Top 8 health benefits of chaas or buttermilk

Chaas or buttermilk is a common drink in most Indian households. Made of watered down curd and spices like pepper, jeera, ginger, kadi patta, coriander leaves, salt and green chillies, this drink is most commonly had right after a meal. But this is not the only time you can enjoy it. Drinking it right after a long hot day in the sun is a great way to combat dehydration and fatigue. Thought of a digestive, this drink has many more health benefits. Here are 10 reasons you should drink chaas or buttermilk on a regular basis.

• 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 butter milk tends to wash down the spices and calms an irritated stomach lining. Incidentally a study found that milk and milk products were the best remedies for a bout of extra spicy foods, as milk is the only agent that can wash down the chemicals that cause the feeling of spiciness. Apart from that the pepper, jeera, kadi patta and other condiments help soothe the stomach and relieve it of any irritation it might have suffered due to spicy foods.
• Washes down fats: Had a heavy meal? If you feel like a beached whale or simply have eaten too much then drink a little bit of chaas. The ginger, pepper and other spices in thechaas help to improve digestion and make you feel less uncomfortable. Apart from that buttermilk is very effective in washing down the fat , oil or ghee that normally coats the inner walls of your food pipe and stomach – making you feel instantly lighter.
• Aids in digestion: Ginger, pepper and jeera all make excellent digestive agents. Known for their carmative properties individually together in a tall glass of chaas, they make the best natural digestive out there. So, If you feel a bout of indigestion coming on try sipping on some chaas for instant relief.
• A great tool against dehydration: It has salt, water, curd, and spices – all mixed into it 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 summer sun beating down on us, invest in a glass of chaas every now and then for some much needed relief from the punish weather.

• 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.   
• B complex and other vitamins: 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.
• Reduces blood pressure : A study published in the Journal of Nutrition  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 blood pressure, if had on a daily basis.
• 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 found that components in chaas or buttermilk are very effective in keeping ones cholesterol levels under check. According to Ayurveda practitioners drinking a tall glass ofchaas once a day is the best way to keep your cholesterol levels in check. 
• 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 thechaas cools the stomach and reduces the irritation in the stomach lining due to acid reflux, giving you relief from the discomfort. 

How to make chaas:

Ingredients: 

• Fresh curd – half a glass
• Cold water – One glass
• Salt – to taste
• Pepper – two pods
• Jeera – one small spoon
• Ginger – one inch piece
• Kadi patta or curry leaves  - two to three leaves
• Dhania patta – a small bunch of the leaves only
• Green chilies – one small chily finely chopped

Method: 

Take the pepper, jeera, kadi patta, dhania patta, ginger piece in a mortar and pestles and grind them well. Now take the curd and add the water to it. Mix it well so it forms a homogeneous solution. Now add the salt and the paste to the mixture. Stir well and serve cold.