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Suffering from acidity after a heavy meal? Tired and just back from a long day in the sun? Well, before you reach for that bottle of cold drink, soda or antacid, try a glass of chaas. A yummy, cool drink made from curd and spices such as jeera, kadi patta (curry leaves), ginger and salt, chaas or buttermilk is packed with numerous health benefits. Here are nine reasons you should drink chaas or buttermilk every day.
#1 Helps calm the stomach after a spicy meal
Made with cool, watered down curd, this drink is perfect to soothe the stomach. As you drink it the cool buttermilk tends to wash down the spices and calms an irritated stomach lining. Apart from that the addition of spices like pepper, jeera, kadi patta and other condiments to it relieves the stomach of irritation caused due to spicy foods. Here's why eating satvik food is good for health.
#2 Washes down fats
Had a heavy meal? If you feel like a beached whale or have eaten too much then drink a small glass of chilled chaas. Buttermilk is very effective in washing down the fat, oil or ghee that normally coats the inner walls of your food pipe and stomach. Apart from this, ginger, pepper and other spices in the chaas help to improve digestion and thus prevent belching.
#3 Aids in digestion
Ginger, pepper and jeera when combined act as an excellent digestive agent. The carminative properties of spices coupled with soothing and refreshing properties of buttermilk improve your digestion. So, if you feel a bout of indigestion coming on, try sipping on some chaas for instant relief.
#4 A great tool against dehydration
It has salt, water, curd, and spices all mixed to make a delicious drink. Packed with electrolytes and lots of water, chaas is the best thing you can give your body to fight dehydration. With the sun beating you down during summers, invest in a glass of chaas for some much-needed relief. Here are 9 tips to prevent dehydration during summer.
#5 Gives you calcium sans the fat
Lactose intolerant people (those who cannot have milk) miss out on loading up on natural calcium. This is where chaas comes to the rescue. Buttermilk helps give lactose intolerant people their dose of calcium without causing an adverse reaction. But apart from that, it is also a perfect way to get your fix of calcium sans the fat normally found in milk -- making it perfect for your diet. Here are 9 reasons you should eat calcium rich foods.
#6 Prevents vitamin deficiency
Butter milk 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.
#7 Reduces high blood pressure
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition {1} found that milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) found in buttermilk is rich in unique bioactive protein that has cholesterol-lowering, antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer properties. In this study, scientists found that drinking buttermilk significantly lowered bloodpressure, if had on a daily basis. Have you tried these natural alternatives to control your high blood pressure?
#8 Brings about a drop in cholesterol
Suffering from high cholesterol and want to lower it naturally? Try having chaas. A study published by the US National Institute of health {2} found that components in chaas or buttermilk are very effective in keeping your cholesterol levels under check. According to Ayurveda practitioners drinking a tall glass of chaas once a day is good for your health.
#9 Combats acidity
A potent tool to fight 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. Apart from this, here are few food dos and don ts you should follow to prevent acidity.
Wondering how to make chaas at home? Here is the recipe -
Ingredients:
Fresh curd - half a glass
Cold water - One glass
Salt - to taste
Black pepper (kali mirch)- two pods
Cumin seeds (jeera) 1/4th of a teaspoon
Ginger (adrak) - one-inch piece
Curry leaves (kadi patta) - two to three leaves
Coriander leaves (dhania patta) - a small bunch of the leaves only
Green chilli - one small finely chopped
Method:
Take the pepper, jeera, kadi patta, dhania patta and a ginger piece in a mortar and pestle and grind them well. Now take curd in a bowl and make a thick paste of it. Add water to it and mix it well so it forms a homogeneous solution. Now add salt and the mixture to the solution. Stir well and serve cold.
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