What's the Difference Between Buttermilk and Regular Milk and Is It Good For You?

Buttermilk is a cultured — essentially soured — milk product. Buttermilk is good for you because it is rich in nutrients and healthy fats.

You’ve likely heard of buttermilk before, but many people have never used it and don’t know what it is. In fact, you may find yourself wondering — what’s buttermilk? 

Buttermilk is a cultured — essentially soured — milk product. It’s nutritionally comparable to skim milk but has a tarter taste. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that 90% of U.S. citizens don’t get enough dairy every day. Give buttermilk a try for a unique and healthy way to add dairy to your diet. 

Along with whey, buttermilk is a top waste product of the dairy industry. It’s the liquid byproduct that’s created when cream is churned into butter. 

There are a number of different kinds of buttermilk. Examples of buttermilk varieties include: 

• Sweet buttermilk. This is made from churning sweet cream.
• Cultured buttermilk. This is made by fermenting sweet buttermilk with a particular kind of bacteria. The fermentation makes the milk taste tart and sour. Some of the bacteria used in fermentation provide probiotic qualities to the milk. 
• Whey buttermilk. This type is made when whey protein is churned. It’s much less common than the other varieties. But it demonstrates that buttermilk can be created in the process of churning most dairy products. 

Buttermilk is packed full of some of the best nutrients found in regular milk. It even has a greater concentration of certain nutrients than regular milk. 

In general, buttermilk contains a mix of: 

• Proteins — including casein 
• Fats — also known as lipids
• Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) constituents — this includes beneficial lipids and about 19% of the proteins in buttermilk
• Minerals and other micronutrients — particularly calcium

Since there are multiple kinds of buttermilk, your best bet is to check the nutrition label before purchasing a particular brand. Find the kind that best meets your body’s nutritional needs. 

Listed below are the ingredients in 100 grams of two different types of buttermilk — whole buttermilk (WB) and low-fat buttermilk (LB).

• Water — 87.9 grams in WB, 89.8 grams in LB
• Protein — 3.21 grams in WB, 3.46 grams in LB
• Total fat — 3.31 grams in WB, 1.08 grams in LB
• Carbohydrates — 4.88 grams in WB, 4.81 grams in LB
• Calcium — 115 milligrams in WB, 120 milligrams in LB
• Iron — 0.03 milligrams in WB, 0.01 milligrams in LB
• Magnesium — 10 milligrams in WB, 11 milligrams in LB
• Phosphorus — 85 milligrams in WB, 92 milligrams in LB
• Potassium — 135 milligrams in WB, 158 milligrams in LB
• Sodium — 105 milligrams in WB, 92 milligrams in LB
• Zinc — 0.38 milligrams in WB, 0.43 milligrams in LB
• Copper — 0.025 milligrams in WB, 0.001 milligrams in LB
• Manganese — 0.004 milligrams in WB, less than 0.005 milligrams in LB
• Selenium — 3.7 micrograms in WB, not listed for LB
• Thiamin — 0.047 milligrams in WB, 0.048 milligrams in LB
• Riboflavin — 0.172 milligrams in WB, 0.196 milligrams in LB
• Niacin — 0.09 milligrams in WB, 0.128 milligrams in LB
• Vitamin B-6 — 0.036 milligrams in WB, 0.039 milligrams in LB
• Vitamin B-12 — 0.46 micrograms in WB, not listed in LB
• Vitamin A — 165 international units in WB, 36 micrograms in LB
• Vitamin E — 0.07 milligrams in WB, not listed in LB
• Vitamin D — 52 international units in WB, 21.7 international units in LB
• Vitamin K — 0.3 micrograms in WB, not listed in LB
• Folate — 5 micrograms in WB, not listed in LB 
• Choline — 14.6 milligrams in WB, not listed in LB

For the most part, the nutritional differences found between whole-fat and low-fat buttermilk are due to slight variations in the measurements and samples. The most significant difference is in their fat content. 

Buttermilk is made from processing normal milk. This means that they have very similar nutrients, just in different amounts. The process of making butter causes certain milk constituents to be incorporated into the solid product while others are left out in the liquid buttermilk.

For example, both kinds of milk have very similar amounts of: 

• Proteins
• Carbohydrates
• Calcium
• Other micronutrients like calcium, magnesium, and potassium 

Both milk and buttermilk can be consumed like a normal beverage or used in baking. They have dramatically different flavors. But they perform similar functions when you cook and bake with them. 

The health benefits that come from buttermilk are primarily due to the nutrients within it. 

The milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) constituents are some of the most beneficial components of buttermilk. The concentration of these fats and proteins is five times higher than in regular milk. 

These constituents contain phospholipids and sphingolipids, among other molecules. Studies show that these are great for lowering your cholesterol. They also have anti-inflammatory effects and positively impact your nervous system. 

The MFGM constituent proteins are meant to improve a newborn’s immune system, so they’re packed with antioxidant and anti-microbial properties. 

Plus, if your buttermilk is fermented with probiotic bacteria, then it can also benefit your gut microbiome. 

One study even found that taking 45 grams of buttermilk each day was able to significantly lower participants’ cholesterol levels.

Since buttermilk is a dairy product, the amount that you should consume each day depends on how many other dairy products you consume. In general, the USDA recommends about three servings or cups of dairy per day for males and females over the age of 9. Younger people need less. 

Don’t drink buttermilk if you’re lactose intolerant or allergic to milk. People who are lactose intolerant have trouble digesting lactose — a common sugar in milk and milk products. Since buttermilk contains lactose, it’ll trigger symptoms in people that have this condition. 

People with milk allergies are most often allergic to the proteins that are found in milk. These proteins are also present in buttermilk. So buttermilk can trigger your allergies too. 

Neither condition is overly problematic as long as you’re able to avoid dairy and other products that contain lactose and milk protein. 

Many people are disturbed by the thought of drinking pure buttermilk. It’s not your typical sweet, mild dairy product. In fact, the tart, acidic flavor will likely remind you of spoiled milk. 

But if you’re not eager to sit down with a glass, there are other ways that you can enjoy this nutritious product. For example, it’s often used in baked goods. 

The Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital recommends substituting buttermilk for regular milk in gluten-free recipes. Gluten-free batters tend to be thinner than normal. Substituting buttermilk can help thicken batters. It also adds an overall lighter texture to baked goods compared to regular milk. 

Otherwise, you could try one of the few buttermilk products that are commercially available. Studies show that fruit juices and similar drinks can be anywhere from 62% to 83% buttermilk and still taste incredibly fruity and pleasing. This is an excellent way to get the nutrients of buttermilk without having to experience the taste. 

Similarly, you can keep your eyes out for kefir, another fermented milk product. The main difference between buttermilk and kefir is the number of live bacterial cultures within the products. Buttermilk typically has one to two cultures, while kefir has 12. This means that kefir likely provides similar health benefits to buttermilk but has a larger probiotic punch.