Know2eat

Buttermilk

What buttermilk has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About buttermilk

Originally the liquid left after churning butter; the product sold today is usually low-fat milk cultured with lactic acid bacteria to reproduce that tang. Its acidity is what makes it react with baking soda in quick breads.

Also known as Cultured buttermilk, Churn milk, Karnemelk

Gut & Digestive HealthHeart Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Digestive comfort

Gut & Digestive Health
Limited evidence

Some trials of live-culture fermented milks report fewer symptoms after a lactose load than after unfermented milk, an effect attributed to bacterial lactase surviving into the small intestine. Most of that work used yogurt rather than buttermilk.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Cardiovascular risk markers

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for buttermilk and cardiovascular outcomes. Cohort analyses of fermented dairy as a group are mixed and cannot separate the ferment from everything else that differs between people who drink it and people who do not.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Buttermilk

Ask about Buttermilk

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories40 kcal2%
Protein3.31 g7%
Total fat1.07 g1%
Carbohydrate4.79 g2%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars5.36 g—
Water90.1 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.66 g3%
Monounsaturated fat0.254 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.033 g—
Cholesterol4 mg1%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.02 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A14 µg2%
Vitamin C1 mg1%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.05 mg0%
Vitamin K0.1 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.034 mg3%
Riboflavin (B2)0.154 mg12%
Niacin (B3)0.058 mg0%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.275 mg6%
Vitamin B60.034 mg2%
Folate5 µg1%
Vitamin B120.22 µg9%
Choline17.7 mg3%
Minerals
Calcium116 mg9%
Iron0.05 mg0%
Magnesium11 mg3%
Phosphorus89 mg7%
Potassium151 mg3%
Sodium148 mg6%
Zinc0.42 mg4%
Copper0.011 mg1%
Manganese0.0020 mg0%
Selenium2 µg4%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene1 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.89 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Milk, buttermilk, fluid, cultured, lowfat (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170874).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • fermentedReduces lactose

    Lactic fermentation converts part of the lactose to lactic acid, and the live bacteria continue to break down lactose in the gut, which is the same mechanism that makes yogurt better tolerated than milk.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Cow milk protein allergy

    A major regulated allergen; culturing does not remove milk proteins.

  • Too much

    Sodium in commercial buttermilk

    Cultured buttermilk is usually salted, and carries considerably more sodium than plain milk. Worth checking on the label if sodium matters to you.

  • Worth knowing

    Partly fermented lactose

    Culturing consumes some lactose and the bacteria supply lactase activity, so tolerance is often better than with plain milk — but it is not a lactose-free product.