with them?

Pudina Chaas: Refreshing form of Sweet Buttermilk

Let’s start with our very traditional and low-fat sweet buttermilk. Chaas is a very famous north Indian summer drink. People fawn over chaas to defeat the unforgiving summer heat. In this recipe, we are adding pudina’s extra twist and benefits.

Things you will need

One cup of sweet Buttermilk (You can also use fermented buttermilk)
10-15 fresh mint leaves
One teaspoon of roasted cumin powder
Black/ Edible salt; according to taste
Ice cubes (Optional)

Let’s Prepare

Add a quarter cup of sweet buttermilk, mint leaves and cumin powder to a blender.
Blend until smooth and some butter forms on the surface of sweet buttermilk.
Now add the rest of the buttermilk, salt and ice cubes and pulse the blender two times.
Your pudina chaas are ready. Pour into a tall glass and serve cold.

Now, let’s make Neer Moru or Morum Vellam.

Neer Moru (Morum Vellam)

Neer Moru is a south-Indian version of chaas. Just like chaas, this, too, is an excellent summer drink. But there are certain differences. For a start, while Chaas is popular among North Indians, Neer Moru is popular among South Indians. Secondly, unlike Chaas, Neer Moru is not made from sweet milk but from cultured milk. Now let’s start making this delicious drink.

Ingredients required

1 cup of cultured Buttermilk
½ cup water
1 teaspoon roughly chopped ginger
1 coarsely chopped green chilly
7-8 curry leaves
1 teaspoon oil
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
Salt, as required
½ teaspoon black pepper powder (Optional)
Ice cubes (Optional)

Now, let’s start to make our Neer Moru

Add one cup ½ cup of cultured milk, ginger, chilli, and curry leaves to the blender. Blend till it forms a smooth mixture.
Add the remaining buttermilk and water to the blender and blend until the mixture turns smooth and foamy.
Now, if you want, you can use black pepper powder. Otherwise, keep the blender aside.
Grab a tempering pan and add one tablespoon of oil to it.
Add the mustard seeds when the oil gets heated and wait until it pops.
Once all of the seeds pop, take them off the heat.
Now add this temper to the drink.
Add salt and mix well. Your tasty Neer Moru is ready.
Serve it in a tall glass with ice cubes for the best taste.

Wasn’t that easy? Trust me, and you won’t get a better, easier recipe that is so good for you. Especially for your gut. Are you not aware of the magical qualities buttermilk has? Let’s dive right into it.

Benefits of including (Cultured and Sweet) Buttermilk in your diet

Natural Coolant

Buttermilk is an amazing summer drink. It cools down your body and quenches your thirst effectively. It is topped with ice and spiced with cumin, mint or salt; this is the perfect drink to help you survive the summer heat. Moreover, it is much more nutritious and healthy than all the other chemical drinks. An added benefit is that it relieves women experiencing hot flashes due to menopause.

Prevents Dehydration

As a drink prepared using curd and water, this drink contains around 90% water with the added benefits of electrolytes. Some of them are sodium, potassium, Calcium and magnesium. Hence, it effectively prevents your body from dehydration.

Relieves acidity

A single glass of buttermilk has the power to relieve your acidity, and heart burns. The lactic acid present in buttermilk normalizes the acidity. Moreover, it has a soothing effect on your stomach too. It can also reduce the irritation on stomach linings caused by acid reflux.

Lower your cholesterol level

Buttermilk can help you to lower your cholesterol levels and triglycerides.

Reduce blood pressure

Regular consumption of buttermilk can reduce your blood pressure significantly. The milk peptides and bioactive proteins in cultured and sweet buttermilk can minimize blood pressure and hypertension. It can also decrease your systolic and arterial blood pressure. The high potassium content of buttermilk can also reduce blood pressure. Moreover, the milk fat globule membrane in buttermilk has anti-hypertensive properties.

Good for immunity

The milk fat globule membrane in buttermilk has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer properties. Hence daily intake of buttermilk can strengthen your immune system and protect you against multiple infections. Moreover, the lactic acid bacteria in sweet cultured and sweet buttermilk boost our immune system. As an effective probiotic, it also protects you from vaginal and Candid infections.

Good for skin

Buttermilk is an excellent cleanser and toner. This helps you to remove tan, acne spots and blemishes. It moisturizes and improves the elasticity of the skin. It also has exfoliating properties. So, all in all, buttermilk will help you to slow down your ageing process.

Loaded with essential nutrients

Buttermilk is rich in B complex vitamins and vitamin D. Vitamins are important and help our body in numerous ways. It also contains minerals like potassium, Calcium etc.

Helps in weight loss

Buttermilk is a rich source of proteins, vitamins and several minerals. But unlike other food items with the same benefits, buttermilk is both, but especially sweet; buttermilk is low in calories and fats. Moreover, drinking buttermilk can make you feel full for longer, preventing you from taking more calories.

Helps in detoxification

The riboflavin present in buttermilk will actively convert food into energy. It also helps in the secretion of hormones and improves your liver function. It also helps the amino acids in the body, thereby contributing to protein production. Thereby both cultured and sweet buttermilk facilitates the detoxification of your body.

Good for bone and teeth

Buttermilk is a magical potion that can help your bone and teeth. It is an excellent source of Calcium, an essential building block for bones and the skeletal system. The Calcium in Buttermilk gets absorbed into the bone tissues. This maintains your bone density. Moreover, the phosphorous in buttermilk has anti-inflammatory properties. This will lower the inflammation in your oral skin cells. Lastly, it helps your bones from degenerative diseases like osteoporosis and periodontitis.

Helps your digestive system

The most important benefit of buttermilk is its effect on your digestive system. The probiotic bacteria inside churned and sweet buttermilk maintain your bowel movements. Thereby they help people with constipation. It also helps to treat people with irritable bowel syndrome. So, in short, it helps you from contracting several stomach infections and maybe even colon cancer.

Can you believe the number of benefits a single product can bring your life? Even better, you don’t have to spend much time, energy or products to make any of the above drinks. Moreover, both cultured and sweet buttermilk are very versatile. It can be used in multiple dishes, even multiple cuisines.

Buttermilk is added to the chicken marinade to increase the tenderness of the chicken. It is also added to bread recipes to make them richer. Both cultured and sweet buttermilk is widely utilized in curry preparation. Buttermilk is also used as the base for a wide variety of drinks. Tell me, have you seen an ingredient more versatile than buttermilk? It can become anything and be added to any sweet or savoury dish. Fascinating and easy, right?

But there is one problem with buttermilk. One major side effect can even result in a portion of the population avoiding it completely. It contains lactose!

Lactose intolerance and (cultured and sweet) buttermilk

Yes, both churned and sweet buttermilk contains very less amount of lactose in it. When compared with milk, both contain far less amount of lactose within it. Comparing both cultured and sweet buttermilk, it is safe to state that sweet buttermilk consists of the least amount of lactose in it.

Yes, the low amount of lactose will make it a safe product for most of the population and some lactose-intolerant people. But this doesn’t apply to every lactose-intolerant individual. Even low amounts of lactose present in buttermilk can pose troubles for a section of lactose-intolerant people. Do you want to know what kind of trouble buttermilk can cause lactose intolerant people?

Problems caused by lactose intolerance in individuals

Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, the sugar found in dairy and dairy products. This is caused due to deficiency of lactase. Lactase is an enzyme produced by the small intestine. It helps you to digest the lactose in your body. Yes, lactose intolerance is not a life-threatening disorder. But the symptoms of this disease can be distressing.

Lactose intolerant people experience symptoms like nausea, cramps, gas, bloating, vomiting, stomach growling or diarrhoea within 30 minutes to 2 hours after ingesting any product containing lactose. The severity of these symptoms depends on how much lactose reaches inside your body and each level of tolerance.

Some lactose-intolerant people can be distressed by a small amount of lactose. The rest may only experience symptoms after consuming a significant amount. It all depends upon the individual. But now, are some of these people going to miss out on the benefits of probiotics and miss out on a beneficial source of Calcium because of this? What can they do to maintain their bone health and gut health?

Let’s see. I have two products from the Nutriplus brand with me that can help people like them and everyone else who doesn’t like the taste, smell or texture of dairy-based products. They are Nutriplus GutHealth and Nutriplus BoneHealth. Let’s look at the advantages of these products, one after the other.

Nutriplus GutHealth

This probiotic supplement helps you maintain your gut flora or, in other words, your gut health. The five species of beneficial bacteria in Nutriplus GutHealth will ensure a healthy environment in the gut. This will help in the better absorption and utilization of nutrients. Moreover, just like churned or sweet buttermilk, the probiotic in the product will improve your bowel movements. In the long run, this will lead to better digestion and promote an active lifestyle.

This product has Advance Hybrid Culture within it. This microbe is initially dormant. They will only get activated after entering the gut. Now let’s look at the five species of bacteria present in this product Nutriplus GutHealth.

The beneficial bacteria present in Nutriplus GutHealth

Lactobacillus acidophilus – This type of bacteria is found in the intestines. It plays an important role in human health. As the name suggests, this bacteria will produce lactase in your gut. Thereby, they help in the production of lactic acid.
Lactobacillus salivarius – This probiotic bacteria is found in the gastrointestinal tract. They possess a large range of therapeutic properties.
Lactobacillus bulgaricus – A beneficial bacteria found in our digestive tracts. This bacterium is mainly used for the production of yoghurt. This plays a crucial role in the ripening of some cheeses and also helps in processes involving naturally fermented products.
Bifidobacterium longum is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium present in the human gastrointestinal tract and one of the 32 species belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium.
Streptococcus thermophilus – An essential lactic acid bacterium used for commercial purposes, which includes the production of milk, cheese, and other dairy products.

So, this is the best product out there for people with lactose intolerance and for those who, in general, hate milk to ensure that they maintain their gut health. Now, let’s move on to Nutriplus BoneHealth.

Nutriplus BoneHealth

This wonderful product contains numerous vitamins and minerals for your bones’ overall health. The Calcium included in this product exists in a bioavailable form. This ensures the maximum absorption and utilization of the nutrient. Moreover, it also contains several beneficial components like magnesium, zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin D. They help our body maintain bone health and many other functions.

To conclude, are you excited? Now you know that your favourite drink is extremely beneficial for you. And for those few who can’t enjoy the benefits of buttermilk, you always have Nutriplus products like Nutriplus GutHealth and Nutriplus BoneHealth with you. So, ensure that you are getting all the required minerals and nutrients through your diet in one way or another. Don’t feel conflicted about using supplements to help your body function properly. Make a good choice for a good and healthy you.